isithalal.food

Is Australian supermarket chicken Halal?

It depends on where you bought it.

Market-dependent
Low confidence About this ruling

About this ruling

Condition
Certification and products vary by market
Evidence confidence
Low means the available sources are only regulatory or background, without a manufacturer spec, certifier, or scriptural source. Treat the verdict as a starting point and verify the item in front of you.
How we score High, Medium, and Low

Reviewed

Coles sources RSPCA Approved chicken for all its own-brand chicken, and Woolworths' own-brand chicken carries the same mark. RSPCA Approved requires the bird to be stunned before slaughter, and RSPCA itself says such chicken 'may also be Halal' but that Halal certification is a separate program, so the label decides. Woolworths also announced an own-brand Halal-certified range, Al Sadiq, in 2019. So a pack is Halal only when it carries a Halal label.

Next step Woolworths and Coles own-brand chicken is RSPCA Approved, and RSPCA says Halal certification is a separate scheme: check the pack for a Halal label. Without one, the chicken makes no Halal claim. How to verify
Scan a label

How to verify

  1. Look for a Halal label on the pack: RSPCA Approved is a welfare mark, not a Halal one.
  2. RSPCA Approved chicken is stunned before slaughter, as is standard in many Australian abattoirs producing Halal-certified meat; check the label if you need it unstunned.
  3. Branded chicken such as Steggles publishes its own Halal list.
  4. Woolworths announced an own-brand Halal range, Al Sadiq, in 2019; check whether your store stocks it.

Quick checks

  • A Halal label on the pack.
  • RSPCA Approved is not Halal.
  • Stunned unless the label says otherwise.

What decides the answer

  • Pack with a Halal label

    Halal (stunned, unless the label says otherwise)

  • RSPCA Approved mark only, no Halal label

    no Halal claim

  • Al Sadiq (Woolworths own-brand Halal range, announced 2019)

    sold as Halal-certified

Why this ruling

Supermarket chicken in Australia, at Woolworths and Coles, is mostly own-brand and carries the RSPCA Approved welfare mark.

Welfare mark, not Halal mark

Coles sources RSPCA Approved chicken for all its own-brand chicken products.[2] RSPCA Approved requires the bird to be stunned before slaughter, which RSPCA notes is standard in many Australian abattoirs that produce Halal-certified meat. RSPCA's own advice: such chicken "may also be Halal, but as Halal certification is a separate program... we encourage you to check product labelling or contact the brand directly."[1]

Woolworths' Halal range

Woolworths announced an own-brand Halal-certified chicken range, Al Sadiq, in 2019.[3] We could not confirm which stores stock it today; where yours does, it is the clearest choice.

Branded chicken

Branded chicken publishes its own position: see Steggles and Inghams. For the UK, see UK supermarket meat.

Where you'll find it

  • Own-brand chicken at Woolworths and Coles
  • Fresh, frozen and roast chicken in Australian supermarkets

Frequently asked questions

Is Woolworths chicken Halal?
Only where the pack carries a Halal label. Its own-brand chicken is RSPCA Approved, and RSPCA says Halal certification is a separate program. Woolworths announced an own-brand Halal range, Al Sadiq, in 2019.
Is Coles chicken Halal?
Only with a Halal label on the pack. Coles sources RSPCA Approved chicken for all its own-brand chicken; RSPCA Approved requires stunning and is not a Halal certification.
Is RSPCA Approved chicken Halal?
Not by that mark alone. RSPCA says RSPCA Approved chicken 'may also be Halal' but that Halal certification is a separate program, so check the label.

Scholarly view

A welfare mark is not a Halal certificate: what makes chicken Halal is how it was slaughtered, which only a Halal label vouches for. Stunning before slaughter divides scholars; many accept it where the bird is still alive when its throat is cut, and RSPCA notes stunning is standard in many Australian abattoirs that produce Halal-certified meat. Those who require unstunned slaughter need a label that says so.

Sources

Named Islamic, certifier, manufacturer, and regulatory sources used on this page. Inline markers like [1] jump here. Retrieval dates show when we last checked the live URL. Editorial methodology.

Regulatory / labelling

  1. RSPCA Approved Chicken in Woolworths – What's it all About?

    RSPCA Australia (RSPCA Approved) Retrieved

    Jurisdiction: Australia

    25 October 2017: 'The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme has a focus on farm animal welfare, which includes a requirement that the animal is stunned prior to slaughter. Pre-slaughter stunning is a standard practice in many Australian abattoirs producing Halal-certified meat... products that have the RSPCA Approved certification may also be Halal, but as Halal certification is a separate program to RSPCA Approved certification, we encourage you to check product labelling or contact the brand directly.'

  2. Coles Pork, Chicken & Turkey

    RSPCA Australia (RSPCA Certified) Retrieved

    Jurisdiction: Australia

    'Coles source RSPCA Approved chicken for all their own branded chicken products.' The page says nothing about Halal.

Context / background

  1. Woolworths Australia to sell own-brand halal certified chicken

    Salaam Gateway Retrieved

    Jurisdiction: Australia

    22 January 2019: Woolworths' own-brand Halal-certified chicken range, Al Sadiq, 'will be available in-store soon'. A Woolworths spokesperson: 'We're working to provide an increasingly diverse mix of customers with the right range of products in their local store.' No certifier or store list given.

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