What does HMC certification actually check?

HMC certification checks that every animal is slaughtered by hand by a Muslim slaughterman reciting the tasmiyah, that it is not stunned, that the carcass is stamped or labelled by HMC at the abattoir, and that the meat stays traceable through the cutting plant to the shop. HMC inspectors are present at slaughter and visit certified shops unannounced.

Certification is for the whole premises, not a single product. A butcher cannot be HMC for lamb and buy uncertified chicken from elsewhere; if HMC find non-HMC meat on the premises the certificate is withdrawn.

Is HMC meat stunned?

No. HMC only certifies meat from animals that were not stunned before slaughter. This is the main practical difference between HMC and some other UK halal certifiers, which permit a recoverable stun. If a non-stunned standard matters to you, HMC is the certification to look for.

How is HMC different from a shop saying 'halal'?

Anyone can put the word halal on a sign; nobody checks it. HMC certification means an outside organisation has checked the slaughter, the supply chain and the shop, and keeps checking. The word on the sign is a claim; the HMC certificate is evidence of that claim being inspected.

How do I check a butcher is really HMC certified?

Three checks. First, the HMC certificate on display, which names the shop and carries an expiry date. Second, HMC's own register at halalhmc.org, which lists every certified outlet by town. Third, the HMC stamp or label on the meat itself in the chiller. A shop with an HMC sticker on the window but no certificate and no listing is not certified.

Is Ikhlas Halal Butcher HMC certified?

Yes. Ikhlas Halal Butcher at 26-28 City Road, Bradford BD8 8ER is an HMC-certified outlet. Our certificate is displayed at the counter, we are listed on the HMC register, and every product we sell, including chicken, lamb, mutton, beef, goat and turkey, is HMC-certified. Nothing on the counter is from anywhere else.

Does HMC certification cost more?

HMC-certified meat is usually a little dearer than uncertified halal meat because non-stunned hand slaughter is slower and the monitoring is paid for. At Ikhlas the price you pay online is the same as at the counter, and our meat prices are competitive with the other HMC butchers in Bradford.

More on halal and HMC

• HMC vs HFA: what is the difference?
• Is stunned meat halal?
• What does the HMC stamp on meat mean?
• Is machine-slaughtered chicken halal?
• Does a halal sign mean the meat is halal?
• What is the tasmiyah and why does it matter?
• Where can I buy HMC halal meat in Bradford?
• Our HMC approval
• Halal meat, explained: farm to counter