Halal chicken at Heron.

They're selling three packs of chicken breasts for a fiver, or seven quid, whatever it is.
I bought some recently and as I was opening a pack tonight saw that it was halal chicken produced in and imported from Poland.
My first reaction was one of disappointment, one that it was Polish chicken for goodness sake and second that it was halal.
My third reaction was sadness for how the chickens may have been treated and why we ended up with them in the UK.
My knowledge of halal production is next to zero but I'd be interested to hear your opinions of this. I just don't know what to think. My main concern, I think, is that it is not home produced, but this may be a false idea.
I know there are concerns for all animals slaughtered for food but should Heron be importing food like this?

 

My understanding is that Muslims prescribed a certain way of killing to cause the animal the least pain/distress possible. So their intentions were good I suppose. Thing is, times have changed and there are probably more humane modern ways. That doesn't mean all Western sluaghterhouses are humane though, some of them are absolutely awful.

Like you though I know practically nowt abart it.

 

I think any animal that is hung up and as its throat slit in the name of religion is wrong and barbaric on all levels. You will be surprised how many places are halal, every bit of meat that the military buy is halal, ( the wife worked in accounts for ordering food in) one of the young airmen asked for non halal meat when getting his scoff in the cookhouse, the worms in the can were well and truly opened

 

A lot of it is saying a prayer before slaughter. Buying such cheap meat may well suggest less than perfect farming and slaughter conditions?

 

i won't buy it on principle

 

If you read up on how mass produced chicken is reared, the mode of killing is the least inhumane aspect of their brief existence.

(I'm not a vegetarian by the way).

 

Halal or Heron food?

 

I read that about 85% of halal meat is pre-stunned, and if you buy anything labelled organic halal then it has to have been stunned.

Plus as Plankton Pete says, I think the manner of death is very much the least of animal welfare worries. I'd much rather be a free range halal chicken than a non-free range non-halal one.

 

Watched a programme once on the slaughter of Turkeys for Xmas. Hung upside down alive, stunned by electricity. (not 100% successful) throats cut via a moving conveyor system with a blade positioned to deliver the cut. Horrendous.
Vast majority of Halal meat is now governed and has to be rendered unconscious prior to slaughter.
Meat eater so try not to think about it too much. I certainly would wouldn’t be able to slay or struggle to to slay my own food. Unless it meant the only means of survival.

 

If your concerned for the chickens welfare you need to be buying free range. The halal bit is just the last 5 (less than) mins. If the poor beggars lived its entire life in a cage is that of the greatest import? If it’s cheap there is usually a reason.

 

My first job on leaving school was at Barnsley Abattoir on Pontefract Road. Whilst the vast majority of slaughtering was carried out observing the Humane killing laws and practices the exceptions were horrific. Sheep killed humanely were first stunned and then had their throats cut. So I suppose quite similar to Halal without the religious blessing

 

I’ve led a sheltered life I’d never heard of Heron Foods until I read this

 

I wouldn't give a toss if it was Halal or not, but we shouldn't have to import chicken. But I suppose Heron will pay bugger all for it compared to British chicken, even with transport costs added on, which enables them to sell it cheaply. You get what you pay for.

 

I like it when people moan about halal food and then it gets to Friday and have a curry priceless...

 

Chicken is chicken, wether it’s Halal, catholic or from Lundwood à couldn’t give a toss

 

As long as it is chicken and not heron....

 

I hope he had genuine animal welfare concerns at heart but I suspect he was probably just being a t0sser.

 

Been at Smithfield in Manchester when the chickens come in. Buying a big bag of breasts, all from Poland there too. It's virtually all halal now, as we were told its easier that way than trying to separate production. Imam stands in front of lorry, blesses all the chickens and then stunned first. Like everybody says, go to cannon Hall farm and buy a free range one if you're concerned about animal welfare. They taste a stack better too. BTW sure I saw Adam Hammil in there this weekend, mask on so couldn't tell and didnt want to bother him

 

"My first reaction was one of disappointment, one that it was Polish chicken for goodness sake and second that it was halal."
"My knowledge of halal production is next to zero"

Surely these statements are antithetical to each other?

Personally I buy sourced meat from a butcher. I like to know where my meat has come from and to ensure it's of the highest quality. However, I couldn't care less whether a prayer was said before the animal was killed. It doesn't affect the quality of the meat in the slightest.

 

Genuine Free range chickens have a different texture,taste better and have had a better life. We also buy free range eggs. Both are now more readily available in supermarkets here than they used to be only a few years ago which is odd for a country so mad on quality and provenance of food. That said eggs and poultry can be obtained locally from farms in the area. In fact the 'zero kilometre' movement is gaining momentum. Many small supermarkets have franchised butchers and most meat particularly pork is relatively local. Provenance of All beef / meat sold is displayed by law in the butcher. It does limit choice a bit as, for example, only one lamb will be sold at a time and they only have so many ribs and two legs so when they are gone they're gone!. First come- first served.