Guidance on Halal Food puts Muslim Interests before those of British Consumers
Guidelines issued by the Food Standards Agency on Halal food issues demonstrate the hypocrisy their supposed animal welfare concerns and the total contempt in which they hold the British consumers, reports Doug Ward, Yorkshire BNP Press Officer.
Following on from the shocking revelations of the sale and production of Halal foods in Britain by the BNP’s Manchester super activist Derek Adams and the exposure of the practices of the John Lewis Partnership’s Waitrose Supermarket, we have obtained guidelines from the Food Standards Agency on Halal foods.The guidelines, distributed on October 1st, 2010, to all Local Authority enforcement officers, demonstrates the hypocrisy of their animal welfare concerns and the total contempt of the British consumer as Islamic Shariah Food Law takes precedence over our laws.
“Dear Director,
The Food Standards Agency issued guidance for Local Authority enforcement officers on Halal food issues in February 2003.
The mislabelling and misrepresentation of Halal foods is of great importance to the Muslim Community, and continues to be an issue of concern.
For this reason we are re-issuing the advice drawn up in association with relevant Muslim organisations, LGR and Defra.
Food enforcement officers are requested to:
Use this advice when planning inspections, food sampling and labelling checks relating to Halal foods and take appropriate enforcement action.
It would be very helpful to be informed of any action taken by LAs to enable us to provide assurance that LAs are aware of this issue, and take action where necessary to protect the interests of the Muslim Community.
Should you require any further information on this issue or wish to inform us of any action that your LA has taken, please contact me on the details below.
Yn gywir /Yours sincerely
Rob Wilkins
Arweinydd Tîm, Gorfodi Cyffredinol / Team Leader, General Enforcement.
GUIDANCE NOTE FOR FOOD LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ON HALAL FOOD ISSUES
Halal is an Arabic word which means ‘permissible’, a related word in the Qur’an is Tayyab which means wholesome and fit for human consumption. With regard to food described as Halal, it means food that Muslims are permitted to consume under Islamic law. The opposite of Halal is Haram, which means ‘prohibited by God, unwholesome, foul’. If a Muslim is sold Haram food, it is viewed very seriously, as it causes them to eat food prohibited in Islam which may be a form of fraud or deception.
To be Halal:
The animal should be alive or deemed to be alive at the actual time of slaughter and slaughter must be carried out in compliance with Islamic Shariah and the Welfare of Animals Regulations 1995 (as amended).
Animals/birds must be slaughtered by severance of neck arteries and jugular veins.
Under Regulation 22, ‘Schedule 5 (which relates to the stunning and killing of animals) shall not apply to any animal which is slaughtered in accordance with Schedule 12 (which relates to slaughter by a religious method)’.
Islamic Shariah (law) relating to slaughter of animals or poultry
Animal and birds should have preferably been raised in a natural environment. Their feed should not contain animal-based products.
In the slaughterhouse animals must not be able to see other animals being slaughtered, nor must they have sight of blood. This requires cleaning the area before the next slaughter.
There must be no cruelty to animals or poultry at any time.
The slaughter man must be a Muslim, who has been properly trained and licensed.
All slaughtering must be carried out in a licensed slaughterhouse.
Places where pigs are slaughtered should be avoided.
The slaughter man must use a sharp knife (which must not be sharpened in front of the animal). He must sever the jugular veins and carotid arteries as well as the oesophagus and trachea, but not the spinal cord as this restricts convulsion, which in turn restricts the pumping out of blood.
At the time of slaughter he must pronounce Bismillah Allahu Akbar (In the name of God, God is the Greatest) on each animal or bird.
At all times the meat and general hygiene regulations must be complied with.”
The guidance demonstrates the priority of the Food Standard Agency’s aim to protect Muslim communities from any form of fraud or deception.
It is now for the British public to decide whether clear labelling of this inhumane method of slaughter will be enough to appease public opinion or whether a campaign regarding the schedule 12 addition of schedule 5 of the Welfare of Animals Regulation 1995 should be abolished on the grounds that its inclusion contradicts the whole purpose of the regulation.
