HM Prison Service Imams have recently met at a halal supplier to
discuss issues surrounding the production and supply of halal meat to
prison inmates.
Members of a meat and poultry working group for prison service Imams
gathered at the offices of Janan Meat in Kingswinford to witness
approved slaughtering methods used by the company and discuss the need
to ensure consistent supplies of assured halal food to feed the
estimated 10,000 Muslim inmates in England and Wales.
HM Prison Services Muslim adviser Altisham Ali said: “The whole day
was very interesting. As Muslim consumers, we have to be happy with the
whole process of production, from farm through to fork, and in
particular the requirements of and the need for the animal to be
manually slaughtered, be alive at the time of slaughter, the killing to
be undertaken by a Muslim and the Tysmia to be audibly pronounced over
each animal.”
The Imams were also shown the recent EBLEX film ‘A Quality Meat
Supply Chain for the Muslim Consumer’, where Tony Goodger from the
Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board explained the work being
undertaken by EBLEX within the halal supply chain to help the public
procurement sector understand the need for high-quality assured halal
meat and of the changes in the Office for Government Commerce’s
classification for halal meat.
Janan Meat MD Naved Syed said: “My personal aim is to help inform
the Muslim community, wherever they may be, that halal meat is being
produced to high standards that are fully assured along the supply
chain and to help improve everyone’s understanding of the purity of the
meat we produce and consume. I was delighted on the day that Jerry
Houseago, from one of the UK assurance companies who inspect the Halal
Standard to which we and other halal businesses operate, was able to
join the meeting and take the Imams through the standards of audit
along the supply chain.”
