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

KOSHER: Muslim Consumers & the Marketplace

Can Muslims use kosher certification symbols to tell if a food is halal?

YES: Muslims can use kosher symbols to determine if a food contains pork, pig-derived products, meat from improperly slaughtered but jointly permissible (halal, kosher) animals, blood or hawwam creatures (vermin) such as insects, rodents, frogs, snails and reptiles. These are all prohibited by both kashruth and shari'a.

NO: Muslims cannot use kosher symbols to determine if a product contains alcohol. Some non-kosher foods, like those containing shrimp or cheese, can be made in a halal manner.

Kosher: Under-serving Muslim Consumers
Muslims make up 30% of the "kosher consumer," outnumbering Jews who keep kosher[1] in this consumer group by 3:1. Despite our economic weight in the kosher foods market, Muslim Consumers are nonetheless under-served by kosher food standards.

Foods which contain alcohol and alcohol-derived products like (most) wine vinegar can be kosher, but are forbidden (haram) for Muslims to eat. On the other hand, kosher dietary laws impose restrictions on Muslims that are unnecessary for that food to meet halal criteria. These are:

• Banning foods containing seafood such as shrimp, crustaceans or shellfish;
• Banning the mixing of meat and dairy;
• Banning foods containing non-Jewish cheese, and;
• Seasonal dietary restrictions.

When a food contains a non-kosher but Islamically permissible substance, such as shrimp, Muslims often have no way of knowing if that food also contains an ingredient derived from a haram substance such as pork. This is true even if he or she reads the label. 

Two such products are Doritos® brand Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips, made with pork enzymes[2, 3], and Gorton's brand Shrimp Scampi which contains both gelatin and wine.[4] Each of these food products, though containing non-kosher ingredients, can be made according to halal standards with slight modifications to the recipes.

Producing Halal is Cost Effective
Producing foods in accordance with halal dietary standards is actually less complicated, less costly and provides a bigger return than only producing foods according to kosher standards. Here are several reasons why.

Muslims are a bigger Market

• The United States is home to 8 – 11 million Muslims of diverse backgrounds, with one thing in common: they eat halal food.[5]
• 80% of Muslims regularly observe halal dietary standards, only slightly more than 20% of Jews regularly observe kosher standards.
• Within the kosher consumer group, Muslims outnumber Jews 3:1.6 
• The U.S. market for halal foods is $12 billion per year.[7] This, despite the lack of widespread availability for halal products outside of major metro areas.

More Food Products become Marketable

• Muslims are not restricted from eating meat taken from the back half of a slaughtered animal, keeping costs associated with Islamic slaughter low.
• Muslims are consumers of foods containing cheese and cheese products, expanding the number of food products marketable to Muslim consumers beyond the traditional "kosher consumer" boundaries.
• Muslims are consumers of foods containing crustaceans, shellfish and mollusks, expanding the number of food products marketable to Muslim consumers beyond the traditional "kosher consumer" boundaries.

Low Learning Curve for the Manufacturer
Current awareness of kosher food production protocols concerning the banning of products derived from pork, insects and blood lowers the manufacturer's learning curve to making non-kosher food products like shrimp or clam dishes in a halal manner.

Related Topics:
Kosher v. Halal: What are the differences and similarities of kosher and halal?
A comparison of kosher and halal animals
ALCOHOL: In Islam, it's Haram

References:
[1] Bushkin, Gary. "Kosher & Halal certification: natural products with a pedigree; How dietary preferences have changed the formulation of products in the nutraceuticals market now and for the future." Reprinted on Entrepreneur.com from: "Kosher Halal Overview," Nutraceuticals World. March 2007. Retrieved April 10, 2009. https://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/161207428.html
[2] "Seasoned Products Made Without Porcine Enzymes," Frito-Lay web site. (Retrieved April 7, 2009). 
http://www.fritolay.com/your-health/seasoned-products-made-without-porcine-enzymes.html
[3] Brand Overview: Doritos, Frito-Lay web site, (Retrieved April 7, 2009). http://www.fritolay.com/our-snacks/doritos.html
[4] Our Products: Shrimp Scampi, Gorton's web site, (Retrieved April 10, 2009). http://www.gortons.com/product_detail.php?cid=22&pid=25
[5] Chaudry, Muhammed, PhD. "Halal in Confectionery," Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA). Presented at the 2007 National Technical Seminar of the American Association of Candy Technologists.
[6] Bushkin, Gary. (ibid)
[7] Bushkin, Gary. (ibid)

KOSHER, HALAL Comparison

Jewish dietary law, kashruth, has differences and similarities to Islamic dietary law. Understanding when kosher helps us and when it hinders us from keeping halal is key to raising awareness with manufacturers, distinguishing ourselves as a market of our own, and driving the demand for halal food products.

Alcohol
In Islam, alcohol and alcohol-derived products including (most) wine vinegars are prohibited—even when used in cooking. 

Alcohol is kosher, however, all grape products, including wines, brandies and other grape-based alcohols must be prepared under Orthodox Rabbinic supervision. For a wine to be kosher, it cannot be produced by non-Jews. All other (non-grape) alcoholic drinks can be certified kosher, so long as it contains no non-kosher ingredients and the equipment used to prepare it is inspected under the supervision of a rabbi.

Pig
In Islam, the eating or application (cosmetics, for example) of pig products (pork, gelatin, etc.) is forbidden.

In Judaism, the eating of pig products is forbidden. However, the injection (injectable collagen) or application of pig derived products is largely not forbidden. There have been recent rabbinical rulings that suggest a trend away from the religious permissibility of topical and injectable pig-derived products, however.

Blood
In Islam, the eating or drinking of blood that has flowed from flesh is prohibited. A slaughtered animal must be thoroughy exsanguinated (drained of all flowing blood). Accordingly, while preparing meat for cooking, Muslims routinely wash raw meat, soaking it in a solution of vinegar and water, or water and salt, to further draw out surface blood from the meat.

For meat to be kosher, all blood and large blood vessels must be removed from the meat. This is most commonly done by soaking and salting, but also can be done by a special broiling process. The hindquarters of a mammal are not kosher unless the sciatic nerve and the fat surrounding it are removed. 

Cheeses
Islam has no prohibition against mixing meat and dairy products. Cheese is allowed in the Muslim diet. However, Muslims concerned with the slaughter of the calf from which the rennet came may choose to eat kosher or vegetarian cheeses to avoid doubtful areas.

For any cheese to be kosher, whether or not it is made with GM, microbial or animal rennet, it must be "Jewish cheese" (gevinat Yisrael) – cheese produced by a Jew or by a Jewish owned company.
1) Contrary to common knowledge, the use of animal rennet in cheesemaking does not go against the kashrut prohibition against eating meat and dairy together.
2) Rabbinical opinions differ as to whether animal rennet must come from a kosher-slaughtered calf.[1, 3]

Dead Meat
Islamic and Jewish both prohibit the eating of dead meat. It is forbidden to eat the meat from an animal that died of illness, a blow, by trapping, or a natural death, or any animal killed in any manner other than by slaughter or the hunt (not permissible in Judaism).[4] 

Insects
Islam prohibits eating insects, except for the Arabian locust. Vegetables must be washed to remove insects. 

Eating insects violates 3-6 laws of the Torah; so it is a greater sin than the consumption of pork in Jewish law.[5] However, as in Islam, certain sub-species of locust are kosher. To be kosher, vegetables, especially leafy vegetables must be checked for insect infestation.

Mixing Meat and Milk Products
Islam does not forbid the eating of meat and dairy in the same meal. 

Jewish dietary law forbids: 1) cooking meat and milk together in any form; 2) eating such cooked products, or 3) deriving benefit from them. As a safeguard, the Rabbis extended this prohibition to disallow the eating of meat and dairy products at the same meal or preparing them with the same utensils. Milk products cannot be consumed after eating meat, for a period of time. Most customs say to wait six hours. Prior to eating meat after dairy, one must eat a solid food, either drink a liquid or thoroughly rinse one’s mouth, and check the cleanliness of ones hands.

Slaughter
In both zabiha and shechita, the Islamic and Jewish methods of slaughter, the animal must be in good health and fully conscious. Before either zabiha or shechita occurs, the slaughterer recites a blessing, saying: 

Islamic zabiha: "Bismillah, hal raHmaan ar-raHeem (In the Name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful)."

Jewish shechita: "Blessed are You... Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning slaughtering."[6]

Both must use an extremely sharp knife and swiftly, and with enough depth, cut through the major veins of the neck. Lastly, for the meat to be halal or kosher, the animal must be drained of all flowing blood. 

Utensils
Islam does not mandate seperate utensils. Utensils previously used to prepare pork or another haram substance must be thoroughly washed while the Islamic statement of faith (shehadah) spoken.

A kosher kitchen must have two different sets of utensils, one for meat and poultry and the other for dairy foods. There must be separate, distinct sets of pots, pans, plates and silverware.

A comparative list of kosher and halal animals

ANIMAL	KOSHER7	HALAL	NOTES
Antelope	Yes	Yes
Boar	No	No
Buffalo	Yes	Yes
Camel	No	Yes
Cephalopods octopus, squid, cuttlefish	No	Yes*	Sunni: Hanafi fiqh split on its legality. Halal in all other Sunni Traditions. Shi'a: Not halal in Jafari.
Cow	Yes	Yes
Crustaceans crab, lobster, crawfish	No	Yes*	Sunni: Hanafi fiqh split on its legality. Halal in all other Sunni Traditions. Shi'a: Not halal in Jafari.
Deer	Yes	Yes
Donkey	No	No
Frog	No	No
Goat	Yes	Yes
Horse	No	Yes*	Horse meat is considered makrouh tanzih (Shafa'i) and makrouh tahreem (Malaki, Hanbali, Hanafi).
Insects carmine, shellac, cheese mites	No*	No*	The Arabian locust is both halal and kosher.
Ostrich	No	Yes
Pig swine, boar	No	No
Predators, Air hawk, owl, falcon	No	No
Predators, Land bear, dog, alligator, snake	No	No
Predators, Sea	No	Yes*	Sunni: Hanafi fiqh split on its legality. Halal in all other Sunni Traditions. Shi'a: Not halal in Jafari.
Scavengers, Carrion Eaters buzzards, raccoon, worms	No	No*	Scavenging sea creatures are permitted.
Sheep	Yes	Yes
Shellfish mussels, clams, oysters	No	Yes*	Sunni: Hanafi fiqh split on its legality. Halal in all other Sunni Traditions. Shi'a: Not halal in Jafari.
Snails	No	No
Zebra	No	Yes

Related Topics:
What is the size of the U.S. Market for halal products
Kosher: Under-serving Muslim Consumers
What are the advantages to producing halal foods for companies already producing kosher foods?
What are the halal animals?
What are the haram animals?
What is zabiha?
How does AMNA judge foods containing meat?
BLOOD: In Islam, it's Haram

References:
[1] Gordimer, Rabbi A. "How is Cheese Made Kosher?" AskMoses.com reprinted from OUKosher.org. (Retrieved: March 26, 2009)
http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/555,2097191/How-is-cheese-made-kosher.html
[2] Wikipedia: Kashruth : Vegetarianism. (Retrieved March 26, 2009) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashruth#Vegetarianism
[3] "Wikipedia: Kashruth : How Kashrut is viewed by contemporary Judaism. (Retrieved March 26, 2009)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashruth#How_kashrut_is_viewed_by_contemporary_Judaism
[4] Luban, Rabbi Yaakov "The Kosher Primer," The OU website: http://oukosher.org/index.php/common/article/the_kosher_primer/P1/
[5] Positive Mitzvah #151: Searching for the prescribed signs in grasshoppers. Leviticus 11.21
[6] Hecht, Rabbi Mendy. "What is kosher meat?" Ask Moses.com. http://www.askmoses.com/article/553,2193106/What-is-kosher-meat.html
[7] Hecht, Rabbi Mendy. "What are kosher animals?" Ask Moses.com. http://www.askmoses.com/article/277,180/What-are-kosher-animals.html

U.S. Law: Kosher & Halal Food Labeling

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."

Nationwide (U.S.), there can be no legal definition of nor regulation of 'kosher' or 'halal.' The First Ammendment of U.S. Constitution lays out the Constitutional Principal of Separation of Church and State, prohibiting the government from making laws "respecting an establishment of religion" or the free exercise thereof. 

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."[1]

Therefore, there are no legal mechanisms to regulate the standards used by food manufacturers. Legally, manufacturers can use either word on product labeling, or call their products 'kosher' or 'halal', simply if they believe that the food meets these standards. This practice of labeling a food or ingredient like gelatin as 'kosher' is effective in attracting a significant portion of the "kosher consumer" most of whom are Muslims.

U.S. Law Protecting Trademarks
U.S. Intellectual Property Law provides protection against the unauthorized use or misuse of trademarks—distinctive signs used by the owner to distinguish products and services that it provides from those provided by others. 

Halal and Kosher certification agencies use their recognizable and legally protected symbols on products they certify as either halal or kosher so that the consumer will be assured that the product in question meets the certifier's standards for halal or kosher.

Letters, such as 'K', 'KD' or 'KP' are not uniquely identifyable and cannot be protected under U.S. trademark protection laws. Manufacturers sometimes use the letter 'K' to identify its product as conforming with Jewish dietary law. Such products should not be understood to be kosher or halal for Muslims to eat.

Halal and Kosher symbols are registered trademarks of the certification organization, and cannot be placed on a food label without that organization's permission.

[ Halal Food Certification Agencies ]

[ Kosher Food Certification Agencies ] 

Local & State Law
Some cities, such as Baltimore, and some 20 states, including Virginia and New Jersey, recently passed legal statutes to define "kosher" and "halal" and to made it a crime to sell a product labeled as such if, in general, it was not processed in accordance with the Jewish and/or Islamic religious law. However, these statutes were ruled unconstitutional by courts (Baltimore, NJ) and legislatures (Virginia) and struck down.

Although the ordinance's "commendable" purpose is to protect consumers from fraud and mislabeling, U.S. District Judge Benson E. Legg, who struck down Baltimore's kosher statute, said, its "primary defect is that it excessively entangles civil and religious authority."[2]

As a measure to ensure that the public was kept knowledgeable in a constitutionally acceptable way, the State of Virginia recently passed laws requiring kosher and halal certification agencies to disclose the name of the person overseeing the food production process after it was discovered that some butchers were buying supermarket meat and repackaging it as kosher. 

The Virginia law reads:
"It is unlawful to label any repackaged food that represents the food as kosher or halal without indicating the person authorizing such designation."

The previous Virginia statute had required all kosher symbols to attest that the food had "been prepared under the Orthodox Hebrew religious requirements," but it was defeated in the Virginia State Legislature as unconstitutional.[3]

Related Topics:
Halal Certified Food Symbols 
Kosher Certified Food Symbols
Kosher v. Halal: What are the differences and similarities of kosher and halal?
Market for Halal Products & the Muslim Consumer

References:
[1] First Ammendment to the United States Constitution.
[2] Valentine, Paul W. "Kosher Law Ruled Unconstitutional; Baltimore Decision Against Food Inspections Is First at Federal Level." The Washington Post. October 5, 1993
[3] Shinefield, M. Chabad Lubavich Global Network. "Jewish and Muslim Communities Cooperate to Pass US's First Kosher-Halal Law." October, 2006. 
http://lubavitch.com/news/article/2016002/Jewish-and-Muslim-Communities-Cooperate-to-Pass-USs-First-Kosher-Halal-Law.html
(Retrieved April 8, 2009)

KOSHER: Certification

Products that have been certified as kosher are labeled with kosher symbols. Kosher symbols are registered trademarks of kosher certification organizations ("vaad haboronim," "poskim"), and cannot be placed on a food label without the organization's permission.


Kosher, HALAL and American Law

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."

In the U.S., there can be no legal definition of kosher or halal, therefore, no legal mechanisms to regulate the standards used by food manufacturers. Legally, manufacturers can use either word on product labeling. They can call their products 'kosher' or 'halal' simply if they believe that their food meets these standards. This practice of labeling a food or ingredient like gelatin as 'kosher' is effective in attracting a significant portion of the "kosher consumer" most of whom are Muslims.

-- Read more about U.S. Laws concerning halal and kosher foods here. --


'K': Stay Away
A single 'K' is sometimes used as a symbol for kosher, but as a letter, it cannot be trademarked (the method by which other symbols are protected from misuse). In many countries, it only indicates that the company producing the food claims it is kosher. 'K' is often used by manufacturers to attract kosher consumers when the product cannot be certified by a rabbinical certification agency.

Guide to Kosher Food Symbols
Different kosher certifying agencies tend to follow different kosher certification standards, some more strict and others more lenient. This is because in interpreting ancient dietary laws and adapting them to modern technology, different rabbis have different views about what exactly passes as kosher. 

This guide identifies the kosher certifying agencies behind the most commonly used kosher symbols in the United States, Europe and Asia. More information about each agency, and the kosher standards it maintains, can be found on each agency's web site.

[ Our Guide to Halal Certified Food Symbols ]

Major Kosher Certification Agencies in North America
SYMBOL		RABBINIC AUTHORITY	DENOMINATION	CITY, COUNTRY
	OU	Union of Orthodox Congregations ("Orthodox Union")	Orthodox	New York, U.S.
	The OU certifies over 2300 companies with 4500 plants in 70 countries with a total of over 300,000 labels. www.oukosher.org
	CRC	Chicago Rabbinical Council	Orthodox	Chicago, U.S.
	cRc is the largest regional, not-for-profit, Orthodox organization in North America. It works with close to 800 food companies in North and South America, Europe and Asia. www.crcweb.org
	KOF-K	KOF-K Kosher Supervision	Orthodox	Teaneck, NJ, U.S.
	The KOF-K symbol is the internationally recognized trademark of KOF-K Kosher Supervision, one of the foremost kosher certification agencies in the United States. www.kof-k.org
	Triangle-K	Triangle-K and Associates, Inc.	Orthodox	New York, U.S.
	Triangle-K certification is awarded by a consortium of Orthodox Jewish rabbis who desire to see as wide a range of food products as possible made available to kosher consumers worldwide. www.trianglek.org/
	Star-K	Star-K Kosher Certification Agency Vaad Hakashrut of Baltimore	Orthodox	Baltimore, MD, U.S.
	Star-K Kosher Certification Agency provides kosher supervision globally. The Star-K kosher symbol is regarded as being in the top tier of strictness and quality. www.star-k.org
	Star-D	Star-D Kosher Certification Agency	Orthodox	Baltimore, MD, U.S.
	Star-D Kosher Certification Agency is affiliated with Star-K, but certifies only dairy products.
	OK	The Organized Kashrus Laboratories	Orthodox	New York, U.S.
	Operating on six continents and supported by more than 350 of the world’s leading kosher experts, the OK certifies more than 114,000 products, produced by over 1,500 companies. www.ok.org
	COR	Kashruth Council of Canada	Orthodox	Toronto, Canada
	The Kashruth Council of Canada guides the observance of kosher dietary laws in Canada. More than 45,000 products carry the COR symbol of kashruth certification. www.cor.ca
Regional Kosher Certification Agencies in North America
	ARK	The Association for Reliable Kashrus		Lawrence, NY, U.S.
	AKC	Atlanta Kashrus Commission		Atlanta, GA, U.S.
		Badatz Mehadrin
	CRC	Beth Din Hameyuchud LInyonei Kashrus of the Central Rabbinical Congress (Hishachdus Horabbonim)		New York, U.S.
	CHK	Beis Din of Crown Heights (Vaad Hakashrus)		New York, U.S.
	California K	California K Igud Hakashrus of Los Angeles (Kehillah Kosher)		Los Angeles, U.S.
	CKU	Certified Kosher Underwriters		New York, U.S.
		Communidade Ortodoxa Israelita Kehillas Hachareidim Departmento de Kashrus	Orthodox	Brazil
	K-COR	Council of Orthodox Rabbis of Greater Detroit	Orthodox	Southfield, MI, U.S.
		Dallas Kosher (Vaad Hakashrus of Dallas)		Dallas, TX, U.S.
		Debracin		New York, U.S.
	Florida K	Florida K and Florida Kashrus Services		Maitland, FL, U.S.
	Texas "K"	International Kosher Supervision
	J.S.O.R.	Jersey Shore Orthodox Rabbinate	Orthodox	Deal, NJ, U.S.
		Kashrus Council of Lakewood N.J.		Lakewood, NJ, U.S.
		Khal Adath Jeshurun
		K’hal Chizuk Hadas of Flatbush		New York, U.S.
	K-WI	Kosher Supervisors of Wisconsin		Milwaukee, WI, U.S.
		Montreal Vaad Hair		Montreal, QC, Canada
	NK	National Kashrus		Monsey, NY, U.S.
	BC Kosher, BC-K	Orthodox Rabbinical Council of British Columbia	Orthodox	Vancouver, Canada
		Orthodox Vaad of Philadelphia	Orthodox	Philadelphia, PA, U.S.
		Rabbi Nuchem Efraim Teitelbaum (Volover Rav)		New York, U.S.
	RCC	Rabbinical Council of California		Los Angeles, U.S.
	Scroll K	Scroll K / Vaad Hakashrus of Denver		Denver, CO, U.S.
	ORB	South Palm Beach Vaad		Hollywood, FL, U.S.
		United Mehadrin Kosher		St. Paul, MN, U.S.
		Vaad Hakashrus of K’hal Machzikei Hadas of Belz		New York, U.S.
		Vaad Harabanim of the Five Towns and Far Rockaway		Cedarhurst, NY, U.S.
		Vaad Harabanim of Flatbush		New York, U.S.
	VHM	Vaad Harabonim (Vaad Hakashrus) of Massachusetts		Boston, MA, U.S.
		Vaad Harabanim of Greater Seattle		Seattle, WA, U.S.
		Vaad of Lancaster / Cong. Degel Israel		Lancaster, PA, U.S.
	K-W	Young Israel of West Hempstead		West Hempstead, NY, U.S.

Some Terms you might see on Foods Bearing Kosher SymbolS

Cholov Yisroel חלב ישראל		Refers to all dairy products, including cheese and non-fat dry milk powder, which have been under the supervision of a Jew.
D, Dairy	Dairy	Indicates products containing dairy or dairy derivatives.
DE	Dairy Equipment	Indicates that the product is intrinsically Parve but is prepared on Dairy equipment. This product may be served and eaten before or after, but not together with, meat.
D-P	Dairy-Passover	Indicates a dairy product which is kosher for Passover and all year round.
F	Fish	Indicates the product is kosher and contains fish ingredients.
F-P	Fish-Passover	Indicates a fish product which is kosher for Passover and all year round.
Glatt, Meat, M, גלאַט	Meat	Indicates products containing meat or meat derivatives. "Glatt" literally means "smooth", referring to the smooth lung tissue of an animal free from disease.
Glatt-P	Meat-Passover	Indicate a meat product which is kosher for Passover and all year round.
Kosher for Passover		Indicates products certified Kosher for Passover.
ME	Meat Equipment	Indicates that the product is intrinsically Parve but is prepared on Meat equipment. This product may be served and eaten before or after but not together with dairy.
P, Pareve, Parev, Parve	Parve	Products completely void of all milk and meat in any form.
Pas Yisrael		Jewish baked goods
Yashan		Not from current grain crop

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Halal Certification Symbols
Halal, Kosher: A comparison
Market for Halal Products & the Muslim Consumer