For a meat to be certified halal, Allah's (God's) name must be pronounced during slaughter. The instrument must be very sharp to ensure humane slaughter. The animal must be slit at the throat.4 The animal must not be unconscious.
Halal is the Arabic word for “lawful” or “permitted”. It is a broad term covering what is allowed in the context of Islamic law, but is often used in conjunction with the issue of how meat is dealt with. The opposite of halal is haram, meaning “forbidden”.  Essentially, “Halal” means permitted by God, or “Allah”, the Law-Giver. In order to obtain a “Halal” designation, the conditions of Islamic animal breeding and processing must be met. In order to be considered “Halal”, animals bred for meat must not have consumed any meat or meat by-products. Muslims are also taught that the animals must be well-rested and handled in a way that minimizes suffering. Halal is the Islamic term that basically means the meat is lawful to eat for a devout Muslim. What makes it lawful or acceptable is that the meat has been processed in a very specific way. To Halal and Back. Claim: Halal meat sold in the U.S. is commonly produced in conditions of filth and uncleanliness. Example: [Collected via e-mail, October 2011]. Origins: Halal is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permissible (the opposite of haraam, which means unlawful or forbidden). Islam's halal meat stores that have begun to pop up in America are the forerunners of the halal meat tsunami that is headed to America after having swamped Europe. Halal meat now accounts for 70% of New Zealand's total lamb exports to the United Kingdom, while 100% of the meat slaughtered in Paris, France is now halal. Secondly, Bismillah means, In the name of Allah, while Allahu Akbar! means, Allah is the Greatest!. So halal meat come from animals that are sacrificed in the name of Allah, who is being declared the Greatest! over the gods of other religions. A halal sign in Chinese (清真) at a restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan. Halal is often used in reference to foods and drinks, i.e. foods that are permissible for Muslims to eat or drink under Islamic Shariʻah (law). The criteria specifies both what foods are allowed, and how the food must be prepared. The foods addressed are mostly types of meat and animal tissue. The most common example of non-halal (or haraam) food is pork (pig meat). While pork is the only meat that cannot be eaten by all Muslims at all (the Quran forbids it), foods other than pork can also be haraam. Halal is an Arabic word that means permissible.. In terms of food, it means food that is permissible according to Islamic law. For a meat to be certified halal, it cannot be a forbidden cut (such as meat from hindquarters) or animal (such as pork.). The slaughter of a halal animal is called zabihah and there are certain guidelines to follow: 1  Allah's (God's) name must be pronounced during slaughter. 2  The instrument must be very sharp to ensure humane slaughter. 3  The animal must be slit at the throat. 4  The animal must not be unconscious. Unlike for halal, kashrut does not require God's name to be said before every slaughter after an initial blessing. Kashrut forbids the consumption of certain parts of the carcass, including the sciatic nerve and particular fats. Halal also forbids consumption of some carcass parts including the testicles and bladder. Animals must be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter and all blood is drained from the carcass. During the process, a Muslim will recite a dedication, know as tasmiya or shahada. There is debate about elements of halal, such as whether stunning is allowed. Stunning cannot be used to kill an animal, according to the Halal Food Authority (HFA), a non-profit organisation that monitors adherence to halal principles This article provides an overview of ‘Halal’ i.e. permissible or lawful in Islam, and ‘Haram’ i.e. impermissible or unlawful in Islam: Halal and Haram. HALAL: This is an Arabic term which means permissible or lawful in Islam. In reference to food, it is the Islamic dietary standard, as prescribed in the Shari’ah (Islamic Law). HARAM: This is another Arabic term which means impermissible or unlawful in Isl Here’s why. Halal is the Islamic term that basically means the meat is lawful to eat for a devout Muslim. What makes it lawful or acceptable is that the meat has been processed in a very specific way. 
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/what-is-halal-meat-the-big-questions-about-religious-slaughter-answered-9331519.html https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071114023051AAOQbZA http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/halal.asp http://www.billionbibles.org/sharia/halal-meat-slaughter.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halal http://www.thekitchn.com/good-question-what-is-halal-me-60979 http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-27324224 http://halaladvocates.net/site/our-resources/what-is-halal/ http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/fooddrink/a/Halal-Meat-In-US-Supermarkets.htm
what makes a halal chicken