| Abstrakt: |
The influx of immigrants to Europe from Islamic countries is leading to a reconstruction of the social structure in the context of religion. The Muslim identity manifested itself early on in the specific needs of consumers. The basic standards for halal meat production come from the Quran and were established more than 1400 years ago, while ritual slaughter is a specific method of killing animals required by Islamic doctrine, as well as some other traditions. One of the most important conditions for this ritual slaughter is that the animal must be alive at the moment of slaughter. This requirement is widely debated. One of the arguments in favour of stunning animals before slaughter is that this technique did not exist when the principles of the Quran were formulated, and thus it cannot be definitively understood to be prohibited. Halal slaughter begins by making an incision in the neck, followed by an incision in the throat to cut through the oesophagus, trachea, and major vessels without removing the head or severing the spinal cord. The slaughtering of animals without prior stunning has been the subject of numerous ethical controversies. There has been criticism of the reduction in the animal’s protection and welfare resulting from the additional pain and suffering associated with being killed in a state of full consciousness, which continues for some time after cutting. In halal slaughter, electrical stunning is the generally accepted and most commonly used method. When used correctly, with high-frequency electro-stimulation, it is reversible and promotes effective bleeding, resulting in appropriate meat quality. The practice of halal slaughter, which dates back to ancient times, has a centuries-old tradition in all European countries in which followers of Islam have ever settled. Most of the world’s developed countries have adopted legally mandated rules for the humanitarian slaughter of animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
