May 26, 2011

Malaysia stops importing non-halal Dutch poultry

Malaysia has suspended all imports of poultry from the Netherlands, due to Dutch poultry not being slaughtered according to halal laws, Dutch media said.

Malaysia is an Islamic country and imports only halal meat. Poultry products are the only meat it imports from the Netherlands, where the birds are stunned with an electric shock before being slaughtered. Some of the animals die after receiving the shock rather than while being ritually slaughtered.

Despite this, the meat is still labelled "halal". Malaysian inspectors maintain that the poultry is not being killed in accordance to Muslim law and cannot be called "halal". Their report has not been made public.

The Dutch Commodity Board for Poultry and Eggs and Dairy Products is hoping that the problem can be sorted out soon. Although Malaysian imports only account for a small proportion of Dutch meat exports, the worry is that other Islamic countries could follow Malaysia's lead.