Chicken McHalal: McDonald's denied using halal meat... now it admits meat IS in one of its most popular meals

By Abul Taher
Last updated at 3:26 AM on 10th October 2010
Fast-food giant McDonald's has admitted selling halal chicken without telling its customers. The poultry was used in popular menu items such as Chicken McNuggets and the McChicken Sandwich in its 1,200 British outlets.
The admission comes three weeks after the company categorically denied to this newspaper that it used any halal meat. Now McDonald's has revealed that the firm that supplies its poultry, Cargill, produces halal chicken at one of its abattoirs.
In a statement to The Mail on Sunday, McDonald's said: 'As a result of your enquiries, our investigation has confirmed that some halal chicken has entered our supply chain without our knowledge, and we apologise to our customers for this.
Food chain: Halal poultry has been used in popular menu items such as Chicken McNuggets and the McChicken Sandwich in its 1,200 British outlets
Food chain: Halal poultry has been used in popular menu items such as Chicken McNuggets and the McChicken Sandwich in its 1,200 British outlets
'While is it not a quality issue, halal chicken is outside of our specification. We have received assurances from Cargill that halal meat production from this abattoir has now stopped.'
McDonald's says  all the chicken in its restaurants comes from poultry which has been stunned before slaughter. Meanwhile, Asda,   Britain's second-largest supermarket chain, has admitted that much of its lamb and chicken is slaughtered according to Islamic ritual.
A company source said: 'It's fair to say that most lamb is halal and I would say half of the chicken is halal.' Islamic law requires Muslims to slaughter animals by slitting their throat while reciting an Arabic prayer which translates as: 'In the name of Allah, who is the greatest.'

Mail on Sunday series of stories about halal meat in British stores
Mail on Sunday series of stories about halal meat in British stores
The animal is required to be conscious but moderate Muslim groups allow it to be stunned before the throat is slit. Both McDonald's and Asda made their admissions after our investigation traced the abattoirs where they source their meat.