Ritual Slaughter

The ritual slaughter of livestock is carried out as per the religious rites of the particular community and is performed as specified in their religious books. Unfortunately stunning is forbidden. In this method, the animals must be in a state of consciousness at the time they are bled. The bleeding must also be complete. This is mandatory in the best known ritualistic slaughters, Halal, Kosher and Jhatka methods. It is quite probable that traditional slaughters represent the fundamental or orthodox practices which have prevailed in human societies throughout the ages and from which all others including the ritualistic and the humane methods of the present day have been derived. 

Halal Method 

It is the Muslim method of slaughter of animals. The welfare of animal is of major consideration. Eating of dead animals, consumption of blood and pork is not permitted in Islamic practices. Animals must not be slaughtered in the sight of other animals and those to be killed are to be fed and watered before slaughter. Islamic law prohibits slaughter of sick animals. The animal must be alive, healthy and free from injuries. Therefore, prior stunning is not permitted. However, in some countries stunning has been allowed before slaughter by halal method. The butcher should be a Muslim adult. The animal is cast down by a shackling manoeuver and laid on its back. The site of cut is the throat. Two jugular veins and carotid arteries are cut by a sharp knife. These major blood vessels are located in jugular furrow; an incision in skin is made to take out the blood vessels. The spinal cord is not cut. The head is not separated at the time of slaughter. God's name is to be mentioned as "In the name of Allah and Allah is great'' (Bismillah Wa Allah -o- Akbar). Therefore, machine slaughter is not permitted. The slaughter is not permitted in production line where pig is slaughtered. The neck of the animal is to face Kiblah (holy place for muslim) and the butcher should face Kiblah, if possible. The approved Islamic organization should certify halal slaughter. Although muslim method of slaughter is not controlled by a central board but is overseen by local Islamic authority known as Muftis. This local Islamic authority decide whether particular acts and thoughts conform the tenets of Islamic law i.e., Shariah or not. As the neck remains intact it is supposed that nerve centers controlling the heart and lungs remain functional which ensures efficient bleeding. Better bleeding enhances the keeping quality of meat. A common belief is that skin and brain of animals are less sensitive than those of man and moreover rapid loss of blood produces instantaneous insensibility. 

Kosher Method 

It is also known as Jewish slaughter as the jews consumes meat of only those animals that have been slaughtered by this method. The act of killing or method of slaugher is called shechita.The act of slaughter is being controlled by central body-Jewish Board of shechita. The shechita (slaughter) is performed by shochet or cutter who slaughter the fully conscious animal with a single, deliberate, swift action of a razor sharp knife called chalef. The shochet is being assisted by shomer who puts seal of kosher mark on the brisket and edible offal. The shochelt and shomer are being trained and then licensed to perform slaughter. The meat fit for consumption of jews i.e., fulfilling the requirements of jewish law is called "kosher meat". Any disease or deformity discovered in the carcass render the meat 'terefa' (rejected) i.e., unfit for consumption by jews. During slaughter the animal must be healthy, alive and without any injury. Stunning of animals is not permitted. All the soft structures anterior to the cervical spine that includes skin, muscles, oesophagus, trachea and major blood vessels like carotid arteries as well as jugular veins are severed and the neck is kept stretched for through bleeding. The five rules for Jewish ritual slaughter are that the neck incision is completed without pause, pressure, stabbing, slanting or tearing. If the knife receives any nick during act of shechita, the meat is not permitted for Jewish food. Spinal cord is not cut in Jewish method. After slaughter shochet offers prayers and canies out a "searching"- a postmortem examination by making an incision posterior to the xiphoid process and inserting the arm to detect any adhesion in thoracic cavity. Carcass approved for consumption must have the meat, porged to remove large blood vessels in fore quarters. It is difficult to porge blood vessels of hindquarter due to large number of blood vessels and hence meat of hind quarters is not consumed by Jews. Kosher meat must be consumed within three days of slaughter if kept under   hilling condition If it is kept under chilling condition it must be washed to remove blood. Both in Halal and Jewish method of slaughter, sudden bleeding of the animal during slaughter diminishes the blood supply to brain which makes the animal immediately unconscious after slaughter and therefore these two methods are considered as human method. Opponent says that these are not humane method as the vertebral artery in spinal canal remains intact which prolongs the period of consciousness.

Jhatka Method

This slaughter is performed according to rites of Sikh community. The head of the animal is chopped off at the neck with sharp sword in one stroke. The head and rest of the body of the animals are there by separated completely. The animals are not stunned before slaughter, since the spinal cord is totally severed, the animal does not experience pain of slaughter. However, the bleeding is not thorough and complete which may be responsible for poor keeping quality of meat. But the nutritional quality of the meat is high as the carcass contains more blood due to incomplete bleeding.

Besides these ritual methods of slaughter, Neck stab method is in practice in some countries such as Spain, Mexico, South American countries, Italy etc. In this traditional way of cattle slaughter, a short double edged knife called puntilla is plunged into the occipito-atlanto space of the neck, severing the medulla oblongata.