Assalamu Alaikum

Over the years, we have heard many questions about the integrity of the halal meat in the marketplace. How was it slaughtered? What was the animal fed? Was the animal given antibiotics and hormones? Was the animal stunned prior to slaughter?

If so, how was it stunned? If you look out at the halal meat landscape you will find a variety of halal offerings; from kosher rejects labeled halal to over-the-phone-certified commercial slaughter to legitimate Muslim-slaughtered meat, it’s out there in the marketplace. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could find real prime beef that was fed a natural plant diet with no added hormones or antibiotics, slaughtered the traditional way by a Muslim?

For over three decades, we have been working with the industry to implement the ideal halal method of meat production. All that hard work has finally paid off and last July, we introduced the Five Star Halal identification System™. The system adds five stars to the Crescent-M halal certification mark. Each star represents one aspect of the halal process. Starting from the left, the first star identifies that the animal was slaughtered by a Muslim. The second star identifies that the animal was slaughtered by a traditional horizontal cut. The third star identifies that the animal was fed an all-natural plant diet. The fourth star identifies that the slaughterhouse has met animal welfare guidelines, which require it to have at least two annual welfare audits by Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) certified auditors. The fifth star identifies that the animal was not stunned before or after slaughter. The system addresses all the consumer concerns of animal welfare, animal feed, slaughter, and stunning, and it has been implemented by IFANCA halal-certified Thunder Ridge Beef Company. Thunder Ridge, out of Sigourney, Iowa, produces Black Angus beef meeting the Five Star criteria. The beef is currently available in some retail outlets in the Chicago area as well as in many fine dining establishments throughout the United States and abroad. Soon they will introduce processed meat products made with the same halal-certified Five Star beef.

You’ve waited a long time, and your patience has been rewarded. Now there is finally a beef choice that meets all the needs of the most discerning halal consumer. There is no longer a need to wonder about any aspect of the production. Halal consumers can now sit down to dinner knowing the meat they are about to consume came from animals fed a natural diet, treated in a way that meets animal welfare guidelines, and is processed in the finest Islamic tradition. And it’s also competitively priced!

Sincerely,

Muhammad Munir Chaudry, president