Meaning Behind Halaal Certification of Chicken
Question: As Salaamu Alaikum Mufti,
I have a question. As you may know, chicken are injected with steroids so that they can grow faster to meet the mass demand of the public. I was wondering, once certified halal, does this mean that the chicken do not contain steroids? Does this mean that the meat is pure from any sorts of steroids or other harmful chemicals? Thank you so much for your time. May Allah grant you goodness in this life and the life hereafter. Ameen.
Answer:
Wa Alaikum As Salaam,
Once the chicken is certified Halaal, it means that it is lawful for consumption and does not contain any Haraam substance or matter in it. It is possible that the meat may contain steroids even after it is slaughtered. However, according to many food scientists, this is negligible and not harmful for human consumption. In this regard, studies conducted by Cornell University (Sprecher Institute for Comparative Cancer Research) reveal the following: ‘The amount of steroid hormone that is eaten through meat of a treated animal is negligible compared to what the human body produces each day.’ It writes further: ‘Studies done so far do not provide evidence to state that hormone residues in meat or dairy products cause any human health effects.’ (From the material prepared by Renu Gadhi, Ph.D BCERF Research Associate and Suzanne M. Suedeker Ph.D Research Project Leader, BCERF (Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors BCERF) – envirocancer.cornell.edu).
The above research shows that such meats are not harmful for human consumption. Also, there isn’t anything that will make such meats haram once the guidelines of Islamic slaughtering have been met.
And Allah Knows best.
Mufti Waseem Khan.
1/1/2014