Halal slaughterer

The slaughterer ensures the animals are properly fed, slaughtered and hung, and the sequence, the method and who may perform it are set by Islamic law. The slaughterer monitors animal identification data, which keeps each carcass traceable to the animal it came from.

The slaughterer also weighs animals for food production purposes, skins them, splits the carcasses and operates meat processing equipment in cold rooms, where temperature is what keeps the meat safe between slaughter and despatch.

The slaughterer ensures proper sanitary conditions, handles waste and animal faeces, and works to the rules that apply to any abattoir regardless of the religious requirements. The work is physically demanding, done partly in cold rooms, and formal requirements, including any religious qualification and slaughter training, are set by the employer, the halal certifying body and national law. Which forms of slaughter are permitted, and under what conditions, is set by national law and differs between countries.