SPOTLIGHT on ETHICS: Supermarket Meat

Supermarket Meat. Is it halal?
Is the meat — chicken, turkey, beef or lamb — found in your supermarket up to Islamic standards of halal?

This article discusses Islamic concerns of animal welfare, jallalah and the potential for contamination with haram substances, when considering supermarket-bought meat as halal or not. Zabiha (Islamic slaughter) is outside of the scope of this article.

Overview of Meats Found in Supermarkets

Factory Farmed Meat
If you've ever bought meat from your local supermarket, chances are it was raised in dense confinement with many other animals in the environment of a large-scale agrobusiness, known as Factory Farming. In fact, according to the Worldwatch Institute, 74 percent of the world's poultry, 43 percent of beef, and 68 percent of eggs are produced this way.[1] Factory farmed animals are reported to suffer a variety of health and emotional problems.

Organic Meat
Organic meat is meat from animals that have been raised without the use of hormones or antibiotics. Unlike most supermarket meat, organically raised chickens, cows, sheep and swine (yes, there are even organic pigs!) are given freedom of movement and allowed to roam freely in wide fields. Although preferable over standard supermarket meat, organic meat is not automatically halal.[2]

Butchering, Packaging of Supermarket Meats

If you buy chicken, beef or lamb at the supermarket, you should know where it was before it was packaged in plastic. Here are some important questions Muslim shoppers should ask their supermarket meat department, and the reasons why.

Question: Is the meat packaged at the store, or at the farm?
Most name-brand meat products specialize in one type of meat. One type of animal. Turkey farmers don't raise cows, for example. When a chicken company sells its product to supermarkets all over the country, then the equipment it uses to produce and package that chicken will be in demand 24/7, processing ONLY chicken.

If your meat is the store brand, butchered on your food store's butcher's table, then you have another question to ask to know if that chicken, beef or lamb is clean.

Question: How many butchering tables does the store's butcher have?
Many of today's supermarkets are equipt with two to three butcher tables. Typically, there is one dedicated to pork, and one to beef. Other meats such as rabbit, lamb or chicken can be cut on either, depending on store policy.

Organic stores tend to have a relatively small butcher shop, but typically offer their high-end consumers a wide range of meats, from buffalo to beef, pork, wild boar, ostrich, pheasant and chicken. Because of the low volume, and high variety of meats organic butchers typically offer, the butcher shops in organic and whole foods stores tend to have one butcher table for cutting and trimming these meats.

Bottom Line: You should ask the meat department of your supermarket or whole foods store what their butchering policies are.

Question: Does the butcher shop meat grinder grind both pork and beef?
Some supermarkets that we're familiar with purchase all of their ground pork, lamb, turkey and chicken pre-ground from their suppliers, but grind beef in-house. These suppliers, especially poultry processors, typically specialize in processing meats from one type of animal.

Bottom line: Ask which of the meats are ground using supermarket meat grinders, and if they have more than one machine to grind each type of meat.

Recommended Topics:
Jallalah of halal animals
Factory Farming
Zabiha, Islamic slaughter
Organic Meats

[1] State of the World 2006. Special Focus: China & India. "Chapter 2: Rethinking the Global Meat Industry." Danielle Nierenberg. Worldwatch Institute, p. 26. Online Summary found at: http://www.worldwatch.org/node/3993
[2] SPOTLIGHT on ETHICS: Organic Meat
[3] "Best Practices for Beef Slaughter," 2003. Edited by: National Meat Association, Southwest Meat Association, American Meat Institute, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. http://haccpalliance.org/sub/food-safety/BestPracslaught1103.pdf [PDF]

SPOTLIGHT on ETHICS: Factory Farming

This article is an important read for all Muslims concerned with adhering to Islamic law which mandates the humane treatment of animals. There is no guarantee that zabiha-slaughtered cattle did not also live under the questionable conditions imposed by large-scale agro-business.

If you've ever bought meat from your local supermarket, chances are it was raised in the environment of a large-scale agrobusiness, known as Factory Farming. In fact, according to the Worldwatch Institute, 74 percent of the world's poultry, 43 percent of beef, and 68 percent of eggs are produced this way.[1]

What is it?

Cows in a U.S. factory farm

Factory farming is the practice of raising farm animals in confinement and 'high stocking density'. Factory Farming is the practice of operating a farm as a factory, as is typical in industrial farming by agribusiness.

Factory farms hold large numbers of animals, typically cows, pigs, turkeys, or chickens, often indoors, typically in crowded conditions. The aim is to produce as much meat, eggs, or milk at the lowest possible cost. A wide variety of artificial methods are employed to maintain animal health and improve production, such as the use of antimicrobial agents, vitamin supplements, and growth hormones. Animals are physically restrained to control movement or actions regarded as undesirable.

There is a continuing debate over the benefits and risks of factory farming. The issues include food production; animal welfare; the environmental impact and health risks.

Is the Meat halal?
As pertains to the feeding, raising and care of animals meant for food, some of the basic Islamic requirements for halal meat are:

Islamic Requirement: Cleanliness of feed.
Under Islamic Law, animals fed unclean food or garbage are called Jallalah. Muslims are temporarily forbidden from eating or drinking meat or milk from jallalah animals until that animal's diet can be cleaned. This cleansing period is commonly around 3 months.

Practice: Feed
The main ingredients used in commercially prepared cattle feed are: corn, soybeans, sorghum, oats, and barley. Up until the spread of BSE (mad cow disease), cattle feed contained meat and bone meal (MBM). MBM is the product of bones and waste tissue from the meat processing industry. Having a formula of about 50% protein, 35% ash, 8-12% fat, and 4-7% moisture, it was used in animal feed to increase the protein content. In most parts of the world, including America, MBM is no longer allowed in feed for ruminant animals such as cows and sheep, however it is still used in pig feed.[2, 3]

Practice: Cleanliness of Environment
One of the main features of densely populated factory farms is that waste, feces and urine, from animals is constantly being produced. Perpetually caged animals such as chickens are often urinated on by chickens in cages above them.

Islamic Requirement: Ease and Well-being of the Animal
In both Quran and Hadith, Islam mandates humane treatment towards animals. The Prophet Muhammad forbade people to capture and cage birds, burn anthills, and whip or brand animals. Muslims are forbidden from eating the meat of al-mujathama (مجثمة)—animals penned in and killed under duress for sport.

Muslims are responsible for the care of animals. So much so that an ill-treated animal will testify against the one who abused it on the Day of Judgment. It is such a serious matter that in Islam, one could gain Heaven or Hell due to one’s treatment of animals. Even in slaughtering animals for food, Islam requires that the slaughtering be done according to Islamic procedure, which aims to cause the animals as little suffering as possible.[4]

Practice: Animal Welfare

Breeding sows in gestation crates

The large concentration of animals, animal waste, and the potential for dead animals in a small space poses ethical issues. It is recognised that some techniques used in industrial agriculture can be cruel to animals.[5]

Raising a large number of animals under confinement in crowded conditions often requires that certain animals, such as veal calves, and pregnant cows or pigs be confined in cages where they cannot move or change position.[6]

In factory poultry farming, particularly for eggs, birds are kept in rows of cages, and their environment, ventilation, heating and lighting are dictated automatically.[7] The small confining cages reduce stimulation of the poultry, which often results in chickens pecking each other or themselves.[8] A study by the Agricultural and Food Research Council in 1992 also found that 50% of battery farmed poultry had bone disorders such as osteoporosis[7] or breakages. In some farms, chickens are debeaked, their beaks removed so they will not be tempted to fight each other or to resort to cannibalism.[5, 9]

Because the aim of factory farming is high-output at low cost, animals are unfortuntely regarded as a commodity to be optimized. This objectification of animals can lead to mistreatment, abuse or neglect. There have been several documented cases of such animals being mistreated, even when using the industry's guidelines as a standard.

It is AMNA's stand that meat, eggs and milk from animals coming from such an environment cannot be considered halal. The challenge, then, facing the Muslim consumer is knowing if the meat they are purchasing, whether supermarket meat, or zabiha slaughtered, is from one such animal. The growth of free-range and organic cattle farming practices, and the availability of organic and free range meat, whether at the supermarket or the local halal butcher, has made it easier for Muslims to buy meat that is truely in-line with Islamic law, from birth-through-slaughter.

References:
[1] "State of the World 2006," Worldwatch Institute, p. 26.
[2] Wikipedia: Meat and Bone Meal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_and_bone_meal
[3] Adedokun, S. A. and L. Adeola. 2005. "Metabolizable energy value of meat and bone meal for pigs." J. Anim. Sci. 83(11): 2519-2526.
[4] "The Love of Animals." Hediyah Al-Amin, Islam-Online.net. http://www.islamonline.net/english/introducingislam/Environment/article04.shtml
[5] UK DEFRA comment on de-beaking recognising it as cruel. http://www.kt.iger.bbsrc.ac.uk/FACT%20sheet%20PDF%20files/kt32.pdf
[6] Wikipedia: Factory Farming. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factory_farming
[7] Animal Liberation NSW Battery Hens
[8] VEGA Laying hens, free range and bird flu
[9] Wikipedia: Poultry Farming. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poultry_farming
[10] "Best Practices for Beef Slaughter," 2003. Edited by: National Meat Association, Southwest Meat Association, American Meat Institute, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. http://haccpalliance.org/sub/food-safety/BestPracslaught1103.pdf [PDF]

Quran & Hadith: Zabiha (ذبيحة)

Zabihah in the Quran

اليوم احل لكم الطيبات وطعام الذين اوتوا الكتاب حل لكم وطعامكم حل لهم والمحصنات من المؤمنات والمحصنات من الذين اوتوا الكتاب من قبلكم اذا اتيتموهن اجورهن محصنين غير مسافحين ولامتخذي اخدان ومن يكفر بالايمان فقد حبط عمله وهو في الاخرة من الخاسرين

"This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them. (Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste women who are believers, but chaste women among the People of the Book, revealed before your time,- when ye give them their due dowers, and desire chastity, not lewdness, nor secret intrigues if any one rejects faith, fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good)."
— Quran, Surat Al-Ma'idah 5:5

ولاتاكلوا مما لم يذكر اسم الله عليه وانه لفسق وان الشياطين ليوحون الى اوليائهم ليجادلوكم وان اطعتموهم انكم لمشركون

"Do not eat that which the name of Allah has not been mentioned."
— Quran. Surat al-Ana'm. 6:121

Hadith referencing Zabihah

Prohibition Against Cruelty to Animals
Narrated by Abu Darda: "
The Prophet (s.a.s.) prevented the eating of khatafah (خطفة) [creatures that snatch (monkeys, raccoons, etc.)], nahabah (نهبه) [creatures that plunder (mice, rats, etc.)] and mujathama (مجثمة) [animals which are tied down, restricted or penned in for target shooting], and every predator possessing canine teeth / fangs."
— Tirmidhi, Ibn Maja and Nisaa'i

“When you will show mercy on an animal, God will show mercy on you.”
—Al-Hakim

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar:
"Allah's Apostle said, 'A woman was tortured and was put in Hell because of a cat which she had kept locked till it died of hunger.' Allah's Apostle further said, '(Allah knows better) Allah said (to the woman), "You neither fed it nor watered when you locked it up, nor did you set it free to eat the insects of the earth."' "
— Bukhari 3:553. Also in Muslim, Narrated Abu Huraira

Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas (r.a.a.):
"The Prophet (s.a.s.) said: 'Do not take anything in which there is a soul as a target.' "

Narrated by Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (r.a.a.):
"The Messenger of Allah (s.a.s.) forbade tormenting any kind of animal to death."
— Muslim

... In Slaughter
“If one wishes to slaughter an animal, let him prepare for it”
— Ibn Majah

On the authority of Abu Ya’la Shahddad ibn Aus, the Messenger of Allah said:
“Verily Allah has prescribed proficiency in all things. Thus, if you kill, kill well; and if you slaughter, slaughter well. Let each one of you sharpen his blade and let him spare suffering to the animal he slaughters”
— Muslim

lbn `Abbas once recorded that the Prophet (s.a.s.) saw a man who was sharpening his knife after laying down a sheep to be slaughtered. He rebuked him saying, “Did you intend to make it die two deaths? Why did you not sharpen your knife before laying it down?”
— Al-Hakim

"Allah has ordained kindness (or excellence) in everything. If killing is to be done, do it in the best manner, and when you slaughter, do it in the best manner by first sharpening the knife and putting the animal at ease."
— Muslim

In an incident narrated by Rafi’ bin Khadij, the Prophet told Muslims who wanted to slaughter some animals using reeds: “Use whatever causes blood to flow, and eat the animals if the Name of Allah has been mentioned on slaughtering them...”
— Bukhari

Islamic Schools of Thought

Regarding the Mentioning of bismillah 
... at the Time of Slaughter
Between the Islamic Schools of Thought, there are differences of opinion as to the mentioning of the Name of Allah at the time of slaughter, which would render the same meat either permissible or impermissible by different Schools.

The Hanafi School of fiqh states:
"If the slaughterer intentionally does not mention Allah's name (at the time of slaughter), then the slaughtered animal is 'dead meat' (maytah) and is not allowable. If the slaughterer leaves off the name of Allah forgetfully (but with intention), then it is allowable."
— Al-Hidayah. Kitab al-Dhabaha.

The Hanafi School of fiqh allows the meat to be eaten when the mentioning has been left off, forgetfully, to allow for the forgetfulness of mankind and to ease hardship on the people. For the Hanafis, the action is what is sanctified, not the animal (meat) to be slaughtered, citing the hadith below. The slaughterer's intention is voiced by his saying bismillah, but the forgetting of saying bismillah does not nullify the intention of the sincere slaughterer. Therefore, by the same rites, it is not sufficient to say bismillah only on the meat while it is on your plate because the action has already occured.

Narrated Aadee bin Hatem:
"I said: ‘O Prophet of Allah, I send my (hunting) dog and mention the Name of Allah.’ The Prophet (s.a.s.) told me: ‘If you send your dog mentioning the Name of Allah and he killed, you eat; but if he eats from it, do not eat. He has caught it for himself.’ I said: ‘I send my dog, and then I find another dog with him, and I do not know which one caught for me.’ The Prophet (SAW) said: ‘Do not eat, because you only invoked the Name on your dog, and not on the other.’"
— Al-Bukhari and Muslim

With regards to the requirement that the slaughterer must mention the Name of Allah, the Hanafi School does not make a distinction as to whether the slaughterer is Muslim, Christian or Jew. All must mention His Name, since all are regarded as worshipping Allah, the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus.

The Maliki School of fiqh states:
"The meat is not allowable from both angles (whether or not the Name of Allah was left off intentionally, or non-intentionally)."

Imam Malik takes the literal meaning of the ayyah [6:121], to allow only those meats over which the Name of Allah has been mentioned at the time of slaughter. Period.

The Shafi'i School of fiqh states: 
The Shafi'i School of fiqh is of the opinion that the meat of halal animals is edible regardless of whether the Name of Allah has been pronounced on it at the time of slaughter, so long as the conditions of slaughter are met. The Shafi'i School cites the following ahadith for its position:

Narrated Hadrat Sayyidah A’isha:
"A group of people said to the Nabi (s.a.s.), 'Some people brought us meat and we do not know whether or not they have mentioned Allah’s name on it (while slaughtering the animal) or not.' He (s.a.s.) said, 'Mention the Name of Allah over it and then eat it.'”
— Sahih al-Bukhari

"The Muslim slaughters in the Name of Allah, whether it is mentioned or not mentioned."
— Dar al-Qutni and Baihaqi

Regarding Food (Meat) of the People of the Book
The Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Fataawa (http://www.fatwa-online.com), an Islamic organization consisting of the most senior Sunni scholars of fiqh in Saudi Arabia says:

"[At the time of the Prophet (s.a.s.)], the Jews and Christians were disbelievers in many of the fundamentals of faith which were brought in the Torah and Injeel: the Jews disbelieved in the prophethood of some prophets, such as ‘Isa and Muhammad (p.b.u.t.), and they killed the prophets unlawfully and corrupted many of the laws of the Torah. A number of them said ‘Uzair was the son of Allah, etc. [Also at that time] the Christians used to [and still] say that Allah is the Third of Three (in a trinity), and that Isa is the son of Allah, and they disbelieve in the prophethood of Muhammad (p.b.u.h.).

"In spite of this, Allah called them the People of the Scripture and He made it permissible for the Muslims (to eat) their slaughtered animals and to marry their chaste women. Their disbelief, their polytheism and their corruption of their Scriptures did not prevent the ruling of the People of the Scripture being implemented regarding them during the time of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.). So it does not prevent them from being implemented regarding them until the Day of Resurrection.”
— Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 6, p. 247

AMNA Note: It is AMNA's position that (strictly speaking) it is not haram to eat meat that the name of Allah was not spoken over during slaughter, so long as it is said before the food has been consumed AND so long as it can be reasonably established that the animal was slaughtered in an 'Islamic manner'— not shocked, maltreated, stunned or otherwise rendered unconscious before death.

However, AMNA acknowledges that given the prevailing conditions found in Factory Farming, particularly the well publicized mistreatment of some animals in certain slaughterhouses, buying supermarket meat is problematic and raises more questions than answers, and as such is best to avoid.

Therefore, AMNA believes where halal butchers exist, Muslims should buy zabihah so that they may avoid problematic or questionable foods.

Regarding Stunning before Slaughter
In slaughterhouses, it is common to give large animals such as cows a blow to the forehead using a retractable bolt gun. Because a small fraction of these animals die from the blow, instead of just being knocked unconscious, and because of issues of animal cruelty, there has been an ongoing debate as to whether this practice is halal. Here, we provide a brief overview of positions from both sides.

"If it is not easy to slaughter animals unless they have been stunned by a method that will not kill them before they are slaughtered, then it is permissible to stun them and slaughter them whilst they are still alive, in cases of necessity. "
— Fataawa al-Lajnah al-‘Daa’imah, 22/456-457

"Cattle that have been exposed to a fatal blow are permissible so long as they are slaughtered properly before they die, otherwise it is not permissible to eat them."
— Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 22/455

According to the ruling on animals which are slaughtered after suffering a violent blow (but before dying), these scholars take the position that if the butcher slaughters the cattle as soon as it is struck, then it is permissible to eat it. But if it is 'slaughtered' after it has died then it is not permissible to eat.

The problem for Muslims is that U.S. Meat Industry regulations do not prohibit meat from animals that have died from the blow. Muslims have no way of knowing if supermarket meat came from an animal who died before slaughter or not.

Reference:
"Best Practices for Beef Slaughter," 2003. Edited by: National Meat Association, Southwest Meat Association, American Meat Institute, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.  http://haccpalliance.org/sub/food-safety/BestPracslaught1103.pdf [PDF]
SPOTLIGHT on ETHICS: Factory Farming