The abattoir began working on the project a year ago, in a bid to open doors into the Norwegian halal market, and effectively became the first slaughterer of halal reindeer in Norway.
Working alongside the Islamic Council Norway, Harry Dyrstad, owner of specialist wildlife abattoir Vilteksperten, explained that some of it could end up in exclusive restaurants in Dubai. “We’ve had a bit of interest from some of the big restaurants – but only regarding halal meat,” he said.
The Islamic Council Norway is pleased with the project and aims to demystify halal slaughter. Its general secretary Mehtab Afsar told the Norwegian press: “This will be a brand new halal product that Muslims have not had access to previously. I have been told that this meat is very nice, but I have never tried it myself.
“The slaughtering happens in the same kind of way as with other approved slaughtering in Norway. The difference is just that it has to be a Muslim slaughter and the animal will be blessed by reading a sentence in Arabic when [the abattoir] kills it,” explained Afsar.