Halal Science Center (HSC) IPB University in collaboration with the Assessment Institute for Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics of the Indonesian Ulema Council (LPPOM MUI) held a training entitled “Handling and Slaughtering of Sacrificial Animals for the General Public and DKM Management”. This activity was held at IPB Gunung Gede Campus (5/29).
The Chairman of HSC IPB University, Prof Khaswar Syamsu, in his speech highlighted the importance of education on slaughtering sacrificial animals in accordance with the Shari’a while paying attention to aspects of animal welfare and environmental sustainability. He emphasized that Islam as a perfect religion not only regulates the relationship between humans and God, but also the relationship between fellow humans, animals, and nature.
“We often see on social media how the slaughter process is carried out without paying attention to animal manners, such as sharpening knives in front of animals. This causes stress to the animal and is against Islamic principles,” Prof Khaswar explained.
He also encouraged the use of environmentally friendly containers such as besek, banana leaves, or recycled paper, to replace single-use plastics.
The training was officially opened by Hendra Utama as LPPOM MUI Board of Expert. He stated, “This training is expected to be a means to understand the Sharia law in the implementation of qurbani, including animal selection, hygienic slaughtering techniques, carcass calculation, and meat handling in accordance with halal and tayib principles.”
The training presented a number of expert speakers from various fields, including KH Abdul Muiz Ali, Vice Secretary of the MUI Central Fatwa Commission, who conveyed the importance of understanding the fiqh and technical aspects of slaughtering so that qurbani is valid in accordance with sharia and halal standards.
One of the important points in the training was education about the four channels that must be cut off in the slaughtering process: the airway (hulqum), the food channel (mari’), and two blood vessels (wadajain). “The more perfect the cutting, the more blood is maximized; hence, the better the quality of the meat,” he said.
In addition to Sharia aspects, the material was also presented by Edit Lesa Aditya, S.Pt, M.Sc, a lecturer at the Faculty of Animal Sciences, IPB University, who discussed livestock selection and meat yield estimation. He emphasized the importance of selecting animals based on body condition and body condition score (BCS), not just the size or trend of a particular breed.
“We should not buy animals that produce less meat because of trends. Many people don’t buy local cattle such as Bali cattle because they have small bodies. Whereas in terms of body composition, Balinese cattle can produce a higher percentage of meat despite their small size,” he explained.
The training was closed with a live slaughter practice session guided by Dr drh Supratikno, PAVet, lecturer at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science (SKHB) and HSC researcher at IPB University.
He emphasized, “We ensure that each participant is able to practice according to the standard, starting from the method of cattle slaughter, slaughter procedures, and post-slaughter carcass handling process.”
Dr Supratikno also recommends separating meat from green offal (intestines, rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum). This action is important so that the meat remains hygienic and does not spoil quickly.
Ahead of Eid al-Adha 1446 H, HSC IPB University is actively providing education related to the handling and slaughtering of sacrificial animals to the general public and mosque prosperity council (DKM) administrators. Previously (5/24), cooperation was also carried out with PT Bank BCA Syariah through online training.
This activity is expected to be applied in the community, making qurbani lawful, safe, and widely beneficial. “With the implementation of good, hygienic and environmentally friendly qurbani, hopefully our qurbani will be more meaningful and bring blessings to the community and the environment,” hoped Prof Khaswar. (IAAS/TNY)
