The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: Daveravey on October 03, 2010, 02:56:32 pm

Title: Found This ...
Post by: Daveravey on October 03, 2010, 02:56:32 pm
Perhaps it's a load of b*****ks, but ....

HUNDREDS of restaurants secretly serving Muslim halal meat to unsuspecting diners sparked a storm of protest yesterday.
Customers are not warned their meals come from animals that were slaughtered by having their throats slit without being stunned.

The butchery method ordered by Islamic law has been condemned as "barbarically cruel" by animal welfare organisations.

But that has not stopped caterers secretly dishing up halal meat to thousands in hotels, restaurants, schools, top hospitals such as Guy's - and at sports venues Ascot, Wembley and Twickenham.


Tell all ... halal boss Mr Khawaja
Masood Khawaja, president of the Halal Food Authority, said: "This is completely wrong. As Muslims have a choice of eating halal meat, non-Muslims should also have the choice of not eating it. Customers should know it is halal meat."

Mr Khawaja, whose organisation approves most halal suppliers in Britain, said: "Everyone has the right to choose and should be given the right information."

Muslims are forbidden to consume blood. If an animal is stunned before slaughter, not all its blood will drain away.


Mystery meat ... halal is on menu at Guy's
The RSPCA said: "The public have a right to know how their meat is produced."

The Farm Animal Welfare Council, which advises the Government, has called for a ban on halal meat in Britain.

PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals - has videos of ritual halal slaughtering which show animals convulsed in pain as they take up to three minutes to die.


What's the score? ... Wembley serves halal

Whitbread - owner of Brewers Fayre, Beefeater, Table Table, Costa Coffee and Premier Inn chains - uses 80 per cent halal chicken.

A spokesman said: "It is not mentioned on menus because we don't think there is customer demand for that information."

An Ascot racecourse spokesman said: "All our chicken is halal. This is not advertised as menus are kept as simple as possible."

Tasty bet ... but Ascot doesn't say it's halal

An FA spokesman confirmed halal meat is served at Wembley.

A Twickenham spokesman said: "Our consideration is more for those who want halal, to ensure they get it."

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More than 200 schools serve halal meat without telling parents.

The Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, and London hospitals Guy's and St Thomas' also serve halal meat without advertising the fact.

My bit...

Now, put a cooked Halal despatched, a cooked humanely despatched chicken breast on a plate & i doubt you'd be able to tell the difference   ::)
Title: Re: Found This ...
Post by: BlueDaisy on October 03, 2010, 03:14:17 pm
Hmm, hubster was telling me a couple of days ago that all New Zealand lamb is killed halal way.
Was a bit of a shock to me.

ANd I don't think it matters wherther you can taste the difference or not, surely you want to eat animals that have been humanely killed?
Title: Re: Found This ...
Post by: doganjo on October 03, 2010, 03:20:09 pm
I'm with you, BD.  I think I'm going to go veggie. :'(
Title: Re: Found This ...
Post by: Sylvia on October 03, 2010, 04:07:08 pm
Yet another reason to grow your own meat!! How can docking puppy dogs tiny tails be illegal and cruel and slitting an animals throat be o.k.?????
Title: Re: Found This ...
Post by: HappyHippy on October 03, 2010, 07:27:46 pm
I saw a thing on the TV this week about the Halal slaughter process - think it was panorama.
In the UK all Halal meat IS stunned before slaughter - it has to be to conform with our regulations. The only difference is that the animals face Mecca when slaughtered, a prayer is said and the slaughter man has to be muslim. So please be assured that HALAL MEAT SLAUGHTERED IN THIS COUNTRY IS STUNNED.
The same can't be said for New Zealand lamb  :( and subway currently use non-stunned halal chicken (maybe pork too, I can't remember) in their food - although they say they're phasing that out.
Most of the meat on sale in supermarkets is halal - but they don't put it on the label. It's caused a bit of an uproar to say the least, but as long as you're buying british meat you can be assured that it will have been stunned prior to slaughter.
Title: Re: Found This ...
Post by: Daveravey on October 03, 2010, 08:18:51 pm
So, all the uk muslims aren't eating proper halal meat then, unless they despatch it themselfs or get it from some backstreet slaughter house ?
Title: Re: Found This ...
Post by: HappyHippy on October 03, 2010, 11:18:41 pm
Yeah, that was the impression I got from the programme I saw. But this was a big slaughterhouse down near Bradford I think and they supplied to supermarkets etc. Maybe there are halal butchers who're exempt from this but I didn't get to see the whole programme.
Just tried to find it to post a link - but it must not have been panorama  ???
I'll ask the OH if he can remember what it was.
Title: Re: Found This ...
Post by: doganjo on October 03, 2010, 11:56:48 pm
Yet another reason to grow your own meat!! How can docking puppy dogs tiny tails be illegal and cruel and slitting an animals throat be o.k.?????
I don't dock tails
Title: Re: Found This ...
Post by: Hilarysmum on October 04, 2010, 09:26:54 am
"(maybe pork too, I can't remember)"  pork is non halal. 
Title: Re: Found This ...
Post by: Sylvia on October 04, 2010, 10:53:29 am
Yet another reason to grow your own meat!! How can docking puppy dogs tiny tails be illegal and cruel and slitting an animals throat be o.k.?????
I don't dock tails

Me neither(but I don't keep docked breeds)I was just wondering how one can be so wrong and the other o.k You don't hear anything from the R.S.P.C.A. or PETA concerning halal meat or the way animals are slaughtered. I wonder why? :-\
Title: Re: Found This ...
Post by: Fleecewife on October 04, 2010, 11:38:00 am
The RSPCA failed farm animals during Foot and Mouth when enormous cruelties were committed and they didn't try to prevent this. Cruelty to fluffy pets is far more emotive and brings in their funds.  Luckily we have SSPCA in Scotland - I wonder what their view on Halal killings is.
It says in the original article that all the blood is not drained if the animal is stunned - how can that be?  if it is only stunned then it's heart will still be beating, but it will be brain dead.
I have heard that there are many back street halal slaughterers, but they are likely to be supplying only the muslim community whereas meat from from the larger halal abattoirs is more likely to be what ends up in the general market.  I am very much against Halal slaughter which is why I never supply animals for that purpose.
Thank you HH for the info that the main slaughter houses do have to stun, Halal or not.
Title: Re: Found This ...
Post by: darkbrowneggs on October 04, 2010, 03:14:45 pm
Didn't realise the RCPCA was interested in animal welfare, thought they were more interested in publicity to get more funds, to get more publicity etc etc.

Don't know if its true but I heard they will no longer take in animals in distress, only those where there has been cruelty ie ones they can take to court.

I will be interested to hear others views on the RSPCA, perhaps I have got them wrong ???

All the best
Sue
Title: Re: Found This ...
Post by: doganjo on October 04, 2010, 05:00:35 pm
You've got them 100% correct IMHO, Sue
Title: Re: Found This ...
Post by: Frieslandfilly on October 09, 2010, 08:30:20 am
Quote
Most of the meat on sale in supermarkets is halal - but they don't put it on the label. It's caused a bit of an uproar to say the least, but as long as you're buying british meat you can be assured that it will have been stunned prior to slaughter.

This is a little worrying, if most of the meat on sale in supermarkets is halal,  but they are not putting it on the label I assume it means it is the norm and that most muslims know about it and it would appear that non muslims do not, this raises a question : does that mean that eventually all slaughtermen will have to be muslim if it becomes standard because the supermarkets drive it that way?