In Western countries, it a sad reality that many ‘Halal certified’ poultry (chickens) are not actually Halal. This is based on Halal standards worldwide. The main reason is that most of chickens are killed (by gas) before being slaughtered.
If the chicken dies before being slaughtered (by gas stunning), it is clearly HARAM as we are eating carcass!
In Western Countries, the Halal standard is not regulated and are done as a “Service” offered by many providers. This makes it prone to conflicts of interest and corruption.
Countries with regulated Halal bodies have set standards for Halal slaughtering:
No Muslim Countries allow gas stunning as the chicken dies before slaughtered!
Summary: Halal Chicken Standards Worldwide
| Halal Standard | Machine Slaughter? | Gas Stun? | Muslim Pop |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia SNI 99002:2016 | ❌ | ❌ | 231 million |
| 🇵🇰 Pakistan PS: 3733-2022 | ❌ | ❌ | 240 million |
| 🇮🇳 India Fatwa Boards | ❌ | ❌ | 200 million |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia MS1500:2019 | ❌ | ❌ | 20 million |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore MUIS Poultry Sch 2023 | ❌ | ❌ | 0.8 million |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi & Gulf States GSO 993:2015 | ✅ | ❌ | 57 million |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey OIC/SMIIC 1:2019 | ✅ | ❌ | 79 million |
| 🇧🇳 Brunei PBD 24:2007 | ❌ | ❌ | 0.4 million |
Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) prohibits machine slaughtering and gas stunning
Indonesia is the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. Indonesia’s halal regulations in the document SNI 99002:2016 require that each bird is slaughtered individually by a qualified Muslim slaughterer (juru sembelih halal) using a sharp knife.
The document also states that stunning for poultry is allowed only by electric shock (such as a water-bath stunner). It clearly states that “gas stunning is not allowed.”
Source: SNI 99002:2016
Singapore Islamic Council (MUIS) disapproves machine slaughtering. No Gas stunning.
In MUIS’ latest December 2023 ‘Poultry Scheme standard document‘, it clearly states that Muslim slaughterers must be involved in the slaughtering process. According to section 3.13 (page 14), “All Halal poultry shall be slaughtered by qualified Muslim slaughterers who have undergone a mandatory Halal slaughtering course and assessed to be competent.“
There is no provision for fully automated machine slaughtering without human involvement in the actual cutting process.
MUIS also specifically allows only low voltage water bath electric stunning. By omission, gas stunning is not allowed.
Source: MUIS Poultry (Slaughtering) Scheme 2023
Malaysian Halal Standard says all chickens must be hand slaughtered. No Gas stunning.
Malaysian halal standards require that poultry be slaughtered by a qualified Muslim person, not solely by a machine. The national standard MS 1500:2019 (Clause 3.5) defines halal slaughter as “an act of slaughtering a live halal animal by a Muslim” through severing the trachea, esophagus, and blood vessels with the intention (niyyah) for Allah.
The Malaysian Halal standard MS1500:2004 strictly says that stunning is not recommended. However, if it must be done, it needs approval and the preferred method is electric stunning. This directly disapproves of “Gas Stunning” in Malaysia.
Source: Malaysian Halal Standard MS 1500:2019, MS1500:2004
Pakistan’s National Halal Standard explicitly prohibits machine slaughtering
The Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has issued comprehensive Halal standards (PS:3733) covering slaughter methods. For poultry, Pakistan’s standard explicitly prohibits mechanical (fully automated) slaughter. It mandates traditional hand slaughter by a Muslim. This strict stance ensures compliance with all Islamic juristic opinions on Zabiha (Halal slaughter). No distinction is made between domestic use or export – hand slaughter is the only acceptable method under Pakistani Halal standards.
By this strict “Hand Slaughtering” standard, stunning is thus not recommended.
Source: Pakistan Standard PS: 3733-2022 (Analytical Study)
Indian major fatwa boards explicitly prohibit machine slaughtering
Since India is a non-Muslim country, Halal authorities are administered by independent Fatwa boards (Darul Ifta) such as the Darul Uloom Deoband and State Grand Muftis (who represent major Fatwa Boards). Almost all Indian Fatwa boards agree that machine slaughtering of Chickens is not Halal. For example:
- Grand Mufti of Darul Uloom Deoband – Mufti Mahmood Gangohi rahimahullah says machine slaughter is not permissible.
- Grand Mufti of Gujarat, Mufti Abdur Rahim Lajpuri rahimahullah says Machine Slaughtering is not permissible.
By this strict “Hand Slaughtering” standard, stunning is thus not recommended.
Source: https://ait.org.nz/importance-of-consuming-only-halal/
Brunei explicitly prohibits machine slaughtering
Brunei’s Halal Standard PDB 24:2007 explicitly states in section 3.2.5(a) that ‘Mechanical slaughter of halal animals is prohibited‘.
Gas (CAS) stunning has been prohibited as well (indirectly) through the phrase ‘Stunning must not cause permanent brain damage or give rise to death or physical disability to the animal‘.
Gulf Arab countries permit machine slaughtering but prohibit all types of stunning
Gulf Arab countries (Saudi, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and UAE) have an agreed upon standard via the Gulf Standard Organization. The document, GSO 993:2015, permits the use of fully automated machine slaughtering but disapproves any kind of stunning.
The Machine slaughtering specifications are very strict!
- There must be a Muslim Supervisor. This is highly emphasized which can be a problem if the factory is run by a non-Muslim.
- The equipment must be operated full time by a Muslim operator who oversees the process. The operator must not leave the machine. If he has to leave, he must stop the machine.
- “Bismillah” must be recited before operating the automatic knife on every batch of poultry (not individual chickens). Recording and playback devices are not allowed to replace an operator’s recitation of “Bismillah”.
- The machine cut must mimic a hand slaughter cut. If a bird is completely decapitated (head cut off from body), the meat is not halal.
NO kind of stunning is allowed for birds
- The GSO 993:2015 (Clause 4.5.1) standard clearly states “There shall be no use of electric shock, all forms of shock and unconsciousness when slaughtering birds.” Stunning is only allowed for large animals.
Source: GSO 993:2015
Turkey allows machine slaughtering, but only electric stunning. No gas stunning.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation body (OIC) under their department of “Standards and Metrology Institute for the Islamic Countries” (SMIIC) allows machine slaughtering but disapproves of Gas Stunning. This is specified in their standard OIC/SMIIC 1:2019 “General Requirements for Halal Food”.
The OIC standard has also set a specific method for low voltage electric stunning. Gas stunning is not allowed by omission.
Turkey is known to be the strongest adopter of OIC standards since the SMIIC headquarters is in Turkey. Even though OIC represents Muslim countries, not all countries adopt it.
Source: OIC/SMIIC 1:2019
[This article has been prepared by a brother living in Australia who wishes to be un-named]
