The electrical application must not cause the death of the bird before halal slaughter.
HQC Scheme for Meat
Independent HQC supervision across the poultry supply chain, animal welfare, halal slaughter controls and processing plants.
How HQC Supervises the Poultry Supply Chain
How HQC Supervises the Poultry Supply Chain
Control Begins Before Slaughter HQC’s supervision is not limited to checking a certificate after production.
The system addresses critical halal control points beginning with the arrival and condition of live birds and continuing through life verification, reversible electrical immobilisation where applicable, halal slaughter, bleeding, processing, documentation and consignment verification.
Arrival and Condition of Birds
Birds must arrive at the slaughterhouse alive, in appropriate health and under conditions consistent with the laws and regulations of the country in which the slaughterhouse operates.
Verification of Life Before Slaughter
Before the slaughter process begins, trained personnel must verify that the birds are alive. Birds found to have died before halal slaughter must be identified and segregated and may not enter the halal production flow.
Fundamental halal control point
The bird must be alive at the time of halal slaughter. This requirement remains mandatory whether or not reversible electrical immobilisation is used.
Reversible Electrical Immobilisation and Animal Welfare
Reversible Electrical Immobilisation and Animal Welfare
HQC uses the term reversible electrical immobilisation to describe an electrical application intended to temporarily immobilise the bird without causing its death before halal slaughter.
Non-Negotiable Requirements
The bird must remain alive at the time of halal slaughter.
The bird must retain the capacity to recover if slaughter does not take place.
Birds that died before or during immobilisation must be detected and separated from the halal production flow.
Personnel responsible for slaughter and control must be trained to recognise signs of death and non-compliance.
HQC position
HQC does not accept gas-based immobilisation for the applicable poultry programme. HQC also does not accept any immobilisation method or operating parameter that may cause the bird to die as a consequence of the immobilisation process before halal slaughter.
Alignment with Animal-Welfare Requirements
Where reversible electrical immobilisation is used, it must be implemented in a manner consistent with the general principles of animal welfare and with the applicable legislation and controls of the country in which the birds are slaughtered.
Operational parameters must be assessed within the applicable animal-protection framework. Relevant factors may include bird size, weight, transport conditions, animal type and the environmental conditions at the slaughter site. Repeated evaluation is required to ensure that the process remains reversible and does not become lethal.
Animal-welfare compliance does not replace halal compliance. Both sets of requirements must be respected simultaneously: the process must comply with applicable animal-welfare law, and the bird must remain alive until the halal slaughter cut is performed.
Halal Slaughter Controls
Clear operational controls that protect the integrity of halal slaughter under HQC supervision.
Qualified Personnel
Slaughter must be performed under defined halal requirements by trained, approved Muslim slaughterers operating in accordance with HQC’s defined halal slaughter requirements. The supervision structure includes trained slaughter personnel, internal controllers and external controllers appointed by the halal certification body.
Internal and External Control
The internal controller acts as the operational link between slaughter personnel, production-line operators and the certification body. The external controller is appointed by the halal certification body, is not subject to the client’s management, regularly supervises approved sites and supports practical training and compliance verification.
Control of the Slaughter Process
Where mechanical slaughter is used, the process must be carefully monitored. HQC’s guidelines require verification of the slaughter result and define the anatomical structures that must be cut in accordance with the applicable requirements. The head must not be completely severed before the bleeding phase has been completed.
Bleeding
A sufficient bleeding period must be provided before the bird proceeds to the plucking stage. HQC’s poultry guideline identifies three minutes or more as the target period for the release of the greater part of the blood.
Processing-Plant Controls
Processing-Plant Controls
Halal supervision continues beyond the slaughterhouse and into processing operations, including relevant preparation, marination and packing stages within the certified production chain.