Libyan Fatwa Committee Raises Concerns Over Brazil’s Halal Meat Certification

Sheikh Abdulrahman Qadoua, senior member of Libya’s Fatwa Committee, has raised serious doubts about the credibility of Brazil’s halal meat certification during a recent delegation visit, The Libya Observer reported.

He reported that access to Brazilian slaughterhouses is granted only after prior coordination, allowing facilities to prepare in advance.

Qadoua warned that Brazil exports 47 tonnes of meat globally, with some labeled halal and others not, but there are no guarantees against mixing halal and non-halal products. He highlighted inadequate supervision, noting that one inspector may oversee four slaughterhouses spread over hundreds of kilometers, and stressed that monitoring should cover the entire slaughter-to-packaging process, which is currently lacking.

To underscore the risks, Qadoua cited incidents such as heroin-laced chicken shipments intercepted in Libya, pork consignments exported to the UAE with halal stamps, and a 2012 case where Kuwait’s Ministry of Health found Brazilian chicken sausages mixed with pork.

In March, Libya’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Sadiq Al-Ghariani declared Brazilian meat slaughter practices non-compliant with Islamic law. Following a 15-day investigation by a Libyan delegation, the Fatwa Committee proposed either sending a Libyan team to oversee halal slaughter in Brazil or importing live animals for local slaughter under supervision to ensure halal integrity.