There are many slaughter procedures that religions and cultures use around the world. The two that are commercially relevant are the halal and kosher methods practiced by Muslims and Jews respectively. The global trade in red meat and poultry produced using these two methods is substantial, thus the importance of the quality of the meat produced using the methods. Halal and kosher slaughter per se should not affect meat quality more than their industrial equivalents, however, some of their associated pre- and post-slaughter processes do. For instance, the slow decline in blood pressure following a halal pre-slaughter head-only stun and neck cut causes blood splash (ecchymosis) in a range of muscles and organs of slaughtered livestock. Other quality concerns include bruising, hemorrhages, skin discoloration and broken bones particularly in poultry. In addition to these conventional quality issues, the "spiritual quality" of the meat can also be affected when the halal and kosher religious requirements are not fully met during the slaughter process. The nature, causes, importance and mitigations of these and other quality issues related to halal and kosher slaughtering and meat production using these methods are the subjects of this review.
A survey was conducted at a poultry feed production unit in Kuwait for mycotoxin contamination in the samples of yellow maize, soybean meal, wheat bran used as raw material and the poultry feed prepared for broiler starter, broiler finisher, and layer mash. Individual aflatoxins were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography after immunoaffinity column purification. Repeated analysis revealed average aflatoxin concentration in maize at 0.27 ppb (range 0 to 1.69 ppb), soybean meal at 0.20 ppb (range 0 to 1.27 ppb), wheat bran at 0.15 ppb (range 0 to 1.07 ppb), prepared poultry feed for broiler starter at 0.48 ppb (range 0 to 3.26 ppb), broiler finisher at 0.39 ppb (range 0 to 1.05 ppb), and layer mash at 0.21 ppb (range 0 to 1.30 ppb). Other mycotoxins (ochratoxin, fumonisin, deoxynivalenol (DON), and zearalenone), were detected by quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The average levels of ochratoxin A ranged from 4.6 to 9.6 ppb, fumonisin from 1.4 to 3.2 ppm, DON from 0.17 to 0.29 ppm, and zearalenone from 46.4 to 67.6 ppb in various commodities and prepared feed samples. The study revealed the coexistence of determined mycotoxins, although their concentrations in general were found to be lower than the permissible levels, wherever defined, for the poultry feed.
This study surveyed tetracycline residues in foods marketed in Kuwait using various techniques to determine their prevalence above the threshold level. A total of 1517 locally produced and imported food samples of animal origin were collected for analyses, comprising dairy products, eggs and tissue samples (meat, poultry and fish) to give a representative picture of the current use and/or misuse of the drug in Kuwait. Screening was carried out using the Charm II test for tetracycline residues. Positive and suspect positive samples were confirmed by LC/MS/MS. Negative and positive controls, in triplicate, were applied to each method and showed 80-100% agreement. The results showed that 100% of tested eggs, meat, fish, ice cream and cheese were within the limit, while 5% of poultry and 18% of milk samples were above the permitted limit.
Since the early 1900s the food industry has undergone major advances that have led to more than half of the shelves in a modern supermarket being stocked with packaged and processed foods. These boxed, canned, and frozen foods achieve their convenience by using a number of food ingredients and processing aids. The original sources and the details of their processing prior to inclusion in the final food product are not provided to consumers but will determine their acceptability for both halal and kosher food production. While additives are generally declared on a product label, processing aids are not shown on the ingredient statement and thus the consumer is not even aware of their presence. Some additives can be legally grouped into generic categories (such as spices) that also make it difficult for consumers to determine what exactly is in the products they buy and how these products have been processed. Thus, consumers need to put more pressure on the kosher and halal marketing system to use trademarked symbols that represent an organization that the consumer can hold accountable and which provides both the companies and the consumer with confidence in the kosher and/or halal status of the products being offered in the marketplace.
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