HMC — Halal Monitoring Committee
UK certifier known for the strictest hand-slaughter policy. No stunning of any kind, no machine slaughter.
HMC is a non-profit UK certifier founded in 2003 by a coalition of British Muslim scholars concerned about industrial slaughter practices. It is the most conservative of the major UK halal bodies: no pre-stunning, no post-cut stunning, no machine slaughter, no exceptions.
Every certified slaughter is performed by hand by a Muslim, with the throat cut in one motion while the animal is conscious and alive. Audits are monthly and include random visits to slaughterhouses, butchers, and processing plants.
HMC has the smaller footprint of the UK certifiers, but its logo is recognised across British Muslim communities and is preferred by Muslims who follow the traditional Hanafi position on slaughter. Most independent UK Muslim butchers carry HMC certification rather than HFA.
Slaughter policy at a glance
- Stunning: not allowed
- Machine slaughter: not allowed
- Slaughter must be by: a Muslim, invoking Allah's name (Bismillahi Allahu Akbar), via a single cut to the throat severing the windpipe, food-pipe, and both jugulars.