Quality of broiler chicken meat slaughtered in compliance with halal require-ments

Ensuring the quality and safety of poultry meat is a pressing issue amid the growing global demand for halal products. This study aimed to assess the quality and safety of broiler chicken meat slaughtered using different technological approaches: in accordance with national standards (first batch) and halal standards (GSO) (second batch). The research was conducted at the accredited Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Laboratory of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection to evaluate the compliance of broiler chicken meat samples with physicochemical, microbiological, toxicological, and radiological indicators. The results showed that the second batch, slaughtered in accordance with halal standards, met all regulatory requirements for quality and safety. The first batch demonstrated minor deviations in certain parameters, particularly moisture content (4.5 % compared to the permissible 4 %) and tetracycline residues (0.01 IU/g), highlighting the need for stricter control over broiler chicken rearing practices, slaughtering, cooling, and storage processes. No ammonia, ammonium salts, chloramphenicol, pathogenic microorganisms, heavy metals, or radionuclides were detected in either batch, and the levels of pesticides and aflatoxins complied with the established standards. Further research should focus on investigating the long-term effects of the identified deviations on meat quality and safety, as well as optimising technological processes to ensure full compliance with halal and international standards.