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Illegal slaughter of sheep for “smokies” production and for the Muslim sacrifice of Qurbani in the UK: animal welfare and food safety implications

Awal Fuseini

British Food Journal

ISSN: 0007-070X

Article publication date: 29 May 2023

Issue publication date: 10 October 2023

210

Abstract

Purpose

It is the expectation of Halal consumers that the meat they buy in retail shops and restaurants are ethically and legally reared and slaughtered in approved premises to protect animal welfare and public health. While this may be the case in multinational and well-established supermarkets due to due diligence on the part of retailers, there is evidence to suggest that some independent retail shops and ethnic restaurants in the UK partake in selling meat from illegally slaughtered animals. It is a crime that involves many players, but usually masterminded by rural entrepreneurs, including rogue farmers who supply the animals for illegal slaughter and further processing into smokies, or as part of the Islamic festival of Qurbani, in makeshift abattoirs. The purpose of this paper is to highlight illegal slaughter of sheep for the Halal market and how these impacts on food integrity and animal welfare.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines the legality of slaughter in accordance with UK animal welfare and food safety legislations. The documentary research approach is adopted to examine available information on the activities of organised criminal gangs in the production of smokies and their possible involvement in Qurbani fraud.

Findings

This paper demonstrates the involvement of some rogue farmers who are facilitating the smokies trade and illegal slaughter of sheep during the Qurbani sacrifice. It is worth noting that while these illegal activities occur in the Halal sector, the perpetrators are not always Muslims. The processing of illegally slaughtered sheep takes place in unhygienic conditions which is of food safety, public health concern and may violate the religious rules around slaughter.

Originality/value

Illegal slaughter for the Muslim sacrifice of Qurbani is underreported, this paper aims to highlight the animal welfare and food safety aspects of this type of slaughter, in addition to those slaughtered for smokies production.

Keywords

Citation

Fuseini, A. (2023), "Illegal slaughter of sheep for “smokies” production and for the Muslim sacrifice of Qurbani in the UK: animal welfare and food safety implications", British Food Journal, Vol. 125 No. 10, pp. 3521-3539. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-12-2022-1128

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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