Halal
means permissible in the Islamic religion and it defines what is appropriate
for Muslims in their day-to-day activities. Foods that are forbidden include
certain animals, alcohol and other intoxicants, blood meal, and meals prepared in
ways that negate the tenets of halal. Most
foods are halal except otherwise stated. This article intends to expand our
horizon about halal food and resolve some of the misconceptions. It is
interesting that many cultures practice food processing methods that resemble
the steps in halal even though it is hidden. There are similarities among
halal, kosher, and foods that are non-taboo or culturally appropriate in
certain cultures.
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Halal Akawie cheese, Middle
Eastern white brine cheese at Ammar Halal Meats
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A percentage of halal
When we
started our research about asymmetric information in the halal food market, we
thought it will be a straightforward process. We learned that some people
consume halal because it is expected of them, but they don’t know the benefits.
Others consume presumed halal food without necessarily ascertaining whether the
production is consistently halal. It is also important to emphasize that most
people are unaware of the health benefits of halal food and the halal
requirement that livestock are treated humanely. This assumes that those who
produce the halal food follow the stipulated standards. Globally, people try as
much as possible to be inclusive by making sure their food is halal. This is an
indication of the relevance of the minority
rule. The
Mutooro people and other sub-groups in Uganda have very few Muslims but they
usually invite a Muslim to say a prayer before an animal is slaughtered. This
is expected to make ceremonies such as weddings, burials and birthdays
inclusive. There is a misconception here because an animal slaughtered by
people of the book, Jews, Christians and Muslims, are acceptable as halal
(Quran chapter 5, v5; Regenstein, 2003). But since most people are unaware it
is better to get a Muslim to slaughter the animal in a humane way. Commercial meats, especially beef, are
slaughtered by Muslims, for example, in Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria. (It’s a
family business and people are taught how to slaughter animals at a very tender
age. The process is partly cultural partly halal).
Moreover,
the Maasai people ensure that the blood of a slaughtered animal is well drained
(consistent with kosher and halal) before they start the skinning, but they drink
the blood or process it as seen with the Oromos of East Africa. Blood is not
permissible under the tenets of halal. An indication that animals raised on
blood meal and slaughter house waste are not halal. It is also interesting that
the Ijebu people of western Nigeria will make sure that the animal faces the
east before it is slaughtered. They go a step further by adding salt to the
throat of the slaughtered to ensure that the animal’s blood is well drained – a
step that makes the process closer to kosher in terms of removal of blood. It doesn’t
matter what they believe, the common knowledge is that meat processed in this
manner tastes better and shelf life is extended.
The
standards posited under halal are not entirely peculiar to halal. Some of the
standards are like kosher and other cultural taboos worldwide. For example,
there is an adage by the Yorubas of
Nigeria and West Africa which states that
“Aki ipa igun, a ki i je igun, a ki i fi igun bori” – (one does not kill the vulture; one does not eat
the vulture; one does not offer the vulture as a sacrifice to one's head). In
the Yoruba culture, vultures are not acceptable as an edible meat. They are
also forbidden under the Islamic jurisprudence.
Some misconceptions
There are
many health benefits of halal food consumption, but people don’t seem to
discern it. Some animals are prohibited
because they are disease vectors, draining of blood will remove toxins,
carrions are dangerous to human, intoxicants affect our gumption – negative
impact on our judgement, and the process if followed avoid contamination during
food production. There are also similarities between halal and kosher although
alcohol is forbidden in halal but not under kosher. Grasshopper is the only
visible insects permissible in kosher while insects are neutral in halal. Camel
is halal but non-kosher. The halal process also stipulates that animals should
be treated humanely, slaughtering should not be done in front of other livestock
and stress should be reduced to a minimum. Halal is sustainable because
livestock are not supposed to be raised on slaughter waste, blood meal or any
kind of filthy feed. Hand slaughter is the best, but some scholars allow
machine slaughter because of mass production. The issue of stunning is also
controversial. Even though some scholars support stunning there are practical
challenges with its use in slaughter houses. Some animals are still alive and
stunning may not necessarily lead to sudden death. With hand slaughter the
cutting of three out of the four passages, carotids, oesophagus, jugular veins,
and trachea, of the throat with a sharp knife will lead to sudden death
(Regenstein 2003, direct observation).
Asymmetric information
Imperfect
information is present in most markets, homogenous or heterogeneous, and that
is why people may end up purchasing a “lemon”. It is prevalent because the bad
will crowd out the good when sellers have more information than the buyers,
especially in the presence of a budget constraint. In other words, cheap
becomes expensive in the long run. The level of asymmetric information (LAI), a
measure of opacity, can be reduced by moving the market from a state of
imperfect information towards perfect information. In the halal food market,
the level of asymmetric information can be resolved by adequate consumer
education, third party monitoring by certifying bodies regulated by the
government, crypto-labelling (authenticity, transparency, and transparency
enhanced via blockchain), and workable and desirable regulations that
guarantees food safety.
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| Lamb Loin Chops at Arabesque Restaurant |
As we explore the food market, we have discovered that reduction of LAI translates to authentic food. This implies that opacity and food authenticity are inversely related. Highly opaque "food" may in fact be made up of very little agricultural produce (understood to be the traditional source of food) and contain a high degree of artificial, chemically-modified, processed ingredients which results in an industrial food-like substance or food substitute. Extra-ecological commodities associated with mono-culture, possibly genetically modified and of dubious nutritional value.[1] Opacity is a challenge in the food market including halal because of the points below:
1.
It is difficult to monitor the
activities of the producers, processors, and marketers – Moral Hazard.
2. More
complex in big organizations because the interest of the managers (agent) are
not necessarily the objectives of the owners (principal) – Principal-Agent
Problem.
3. Low
quality foods are cheaper; thus, consumers will buy because of their budget
constraints – Adverse Selection.
4.
Logo and the certification process may
be compromised – Signalling is not necessarily a panacea.
The power of minority
A farming couple from Windsor,
Ontario once told me “Halal is not a niche market because we all eat shawarma”.
Some people from non-Muslim backgrounds are willing to pay a premium because of
their appreciation of the health benefits of authentic halal food. Economist Nassim Taleb (e.g. Skin in the Game) also alluded to
the fact that halal may become mainstream.
A stubborn minority can make a significant impact and influence the
decision of the majority. We have seen cases where
party organizers will cook only halal chicken and avoid pork because two out of
the twenty people on the guest list eat only halal. It seems there will be an
increase in the demand for halal food in the future.
There is an adage in the Yoruba
culture that states that “Bi oni ti ri,
ola ki ri be, li o mu ki Babalawo ma da Ifa ororun (Today’s situation is not
the same as tomorrow, so the Babalawo consults
the oracle every five days)”. This indicates that change is the only thing
that is constant. Even though the future
is difficult to predict, halal food may become mainstream because of our
love for shawarma, the minority rule and food safety.
*Special
thanks to Warsame Warsame, Christine Kajumba, Richard Bankole, Jeremiah Saringe,
Wondimu Gashaw, and Dan Maitland.
Bibliography:
Regenstein J. M., Chaudry M. M.,
and Regenstein C. E. (2003). The Kosher and Halal Food Laws. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and
Food Safety 2:111-127.
Taleb, N.N. (2018). Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in
Daily Life. New York: Allen Lane.
Bamidele
Adekunle, ECVOntario, SEDRD, University of Guelph
[1] This
explanation is based on a comment I received from Dan Maitland the first time
he saw the framework.