Food Safety News – October 2010
Diners 'Unkowingly Eating Halal'
You may have recently seen the news articles on use of halal meat without customer’s knowledge. It came to light that venues across London routinely serve Halal meat to customers without informing them.
Twickenham and Wembley Stadiums and Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital admitted they served it without telling diners.
Many Muslims only eat Halal meat, which is from animals whose throats have been cut to drain them of blood while they are still alive and conscious. The RSPCA said the form of slaughter was cruel if the animals were not stunned. But the Halal Food Authority insisted the technique was not cruel to animals.
The National Secular Society said labelling a meat's source should be a legal requirement for eateries. The legislation at present only requires labelling for food sold in shops, but not food sold in restaurants.
Our comment:
Whether or not you agree with the Halal method of slaughter many consumers believe they have the right to know this sort of information so they can make an informed choice. As a result of all the media attention Hygiene Audit Systems was contacted by one of our clients who wanted to know how many of their products were possibly from a Halal source. We were able to assist within an hour of the request (despite it being a Sunday morning!) and collate this information via our product specification management system within our supply chain database. This incident shows how important supplier management can be and how good supplier management is an essential part of a food safety management system.
For further information on supply chain management click here or call us on 01727 866779 for more information
