A Coventry farmer has come under fire for apparently trying to give Muslims a taste of pork by creating bacon-style rashers from halal slaughtered turkeys, despite his insistence that there is plenty of demand for the product from other groups in addition to Muslims.
Muslims can't eat pork as it is against the halal guidelines, however Rod Adlington, the farmer in question, told BBC Asian Network that he kept receiving requests for a "really good turkey bacon" that eventually led to him supplying it. The move has led some, including a leading Muslim scholar, to express fears that the turkey bacon may be a gateway towards eating pork for young Muslims.
Maulana Naveed Ashrafi, a scholar based in Blackburn, expressed sucjh concerns, claiming that the turkey bacon could "...ultimately lead to people who only eat halal food ending up eating the real bacon - bacon from pork", claiming that Muslims should avoid the new product.His views are opposed by some, including Dr Haifaa Jawed, an Islamic Studies lecturer who claims that "If there is no bacon in that form of food or, if the meat is Islamically slaughtered, it should be ok."
Humza Foods guarantees that all of its halal frozen food is slaughtered according to strict halal practices.