Halal Meat...Fact or Fiction?

Hi, I've gotten this from several readers.  I don't know as to the accuracy of all the statements, but SOME of them are correct.

"Costco stocking their meat counters with

"Halal" meat."
I shopped for groceries at my local Wal-Mart. As usual, I bought a bag of frozen chicken breasts, but this time I checked to make sure the meat was not labeled "Halal." Here's why:

Halal is the Islamic term that basically means the meat is lawful to eat for a devout Muslim. What makes it lawful or acceptable is that the meat has been processed in a very specific way. Unlike kosher food, where the physical processing of the meat is the focus, for Islam it is the spiritual component that makes the meat lawful.

For lawful (halal) meat in Islam, the animal must be killed while the butcher faces Mecca, and either the butcher cries "Allah Akbar" or a tape plays the words over a loud speaker.

Ann Barnhardt is a cattle commodities broker, has more about "Halal."

NEVER buy meat that is marked as "Halal."
I am in the cattle business, and believe me when I tell you that Halal kill plants are CONSTANTLY being cited and shut down by the USDA for horrific infractions. Most of these plants are in Michigan and upstate New York.

One of the things that halal kill plants are notorious for is putting already-dead animals in the human consumption line. They will go pick up a dead cow off of a farm or ranch and instead of putting it in their rendering tank where the resulting " tankage " is worth pennies on the dollar as pet food or industrial products, they will shackle the dead animal on the normal kill line and process it as human food which is the highest-dollar product.

Since Islam teaches dishonesty (taqiyyah) and no regard for one's neighbor, this kind of sickening behavior is standard.

Halal plants are also notorious for general citations for filth and un-cleanliness. I have toured normal cattle slaughter plants, and guys, you could eat off of the floor. Everything is white and men walk around with water hoses and steam guns constantly keeping everything in a state of spotlessness.

Halal plants are filthy. A lot of Halal meat is also labeled as "organic."

Again, don't be fooled into thinking that "halal" means "better." It isn't. I would never, ever knowingly eat halal meat purely from a food safety perspective.

I don't know personally, if the above is true, but Snopes (which isn't always accurate) says it's not.  You decide.