Voluntary Report - public distribution

**Date:** 6/29/2004

**GAIN Report Number:** KU4001

KU4001

**Kuwait**

**FAIRS Product Specific**

**GCC Standard for Islamic Halal Slaughter Regulations for Meat and
Poultry**

**2004**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)ATO: Michael T. Henney

U.S. Consulate General, Dubai, U.A.E.

**Prepared by:**

ATO: Hovaguim Kizirian

**Report Highlights:**

This report is an unofficial translation of the Arab Gulf Cooperation
Council's (GCC) Standard

No. 993/1998. This standard governs conditions of "Halal" slaughter of
animals that is to be conducted according to the Islamic Law (Shari'a).
The Governments of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab
Emirates enforce this standard under their respective national standard
numbers.

This standard should not/not be confused with the regulations that
govern the accreditation of Islamic Centers which supervise the "Halal"
slaughter process and issue the "Halal" certificate.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Dubai \[TC1\]

\[KU\]

Gulf Standard Specification Kuwaiti Standard Specification No. 993/1998
No. 1174/1999

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**Conditions for Animal Slaughter**

**According to the Rules of Islamic Law (Shari'a)**

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**State of Kuwait**

Standardization & Metrology Organization (GSMO) for the

Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries

P.O. Box 85245 Al Riyadh 11691

**Conditions for Animal Slaughter**

**According to the Rules of Islamic Law (Shari'a)**

This standard specification was issued in response to a decision of the
Board of Directors of the Organization and a decision of the Supreme GCC
Council, taken at its third session held in Bahrain on 23/1/1403 Hijra
or 9/11/1982 A.D.

**ICS**

Date of endorsement by the Board of Directors: 24/05/1419 Hijra
(15/09/1998 AD)

Date of publication in the official gazette: 02/02/1420 Hijra
(17/05/1999)

Date the specification goes into effect:

RDMD 2337 -- 1319

All rights reserved. No part of this specification may be reproduced or
stored in a database in any electronic or other form or by any method
without the prior written permission of the Organization.

GCC Standard GS 993/1998

##  Conditions of Animal Slaughter

**According to the Rules of Islamic Law (Shari'a*)***

**1- Field and scope of application**

This Gulf standard covers the general conditions of animal slaughter --
including poultry -- according to the rules of Islamic Law (Shari'a).

**2- Terminology**

2/1 ***Al Zakah***: Slaughtering an animal in accordance to the Islamic
Law (*Shari'a)*. This is performed in one of the following ways:

2/1/1 ***Al Zabeh***: (*Slau*ghter): Cutting the throat: cutting the
trachea and esophagus and the jugular veins, usually used for sheep,
cattle and poultry.

2/1/2 ***Al Naher***: (Slaying): Stabbing in the throat and then cutting
it up to the top of the chest. Usually used for camels.

2/1/3 ***Al 'Aqer***: Wounding an animal which cannot be controlled,
whether it be a wild animal whose hunting is allowed or a domesticated
animal that has gone wild.

2/2 ***Al Meeta***: Animals that have died a natural death without
*Zakah*. Any part cut from an animal before it is slaughtered is
considered to be *"Meeta*".

2/3 ***Al Monkhaniqa***: Animals that die by suffocation.

2/4 ***Al Mawqooza***: (Fatally beaten animal): Animals that have died
as a result of being beaten with a stick or other instrument, which
kills by virtue of its weight. This excludes animals killed by arrow or
bullet or a similar method, for hunting purposes.

2/5 ***Al Mutaradiya***: Animals that have died as a result of falling
from a height or falling into a pit or similar location.

2/6 ***Al Nateeha***: Animals that have died as a result of being butted
in the head.

2/7 ***Ma Akal Assab'***: Animals that have been caught by a lion or a
bird of prey (except hunting).

2/8 ***Ma ohilla ligheir Allah bihi***: Animals who have been
slaughtered in the name of some other than Allah, such as idols or false
gods.

2/9 Large animals: large-sized mature animals such as camels, cows,
goats, sheep and other animals that are of similar dimensions.

**3- Requirements**

3/1 Requirements of the animal that is to be slaughtered:

3/1/1 The animal must not be one whose meat Muslims have been prohibited
from eating, such as:

3/1/1/1 ***Meeta*** (carrion), ***Monkhaniqa*** (an animal that died by
suffocation), ***Mawqooza*** (one that has been fatally beaten),
***Mutaradiya*** (one that has fallen from a height or into a pit),
***Nateeha*** (one that has been butted to death), or ***Ma Akal
Assab'*** (the remains of what the lion or a bird of prey has eaten and
***Ma ohilla ligheir Allah bihi*** (what has been slaughtered in a name
other than that of Allah).

3/1/1/2 Pigs, dogs, domesticated donkeys, elephants and mules.

3/1/1/3 Wild animals such as lions, leopards and bears.

3/1/1/4 Birds of prey with sharp talons that they use in hunting, such
as eagles and falcons.

3/2 Requirements of the slaughterer (*Al Muzakki*) and the instrument of
slaughter:

3/2/1 The slaughterer must a Muslim, or a person of the scriptures,
(*Ahl Al Kitab,* i.e. a Jew or a Christian).

3/2/2 The slaughter must be performed under the supervision of a Muslim
who has been entrusted with the job and who knows the rules of slaughter
(*Zakah*) under Islamic Law *(Shari'a*).

3/2/3 The instrument used for slaughtering the animal should be made of
any material except bone or nails (*Dhofr*).

3/2/4 The slaughter instrument should be clean and sharp, cutting with
its edge and not by its weight. The slaying operation should be done as
thoroughly as possible.

3/2/5 The mechanical blade in slaughterhouses that follow this system
should be calibrated to cut only the four jugular veins and not other
parts of the neck. This should be done from the front and not from the
sides of the neck.

3/2/6 It is not allowed to hit the animal on the head or to use any
method similar to that (such as a stun gun, stun hammer and carbon
dioxide).

3/2/7 The animals stay alive -- in the event that low-grade electrical
stunning is used on the head alone -- in order that the *Zakah*
(slaughter) may be performed. The sign for that is that the animal
should move when it is slaughtered. If it dies before the *Zakah* then
it is considered to be *Mawqooza (*fatally beaten) and is rejected.
Electrical stunning is not permitted for poultry.

3/3 The requirements of the method of slaughter *(Al Zakah).*

3/3/1 Mention of the name of Allah when slaughtering (*Bismillah*).

3/3/2 That the slaughter (*Zakah*) of the animal be carried out in one
of the Islamic Law (*Shari'a*) ways mentioned in Section 2/1.

3/3/3 The animal is slaughtered by cutting the trachea, the esophagus
and the jugular veins from the front, from the side of the chest, not on
the side of the back of the neck or the back.

3/3/4 The neck of the animal must not be cut or broken or any other
similar action undertaken, until the bleeding has stopped.

3/3/5 No part of the animal is cut until the slaughter (*Zakah*) has
been performed.

3/3/6 Animals should not be slaughtered nor stored in places, nor using
instruments that have been used on animals whose meat Muslims are
forbidden to eat.

3/4 Requirements of Supervision, Control and Stamping.

3/4/1 Every consignment should be accompanied by a certificate ratified
by the missions of the concerned GCC states, or their representatives,
or a certificate issued by an Islamic Center or establishment (if any)
recognized by the concerned authorities in the GCC states, proving that
the slaughter has been carried out in accordance with the rules of
Islamic Law (*Shari'a*). The latter must be ratified by the missions of
the GCC states or their representatives.

3/4/2 The stamp of the Islamic Center or establishment should be
difficult to forge and the ink should be permanent and non-toxic.

3/4/3 Every slaughtered animal (chilled or frozen) or the final packages
of special cuts of meat should bear the stamp of the Islamic Center or
establishment by its representative to indicate that the slaying has
been done under the supervision of that center or establishment.

**Technical Glossary**

**Trachea *Halqoom***

**Slaughterer *Zabeh (Mozakki)***

**Dakah *Zakah***

**Electrical stunning *Sa'q Kahraba'iy***

**Birds of prey *Toyoor Gaareha***

**Esophagus *Maree'***

**Fatally beaten animal *Mawqooda***

**Jugular veins *Wadjein***

**Naher (slaying) *Naher***

###  Standardization & Metrology Organization for the

**Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries**

**(GSMO)**

The Organization is the regional body for measurements in the Arab Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. It is mandated with the
coordination of all activities related to measurements in the Council
countries such as:

-   Legislative matters related to specifications and measurements in
    the Council countries. It alone has the responsibility for drawing
    up, endorsing and publishing standard Gulf specifications for goods,
    products, measuring instruments, identifications, symbols, technical
    terminology, implementation conditions, methods of taking samples
    and methods of inspection, testing and calibration.

-   Preparing, printing and publishing Gulf standard specifications.

-   Monitoring the application of the approved standard specifications
    by the standards and measurements agencies in each of the member
    states.

-   Organizing legal and industrial verification activities.

-   Drawing up a system for conferring marks of quality and conformity
    on products.

-   Spreading awareness of measurements.

-   Taking part as an observer in regional and international
    organizations related to measurements, which serve the aims of the
    authority.

**It is possible to obtain the standard Gulf specifications from the
Authority's headquarters in Riyadh:**

Al Imam Saud bin Abdul Aziz bin Mohammed Street -- Gharb Al Mohammadiya
-- Riyadh. P.O. Box 85245 Riyadh 11691 Tel: 4520000 Fax: 4520086

To obtain more information on standard Gulf specifications, on how to
purchase them and on the services that the Organization provides,
contact the Information Center in Riyadh:

Tel: 4520133 -- 4520132 Fax: 4520193

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