Assalamu Alaikum

When it comes to halal and Zabiha, the first thing that comes to mind is meat and meat products; how was the slaughter conducted, how were the animals cared for prior to slaughter? According to IFANCA, meat is Zabiha if it is from an animal that is halal, slaughtered in the prescribed Islamic manner, in the name of God. However, there are some variations in opinions on the halal and Zabiha issue. We asked halal consumers their thoughts on it. Our ‘short’ questionnaire brought forth short, long and elaborate explanations as well. Some replies even came from distant Saudi Arabia. We, at Halal Consumer, loved hearing from a cross section of our community and that was the intent of the article. To showcase thoughts and opinions from fellow Muslims. We also found that halal consumers were aware that meat store owners could possibly be bending the truth as to how Zabiha their products really were. We even heard, “Some restaurants claim a halal menu but are no more halal than the burger at mainstream restaurants. They aren’t Zabiha.” When we asked halal meat shop owners surprisingly few were willing to say that all the meat sold at their store was Zabiha. Typical responses included, “Call next week”, “Why do you want to know?”, “The owner is out of the country”, “Why do you need to add my name?” Other eye-openers discussed in this issue are nutritional labels and associated health claims. When a label says “sugar-free” is that what it really means? Food scientist, Haider Khattak also tells us about fats and oils and Dr. Chaudry, in a one-on-one interview, informs us how trans fat got into our food in the first place. Finally, now that it is warmer, we’ve got our grill on! Join us!

Sincerely,

Naazish YarKhan
Managing Editor