Halal slaughter and pre-slaughter stunning remain subjects of debate regarding animal welfare and meat quality. Previous reviews have suggested that stunning may impair bleeding efficiency and potentially affect meat quality. This study therefore examined whether reversible, Halal-acceptable stunning influences beef quality compared with non-stunned Halal and conventional slaughter. A total of 45 beef samples were collected and subjected to sensory and instrumental analyses of odour, flavour, colour, texture, tenderness, and water-holding capacity. Three slaughter methods were compared: conventional slaughter (CONV), non-stunning Halal slaughter (NHS), and Halal-acceptable reversible stunning (HAS). The results showed that slaughter method had limited effects on the sensory and physical quality of beef. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed among the three slaughter methods in Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF), cooking loss, or overall textural properties, indicating that pre-slaughter stunning did not adversely affect beef tenderness or water-holding capacity. In sensory evaluation, HAS significantly reduced milk (0.5) and urine (0.1) off-odours in the Transversus abdominis muscle compared with NHS and CONV (p < 0.05). HAS also produced an intermediate metallic flavour score (1.0) and showed a trend toward lower redness (a* = 17.4) and yellowness (b* = 14.4) values in the Transversus abdominis muscle. Overall, under standardized slaughter conditions, slaughter method had no statistically significant adverse effects on the core physical quality, tenderness, or water-holding capacity of beef. Reversible, non-penetrative Halal-acceptable stunning may provide a practical approach for balancing Halal requirements and animal welfare while maintaining beef quality. The observed reduction in undesirable odours and metallic flavour further suggests that HAS may offer potential sensory benefits. However, further research is warranted to confirm these effects across different muscles, slaughter conditions, and production systems.
- Abd El-Rahim, I. H. A., B. H. Mashat, and S. M. Fat'hi. 2023. Effect of halal and stunning slaughter methods on meat quality: A review. Int. Food Res. J. 30(2): 290–302. https://doi.org/10.47836/ifrj.30.2.02
- Bouzraa, S., E. L. Agüera, C. Avilés-Ramírez, and S. Serrano. 2025. Influence of halal slaughter on the colour, odour, flavour, and textural properties of beef. Animals 15(9): 1227. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15091227
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