SPECIAL CHALLENGES The health of sacrificial meat consumers is the main priority for everyone involved in the slaughter of sacrificial animals

(Patria) - In the premises of the Mufti of Zenica, a meeting was held between the Mufti of Zenica, Mevludin ef. Dizdarević, and his associates with the team from the Institute for Health and Food Safety of Zenica (INZ), led by Director prim.dr. Senad Huseinagić.

The reason for the meeting was the preparations and all the necessary health aspects of slaughtering sacrificial animals, ahead of the upcoming major Muslim holiday. In the previous few months, meetings and discussions on this topic were also held with representatives of the Riyaset of the Islamic Community in BiH, and the Halal Quality Certification Agency in BiH.

This year, the process of slaughtering sacrificial animals, in addition to coming at an unfavorable time of high temperatures meteorologically, also brings with it the additional challenge of the global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, and all the accompanying problems and precautions it entails.

Special Challenges This Year

- The meeting with the representatives of INZ was very useful, in the context of the upcoming holidays, emphasized Mufti Dizdarević after the meeting, stressing that the Islamic Community in BiH, despite the joy that an increasing number of Bosniak Muslims decide to fulfill one of the duties of believers - slaughtering sacrificial animals, is aware that this entails certain obligations in terms of logistics, organization, and monitoring the flow of activities.

It was emphasized that the summer months pose particular challenges, due to the health aspect of slaughtering sacrificial animals, preparing, processing, and storing meat, and that the priority of all priorities for those involved in the slaughter of sacrificial animals, from meat suppliers to those performing the slaughter, to the religious community, must be food safety and the security of people who slaughter and consume this meat.

- In this regard, we suggested the need for additional education and infrastructural and institutional strengthening of the Islamic Community, given that according to the current legal legislation, the slaughter of sacrificial animals is the responsibility of the Islamic Community, emphasized Mufti Dautović.

He pointed out that the IC BiH is taking many steps, from organized and health-controlled slaughter of sacrificial animals, donating and distributing meat, to purchasing hides and taking care of animal waste, but there is room for greater cooperation, care, and caution, especially when it comes to the products of slaughtering sacrificial animals, i.e., health-safe storage of sacrificial meat.

The meeting highlighted the fact that the leading problems are unregistered, uncontrolled, and health-unmonitored sacrificial animals, slaughter sites, as well as chaotic and unprepared decisions about the placement of sacrificial meat.

- Last year's experience, as well as incidents that the IC is not involved in but are attributed to the act of slaughtering sacrificial animals, and thus to the Muslim community, indicate that there is a need for more planning, both in terms of capacity and care, to ensure that all segments and stages are respected and carried out according to regulations, emphasized the Mufti, adding that "respecting all these stages and regulations is actually the only and correct way to slaughter sacrificial animals.".

Raising Citizen Awareness

The Director of the Institute for Health and Food Safety of Zenica, prim.dr. Senad Huseinagić, emphasized that the Sharia regulations for slaughtering sacrificial animals and the entire process are identical to the hygienic regulations in the profession, both in terms of animal welfare regulations and meat handling processes, and are fully compatible with the current regulations of the European Union.

- We at INZ strive to offer the best professional solutions, as required by hygienic regulations, and at the same time by Sharia regulations. We have established very significant cooperation with the Halal Agency (Halal Quality Certification Agency in BiH) and will continue to cooperate in developing educational materials. In this phase, we see our role in raising the awareness of the citizens of BiH who consider the slaughter of sacrificial animals their obligation and who fulfill it. We will strive, in cooperation with the Halal Agency and the Islamic Community of BiH, to improve this entire process, emphasized Dr. Huseinagić.