The Sikh faith mandates meat to be slaughtered instantaneously and painlessly, a method known as Jhatka. Sikhs are strictly prohibited from the consumption of meat that has been bled to death by way of slitting the throat. Refraining from this meat is grounded in practical and principled approach to life and not merely arbitrary. The opposed method involves prolonged and painful slaughter, often linked to specific religious practices. Sikh philosophy, however, emphasises practical living, ethical action, and compassionate lifestyle. Therefore, the Jhatka method of slaughter which involves a stun-kill offering the least amount of pain to the animal is conducted in stead of any other slaughter method.
The throat-slit meat approach is often tied to a particular conflicting theological framework. The Tenth Guru explicitly prohibited the consumption of meat that has been consecrated by any other religion. It is the Sikh belief, that any type of consecrated meat should only be eaten by those involved within the relevant community. This stance was not about the meat itself but about resisting symbolic submission and religious dominance, particularly in historical contexts where such practices were used as tools of control.
Jhatka, on the other hand, involves the swift and humane killing of an animal without any religious rites or recitations. Traditionally, it would be decapitation using a sword. It aligns with our values of self-sovereignty, straightforwardness, and humanity. Choosing Jhatka is a conscious assertion of our integrity, both spiritually and culturally.
The problem
In the UK, the vast majority of meat available for purchase, whether in supermarkets, restaurants, or takeaways, comes from animals that have had their throat slit during the slaughter process. This includes both conventional and religious methods of slaughter, which involve cutting the animal’s throat while it is still alive or just before death.
This method of slaughter is not compatible with Sikh dietary principles. The Sikh Code of Conduct prohibits the consumption of throat-slit meat; meat that has been performed in accordance to the rites of other religions, specifically where the animal’s throat is deliberately cut in a ritualistic manner. The emphasis is on the manner and intention of the killing, which is viewed as unnecessary and spiritually impure.
As a result, practising Sikhs find it difficult to source meat that aligns with their religious beliefs in the UK, where non-throat-slit or non-ritually slaughtered meat is virtually unavailable. This creates a significant dietary and ethical dilemma for many in the Sikh community who wish to consume meat but remain true to their faith.
So what is the solution?
The Sikh community is proposing a commercial adaptation of the traditional Sikh method of slaughter, known as Jhatka. Our process would involve the following steps:
1. Penetrative captive bolt stunning, which must be irreversible and result in the immediate death of the animal. Achieving a stun-kill outcome would be the optimal goal.
Why use a captive bolt? In India, Sikhs are permitted to use a firearm to shoot the animal in the brain, effectively killing it instantly. The captive bolt therefore mirrors a familiar and accepted practice. This is common for larger goats.
2. Decapitation using a guillotine, instead of the industry-standard method of throat-slitting. The animal, having already been stunned, will be decapitated to allow for bleeding, without the need for throat-slitting. The processing will remain the same as per legal and scientific guidelines.
It is important to note that the FSA report on stuns that are ineffective during the time of slaughter, meaning the animal can suffer unbearable pain while the throat is being cut and animal is being bled. In these unfortunate circumstances, the proposed decapitation by way of guillotine ensures an instantaneous death and therefore unequivocally enhancing animal welfare.
Additional thoughts
One of the reasons why some other religions insist on keeping the animal alive during bleeding is to ensure the heart continues pumping, thereby expelling as much blood as possible from the flesh. In contrast, the Sikh faith has no aversion to the consumption of blood, so black pudding would be acceptable if prepared using the Jhatka method. It is our position that the decapitation will remove sufficient amount of blood to ensure health and safety standards are complied with.