Researchers Suggest Sacrificial Animals Be Fasted Before Slaughtering

Illustration of slaughtering sacrificial animals in Bogor City (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Researcher drh Supriyanto MVPH suggested sacrificial animals to be slaughtered on Eid Al-Adha should be fasted for at least 12 hours before being slaughtered. This fasting is necessary to make it easier to remove the offal when processed.

"It makes it easier to wash offal and avoids the risk of sacrificial animals vomiting when slaughtered," said Supriyanto, who is a researcher in Animal Slaughtering and Safe Whole Halal Healthy Meat Handling (ASUH) Yogyakarta as reported by Antara, Saturday, July 25.

He said, fasting animals will make it easier to measure the empty body weight (BTK). In addition, fasting animals can store enough glycogen in the muscles and does not trigger a lot of lactic acid.

With sufficient glycogen, he said, the meat of the sacrificial animals produced was of good quality and did not turn hard. The process of removing the blood from the sacrificial meat is also perfect and does not make the meat easily smell rancid and rotten.

Sufficient glycogen, he said, will also reduce the acidity of the meat so that the resulting meat is more durable and has a lighter color.

Good sacrificial meat, he continued, is also produced from the slaughtering process that does not stress the animals. That way, the meat of the sacrificial animals produced was good and did not turn hard.

"After the animal has fallen, for example, do not crush, sit on, trample it causing the animal to be in pain. Do not cover its mouth and nose so that the animal cannot breathe," he said.

It is also important, he said, in the process of slaughtering a health protocol by preventing crowds that could potentially transmit COVID-19.

"The amount is minimal but professional, make a barrier or barrier. Slaughter is carried out by the slaughterer with a sharp knife and 30 centimeters long, clean and not rusted. Reading prayers, facing the Qibla, treating animals with prosperity," he said.

"The cuts must be precisely in three channels, namely blood, breath and food," he said.