Halal diet - Research Paper Example

Running Head: HALAL DIET Halal Diet Lecturer: Halal Diet Halal diet is any food that is acceptable or lawful according to Islamic Sharia law. For any food to qualify as Halal it must conform to the Islamic religious rituals and its preparation must adhere to Sharia law. Halal food must have been subjected to appropriate certification structures that guarantee consumers that there are no forbidden constituents in it. There is a special body recognized by Sharia Law that issues certificates to the food producer at a fee.

Halal slaughter is one of the most popular ways of preparing halal food. The beef, lamb and poultry for slaughter must be placed facing the direction of Mecca and their throats slit while the animal is still alive. A ritual must be performed by a Muslim by reciting a prayer that dedicates the slaughtered animal to Allah (Riaz & Chaudry, 2003). There are a number of dietary restrictions for halal foods. Muslims are not allowed to consume blood or blood related products. For this reason, a slaughtered animal must be allowed to pump out all blood from the body.

Any process that might lead to the death of the animal before its throat is cut such as stun guns is avoided as Muslims are not allowed to eat animals that have died before being slaughtered. Pork and pork products cannot be consumed by a Muslim. Terrestrial animals lacking external ears as well as carnivores should not be eaten by Muslims. Alcohol is not halal and should not be consumed by Muslims. All food that is not halal is referred to as ‘haram’, meaning prohibited by Sharia Law (Riaz & Chaudry, 2003).

ReferenceRiaz, M. N. & Chaudry, M. M. (2003), Halal Food Production, Boca Raton, Fl: CRC Press.