What Is a Halal Meat Market? (Everything You Need To Know)

Chances are, you’ve seen many signs for halal meat and meat deli in and around the US.

These days, hundreds of restaurants are supplying Halal food, allowing Muslims to dine out in the same restaurants we do.

But beyond the label exists a fascinating and intricate world known as the 'Halal Meat Market.'

However, unless you are Muslim, you may not fully understand halal meat, why it is so important, and what must be done to be considered ‘halal.’

This article will cover everything you should know about halal food and the halal meat markets.

Quick Summary

What Does HALAL MEAT MARKETS Mean?

Halal mеat markеts are spеcializеd storеs that еxclusivеly offеr mеat products that adhеrе to Islamic diеtary laws.

'Halal' mеans 'pеrmissiblе' in Arabic, and this contеxt, it rеfеrs to mеat that has bееn prеparеd in accordancе with Islamic guidеlinеs.

Thеsе guidеlinеs dictatе how animals arе raisеd, slaughtеrеd, and procеssеd, еnsuring that thе mеat is considered purе and lawful for consumption by Muslims.

Halal mеat markеts providе a rangе of mеats, including bееf, chickеn, lamb, and morе.

All meat are sourcеd from animals that havе bееn slaughtеrеd in a spеcific, humanе mannеr as prеscribеd by Islamic traditions.

Thеsе markеts sеrvе thе nееds of Muslim communitiеs and individuals sееking Halal-cеrtifiеd mеat.

What Do HALAL MARKETS Do?

Halal markets provide halal foods, following all the rules permitted by Islam and the halal food authority.

The halal products must be from a certified halal butcher, and supermarkets selling halal products can only be transported by Muslims.

Grocery stores catering to halal and non-Muslim foods have a harder time following Islamic law.

This is because all haram foods must be kept separate from halal products. Halal methods state that all food that comes in contact with haram food turns into haram.

That’s why halal products have to be brought into the grocery store using a different entrance, stored in a different place, and be put on display in a separate area.

Halal rules state that no halal supermarket can take profit from items considered haram, including pork, alcohol, lottery tickets, etc. It is because all of these items are forbidden in the halal lifestyle.

You can also check out our article on the best halal meal delivering services.

What is HALAL?

For non-Muslims, halal may be seen as simply a different way to slaughter and prepare meat.

However, it runs deeper than this, and halal meat is incredibly important in Islam. What makes the meat halal is an intensive process.

‘Halal’ is a word used to refer to behavior or an action that is considered permissible in Islam, whereas ‘haram’ means the opposite. It could refer to the meat or the methods used to prepare it.

Dietary rules in Islam include no pork products and blood, birds of prey, and reptiles. All of these would be considered ‘haram.’

He [Allah] has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah.
- Quran

God’s name must be repeated before the animal goes through a religious slaughter.

Meat slaughtered following the halal rules is referred to as ‘zabiha,’ and it is done using a surgically sharp knife, cutting the jugular vein and letting the animal’s blood drain from the body. An animal slaughtered this way is considered halal.

Only one animal can be slaughtered at a time, and no livestock should witness another animal being slaughtered.

Throughout the animal's life, they must also be treated with respect - they should have food, fresh air, clean water, and enough space to roam.

What Is Stunning?

Stunning is an act of electrocuting the animal before the animal’s death. Electrocuting puts the animals to sleep, so they don’t go through any “unnecessary suffering.”

Since 1979, stunning has been mandatory throughout the EU, and in a few countries killing animals without stunning is illegal [2].

Some supermarkets claim that the only difference between halal and normal foods is the prayers done before slaughter.

That being said, stunning is not widely accepted in the Middle Eastern world, with the halal food authority claiming that stunning causes the meat to become haram.

This is because many animals die from the stunning and arrive at the slaughterhouse dead. According to the Halal Monitoring Committee, animals must be alive while the ceremony takes place. [3]

Chickens slaughtered for halal meats are often stunned, and a lot of them die beforehand.

It also means the animals are unconscious while slaughtering, meaning they are not awake to hear the Tasmiyah (prayer).

Difference Between Kosher and Halal Meat

Kosher food follows the kashrut (Jewish dietary law); much like halal, they have very specific rules and regulations.

Kosher meat is similar to halal since they both need the meats to be slaughtered by a sharp surgical knife, done by a trained professional.

However, Jewish law forbids the animal to be stunned beforehand.

Unlike Muslim meat, Jewish meat doesn’t require prayer or God’s name to be said before every slaughter.

Kashrut also forbids Jewish people to eat certain animal parts, such as particular fats and sciatic nerves.

FAQs

References:

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/halal-food
2. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-27324224.amp
3. https://halalhmc.org/resources/issues-of-mechanical-slaughter-and-stunning/