19 - Meat quality and animal welfare: Religious and scientific perspectives

Abstract

Animal welfare is increasingly recognized as an indispensable component of wholesome food. There is a significant relationship between animal welfare and meat quality. Slaughtering is one of the most important unit operations in meat production that raises welfare and ethical concerns from both religious and scientific perspectives. While spiritual quality of meat in relation to animal slaughtering and welfare is of outmost importance from religious perspective, conventional quality as it relates to animal slaughtering and welfare is the primary concern from the scientific perspective. Thus, the best slaughter technique is one that is humane to animals besides improving meat quality and safety. Harmonizing the religious and scientific views on animal slaughtering in order to produce meat with greater conventional and spiritual qualities without compromising animal welfare is a continued research endeavor. Thus, this chapter explores the principles, merits, and demerits of different slaughtering methods, their implication on meat quality and safety, and the extent to which they satisfy both religious and conventional animal welfare demands.