However, when I went inside the plant to see what was going on, I found that nothing at all was being done specially for these chickens. No attempt had to be made to slaughter them Islamically. It was partly because of this practice that Sharif decided to leave this company after a year. He says he does not know if this still happens, and has asked that the company not be named. It is still in operation in the U.S. Sharif's experience speaks volumes about the kind of meat and food being exported to Muslim countries from the United States.
Muslim countries are importers of American meat, poultry and foodstuffs.
And this kind of dishonesty in trying to genuinely provide Halal meat is not uncommon. The problem is not really with the USDA, which looks primarily at the quality of the meat, and inspects if for things like bacteria and disease. The problem is with those individuals, organizations and companies that certify that the meat and foodstuffs exported to the Muslim countries really are meeting Islamic guidelines. This certification is often part of the agreement for the export of meat, specifically, to Muslim countries. Some of the countries require a Halal certificate for the export to take place.