Posted on 04/15/2006 10:23:21 PM PDT by LibWhacker
News from Nine MSN, Australia's ABC Rural and Bernama reports that three abattoirs have been given the seal of approval by a Malaysian religious body to perform halal slaughter of beef, which can then be exported to Malaysia.
The abattoirs are Stanbroke Beef Pty Ltd, based in Grantham, Queensland, and two from Victoria - Tasman Group Services, Brooklyn, and Victoria and Novic Food Processing, in Wodonga.
On June 4 last year, Malaysia suspended its beef imports from Australia, as it was decided that normal humane methods of killing bovines did not conform to halal standards.
Traditionally, halal meat has to be prepared by cutting an animal's throat and allowing the blood to drain out of the creature. Western methods of killing usually involve firing a metal bolt into the animal's brain to kill it instantly.
Jon Hayes, CEO of Norvic foods said: "Malaysia is only taking a very small percentage of the Australian beef and it's another market that Australia needs. We can't consume what we produce for 20 million people and we need the total global scene, and Malaysia is a very important market."
The three abattoirs were awarded their Islamic certification by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), and came into effect as of April 6.
Datuk Mustapa Abd Jalil, of Malaysia's Veterinary Services Department (JPH) said on Friday: "As our need for beef and offal from Australia is only between 6,000 to 8,000 tonnes a year, we don't expect any shortage of beef in the market."
Mustapa said that two US abattoirs have also been given halal clearance. Strauss and Lamb in Franklin, Wisconsin and J.F. O'Neil Packing in Nebraska had received their certification since February 13 this year.
I am surprised that none of the articles described the methods of slaughter to be employed in these abattoirs. Halal meat is not killed humanely, if done in accordance with Islamic custom. I am sure animal rights activists would be upset to know that money issues were coming before issues of humane slaughtering.
Whoa...the title is eye catching.
Made me look!
Aw, crap! I thought that they meant something else!
I hate it when they tease me like this!
If the text messages are true they stink; who'd want to eat one?
Oh. Cattle.
Had me going for a minute.
Hoping -- actually!
And disappointingly, bait & switch.
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