Surabaya (ANTARA) \u2013 The piece of chicken served at the dinner table\nhas undergone a long journey that consumers rarely consider. Before it\nis prepared as a family meal, poultry must pass through slaughter,\nbleeding, defeathering, inspection and meat handling.<\/p>\n
Every stage affects not only food quality, but also consumer health,\nanimal welfare, environmental sustainability and confidence in its halal\nstatus.<\/p>\n
In Surabaya, East Java, these issues have come to the fore as the\ncity reorganises poultry slaughter facilities in traditional markets and\ntakes action against slaughter operations in residential areas.<\/p>\n
The suspension of poultry-slaughtering activity in Bratang Gede,\nWonokromo district, on 23 October 2026, for example, shows that\nslaughter practices concern more than just businesses and their\ncustomers.<\/p>\n
Noise, odours, cleanliness and compliance with licensing requirements\nalso affect the quality of life of nearby residents.<\/p>\n
Behind these issues lies a more fundamental task than simply\nrelocating businesses: building awareness that poultry slaughter must\ncomply with the principles of Aman, Sehat, Utuh dan Halal (ASUH),\nmeaning safe, healthy, wholesome and halal.<\/p>\n
Education must go hand in hand with adequate facilities, consistent\noversight and protection for the sustainability of community\nbusinesses.<\/p>\n
Critical points<\/strong><\/p>\n The scale of daily demand presents a significant challenge. Fajar A\nIsnugroho, president director of state-owned PT Rumah Potong Hewan\nSurabaya, estimates that Surabaya needs slaughter capacity for about\n20,000 birds a day. Lakarsantri Poultry Slaughterhouse (RPHU),\nmeanwhile, has capacity for up to 5,000 birds a day \u2013 around a quarter\nof the estimated requirement.<\/p>\n That figure should be treated with care, since the capacity of one\nfacility does not represent all poultry slaughter in the city. The\ngovernment needs to update its data on poultry demand, slaughter volumes\nand the number of businesses that meet the requirements.<\/p>\n Even so, the gap points to the need to expand services so that ASUH\nprinciples can be applied more widely.<\/p>\n Another critical point is the slaughtering process. Under the ASUH\nprinciples, \u201csafe\u201d means food is protected from health hazards;\n\u201chealthy\u201d concerns the condition and hygiene of the meat; \u201cwholesome\u201d\nmeans the product has not been mixed with or substituted by other\nproducts; and \u201chalal\u201d relates to the type of animal and the method of\nslaughter. The four elements complement one another.<\/p>\n Guidance from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) states that poultry\nmust be alive when slaughtered and must die as a result of the\nslaughtering process. The blood should be allowed to drain for at least\nthree minutes before the next stage. The birds must also be confirmed\ndead before being immersed in hot water for defeathering.<\/p>\n Immersing poultry in hot water before confirming that it has died is\ntherefore a serious concern. If a bird dies for reasons other than\nslaughter in accordance with the requirements, the product does not meet\nhalal criteria and may be considered carrion.<\/p>\n Any assessment should be based on inspection of the process, rather\nthan an assumption that all traditional slaughtering is problematic.<\/p>\n Indonesian National Standard (SNI) 99002:2016 on halal poultry\nslaughter remains in force. The Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH)\nhas issued Decree No.\u00a0160 of 2026 on the halal product assurance system\nfor the slaughter of ruminants and poultry. Halal assurance must be\nbuilt into working practices, rather than treated as merely a seller\u2019s\nclaim.<\/p>\n Shared space<\/strong><\/p>\n The reorganisation of poultry slaughter brings together food needs,\neconomic interests and residents\u2019 right to a comfortable\nenvironment.<\/p>\n In Bratang Gede, nighttime activity that generated noise and odours\nadded to residents\u2019 burden. A municipal inspection found that the\nbusiness\u2019s trading permit had expired and that its owner did not have a\npoultry-slaughtering permit.<\/p>\n Enforcement is necessary, but sealing a premises will not resolve the\nissue if slaughter demand remains and no affordable alternative is\navailable. PT Rumah Potong Hewan Surabaya Perseroda\u2019s offer to let the\nBratang business use the Lakarsantri facility should be developed\nfurther, enabling the business to continue at a site that meets the\nrequirements.<\/p>\n The reorganisation is based on Law No.\u00a018 of 2009 on Animal Husbandry\nand Animal Health, as amended by Law No.\u00a041 of 2014, and Surabaya\nRegional Regulation No.\u00a05 of 2006. Slaughterhouse rules cover veterinary\npublic health, hygiene, sanitation and animal welfare.<\/p>\n The Surabaya municipal government is preparing poultry\nslaughterhouses at Baba\u2019an Baru Market and Wonokromo Market, each\ndesigned to handle up to 5,000 birds a day. As of 19 October 2026, both\nwere still undergoing repairs and would begin operating only after\nfacilities, technical requirements and traders\u2019 readiness had been\naddressed.<\/p>\n The facilities could expand access to hygienic services, but designed\ncapacity does not mean the service is already available. The\nmunicipality needs to confirm operating schedules, the volumes that can\nbe handled and access for traders without additional costs that would\nerode their profits.<\/p>\n During the transition, information on schedules, fees and procedures\nfor using the facilities should be communicated in advance so traders\ncan adjust their businesses without losing income certainty.<\/p>\n The reorganisation must strike a balance. Consumers are entitled to\nsafe and halal food, residents to a healthy environment, and traders and\nworkers to business certainty and an opportunity to adapt.<\/p>\n Neglecting any one of these interests risks creating new problems.\nRegular dialogue among the municipal government, slaughterhouse\noperators, traders and residents is also needed to resolve operational\ndifficulties before they escalate into conflict.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ensuring-halal-standards-from-poultry-farm-to-table-1793152382",
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