Finland: McDonald’s chicken-burgers are halal

Finland: McDonald’s chicken-burgers are halal

Fast food chain McDonald’s is selling hamburgers in Finland with chicken slaughtered according to the Muslim halal method.

This
surprised customers, since the restaurant chain does not say anywhere
that the production of the meat follows religious law.

McDonald’s
buy more than half of its chicken from Danish producer Danpol, who
comply with the Muslim rules in their slaughtering process. According
to the produces, there’s always a Muslim on site to watch over the
slaughtering process and to say a prayer before each slaughter begin.

In
addition to the religious character of the procedure, the animal is
slaughtered without anesthesia by slicing the carotid artery.

Halal
food has become more visible in Europe recently. Major fast food chains
in Australia, the UK and the US opened halal places targeted at Muslims
in recent years.

McDonald’s in Finland does not plan their
service for different religious groups. The fast-food chain say that
they choose the chicken meat in question for quality reasons and not
for religious reasons.

The chairperson for the Finnish
Freethinkers Union, Jussi K. Niemelä, doesn’t respect people who follow
a different religion or who are atheists. They end up eating something
dedicated to Allah against their will and without their knowledge, says
Niemelä.

Finland’s Islamic Association counters that the issue
shouldn’t be blown up needlessly. The prayer which is said during halal
slaughter isn’t directed at the meat and does not affect the product.
It’s an opening prayer that Muslims usually pray when they ask for
something, such work, says Abdi-Hakim Yasin of the Finnish Islamic
Association.