What does halal mean?All information on non-stun slaughter

To slaughter an animal without stunning, people cut the animal's neck. They cut through the skin, muscles, carotid arteries, trachea and oesophagus as well as the adjacent nerve cords. This is done while the animals are fully conscious. They suffer considerable pain, shortness of breath and fear of death. The agony can last up to 30 minutes and only ends when they have bled to death.

Millions of animals bleed to death in slaughterhouses in this country every day. However, they are stunned beforehand. This means that the animals do not feel any pain and do not consciously experience the slaughtering process - provided the plants work professionally and correctly.

In Germany, it is generally forbidden to slaughter an animal without stunning it. This is stated in the Animal Welfare Act and the so-called Animal Welfare Slaughter Ordinance. Anyone who violates this law must pay a fine of up to 25,000 euros. People who repeatedly torture animals in this way face imprisonment. However, there are exceptions. Slaughtering is part of various religions. People whose faith "mandates" the slaughter of animals can apply for an exemption from the relevant authorities. A veterinarian is then always on site and monitors that the animals are slaughtered properly without causing avoidable pain. Such an exemption is only applied for and approved in a few individual cases.

"Halal" comes from Arabic and can be translated as "pure". For food to be labeled as "halal", certain requirements must be met during production. However, it is not a protected term. The definition is not uniformly clarified in Islam. For example, meat that is halal must not come from pigs, must not contain blood and must come from non-stun slaughter. However, there are major differences among Muslims as to exactly how they interpret religious regulations. "Halal" therefore does not necessarily mean that the animals were slaughtered without stunning. Many communities accept prior stunning. This means that products labeled "halal" can come from slaughtered animals if they are imported from abroad. In this country, they are properly stunned before they bleed to death. The latter represents a significant improvement in terms of animal welfare.