Nadene Goldfoot
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Kosher
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Moses, through G-d, laid down laws for Jews as to how to prepare the killing of an animal that is allowed to be eaten. Cattle have been domesticated since 6,500 BCE, and Moses lived from 1391BCE to 1271 BCE, so there must have been a lot of inhumane practices going on before his laws.
These are found in the Oral Law and by rabbinic regulation. The basic law is in the Pentateuch. Dealings with this law are found in the talmudic tractate HULLIN as well as the Shulhan Arukh code of Yoreh Deah of the 2nd part of it. Kosher, or the Laws of Kashrut, means: fit, proper, in accordance with the religious law.
Jews do not eat any animals on the planet, only certain ones. The slaughter of an animal allowed has certain steps in the laws of keeping kosher, or Kashrut. Every precaution is taken to avoid eating any blood or eating any meat with milk products. This means Jews do not drink milk from an animal not allowed to eat as well, such as camel milk or camel meat. The milk-meat law comes from not wanting to cause pain to the mother who gave us milk who would feel stress and pain if she knew we were eating her milk mixed with her flesh. This is to teach us to have feelings for animals and thus for people.
The animal must be slaughtered quickly and humanely. This means that a special man trained in doing this called the shokhet, does the deed. He must also be very pious and be certified by the rabbis. This goes all the way back to Deut. 12:21. He says a prayer before the slaughter. He must use a very sharp knife. The throat of the animal is cut quickly so as not to cause pain. This severs the trachea, oesophagus, two vagus nerves and both carotid arteries and the jugular veins. The animal then loses consciousness in two seconds. The blood must drain cleanly from the animal after death. This takes away toxins that are released the moment of death that got into the bloodstream at that time.
The killing of the animal is hard on meat packing houses as the killing cannot be done in an assembly line fashion. The rules for this are called shehitah and are in the Oral Torah. The rules are for meat and fowls but not fish. The cows do not see an animal being slaughtered which could cause fright. Therefore, there is hopefully no cortisol or norepeneherine (stress chemicals) found in the meat. The animals should not experience the scent of death. The spinal cord is sectioned which cuts off pain to the brain. This is done to make sure there was no pain.
We are to eat only animals that have cloven hoofs and that chew their cud. All others are forbidden. Cows, sheep and goats are permitted. So is a deer, but one cannot hunt this animal as that would not be a kosher kill. Camels are not. Neither are pigs, rabbits, badgers and all the other mammals. Fish allowed must have fins and scales, so lobsters, oysters, shrimp, clams and crabs are not allowed. Swordfish and sturgeon are also on the list of no no's. Birds are mostly allowed but not birds of prey such as eagles, and ostriches, pelicans, storks, herons are not allowed. We eat chicken, turkey, geese, ducks and doves. We do not eat amphibians and insects so we say no to mice, rats,, snails, snakes, ants and other insects. These are said to defile us and are prohibited right in the Torah. Honey from bees is good. After all, the bees produce honey from the nectar of flowers.
We do not eat an animal that died from a natural death. This rule would certainly rule out any cow that died from the Mad Cow disease that farmers or meat packers might want to pass on to keep from losing money.
In preparing the meat, it is soaked in salt water to get rid of any blood that might be there. Then it is cooked to be well done. This gets rid of any stress chemicals as well. Also, only certain parts of the animal is used for food and that means parts where the main artery is not in, so this means the tough parts are allowed to be eaten. Often, this means cooking in a liquid such as water to help soften the meat. The steaks so popular are not allowed unless the vein has been taken out originally, something that requires more skill.
Halal
Halal means lawful or permissible according to Islamic law. It refers to meat that Muslims are allowed to eat under Islamic Shari'ah Law. Pork is also not allowed, so pigs are not used, as in Jewish law. This is the only animal mentioned in this law, but other foods can be haraam (not allowed). The criteria is the source and cause of the animal's death and how it was processed. Halal processes means the slaughterer is a Muslim and before death invokes the name of Allah by saying "Bismillah"-in the name of Allah, and then three times saying "Allahu akhar"-G0d is the greatest. They also use a sharp knife and cut the throat, windpipe and blood vessels in the neck while the animal is conscious causing the death without cutting the spinal cord. The blood is also drained from the veins. Muslims also exclude blood for consumption.
The method of slaughting animals is called Dhabihah. This also excludes fish and other sea-life, per Islamic law. "
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
To Be a Jew by Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin page 97-120
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halal
http://www.thekitchn.com/good-question-what-is-halal-me-60979
Update: 4:11pm Oregon Kosher
Update: 10/29/15 edit.
Moses, through G-d, laid down laws for Jews as to how to prepare the killing of an animal that is allowed to be eaten. Cattle have been domesticated since 6,500 BCE, and Moses lived from 1391BCE to 1271 BCE, so there must have been a lot of inhumane practices going on before his laws.
These are found in the Oral Law and by rabbinic regulation. The basic law is in the Pentateuch. Dealings with this law are found in the talmudic tractate HULLIN as well as the Shulhan Arukh code of Yoreh Deah of the 2nd part of it. Kosher, or the Laws of Kashrut, means: fit, proper, in accordance with the religious law.
Jews do not eat any animals on the planet, only certain ones. The slaughter of an animal allowed has certain steps in the laws of keeping kosher, or Kashrut. Every precaution is taken to avoid eating any blood or eating any meat with milk products. This means Jews do not drink milk from an animal not allowed to eat as well, such as camel milk or camel meat. The milk-meat law comes from not wanting to cause pain to the mother who gave us milk who would feel stress and pain if she knew we were eating her milk mixed with her flesh. This is to teach us to have feelings for animals and thus for people.
The animal must be slaughtered quickly and humanely. This means that a special man trained in doing this called the shokhet, does the deed. He must also be very pious and be certified by the rabbis. This goes all the way back to Deut. 12:21. He says a prayer before the slaughter. He must use a very sharp knife. The throat of the animal is cut quickly so as not to cause pain. This severs the trachea, oesophagus, two vagus nerves and both carotid arteries and the jugular veins. The animal then loses consciousness in two seconds. The blood must drain cleanly from the animal after death. This takes away toxins that are released the moment of death that got into the bloodstream at that time.
The killing of the animal is hard on meat packing houses as the killing cannot be done in an assembly line fashion. The rules for this are called shehitah and are in the Oral Torah. The rules are for meat and fowls but not fish. The cows do not see an animal being slaughtered which could cause fright. Therefore, there is hopefully no cortisol or norepeneherine (stress chemicals) found in the meat. The animals should not experience the scent of death. The spinal cord is sectioned which cuts off pain to the brain. This is done to make sure there was no pain.
We are to eat only animals that have cloven hoofs and that chew their cud. All others are forbidden. Cows, sheep and goats are permitted. So is a deer, but one cannot hunt this animal as that would not be a kosher kill. Camels are not. Neither are pigs, rabbits, badgers and all the other mammals. Fish allowed must have fins and scales, so lobsters, oysters, shrimp, clams and crabs are not allowed. Swordfish and sturgeon are also on the list of no no's. Birds are mostly allowed but not birds of prey such as eagles, and ostriches, pelicans, storks, herons are not allowed. We eat chicken, turkey, geese, ducks and doves. We do not eat amphibians and insects so we say no to mice, rats,, snails, snakes, ants and other insects. These are said to defile us and are prohibited right in the Torah. Honey from bees is good. After all, the bees produce honey from the nectar of flowers.
We do not eat an animal that died from a natural death. This rule would certainly rule out any cow that died from the Mad Cow disease that farmers or meat packers might want to pass on to keep from losing money.
In preparing the meat, it is soaked in salt water to get rid of any blood that might be there. Then it is cooked to be well done. This gets rid of any stress chemicals as well. Also, only certain parts of the animal is used for food and that means parts where the main artery is not in, so this means the tough parts are allowed to be eaten. Often, this means cooking in a liquid such as water to help soften the meat. The steaks so popular are not allowed unless the vein has been taken out originally, something that requires more skill.
Halal
Halal means lawful or permissible according to Islamic law. It refers to meat that Muslims are allowed to eat under Islamic Shari'ah Law. Pork is also not allowed, so pigs are not used, as in Jewish law. This is the only animal mentioned in this law, but other foods can be haraam (not allowed). The criteria is the source and cause of the animal's death and how it was processed. Halal processes means the slaughterer is a Muslim and before death invokes the name of Allah by saying "Bismillah"-in the name of Allah, and then three times saying "Allahu akhar"-G0d is the greatest. They also use a sharp knife and cut the throat, windpipe and blood vessels in the neck while the animal is conscious causing the death without cutting the spinal cord. The blood is also drained from the veins. Muslims also exclude blood for consumption.
The method of slaughting animals is called Dhabihah. This also excludes fish and other sea-life, per Islamic law. "
- The animal must have been fed a natural diet that did not contain animal by-products. Muslims may eat kosher killed meat as the laws are so similar if Halal meat is not available.
- There are eight Halal stores right in Portland, Oregon's area. Kosher meats can be found in Albertson's store on Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway. Two more stores are now selling kosher meat; Safeway on Barber Blvd and Trader Joes.
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
To Be a Jew by Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin page 97-120
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halal
http://www.thekitchn.com/good-question-what-is-halal-me-60979
Update: 4:11pm Oregon Kosher
Update: 10/29/15 edit.
