The former River Valley Meats facility could become a plant that specializes in preparing organic halal and kosher beef and lamb.
Dr. Munawir and Mrs. Eva Sabir are planning to modernize, extend and equip the plant at 501 - 20th St. to produce meat whose processing follows Muslim and Jewish dietary rules. June 17, members of the Town of Battleford gave their approval to the plan as a discretionary use.
Halal, meaning 'allowable' in Arabic, is food prepared as prescribed in the Quran, the Muslim scripture. When an animal is slaughtered, the jugular vein is cut and the blood is allowed to drain from the animal, since Muslims are prohibited from consuming animal blood. It is considered a humane way of slaughtering an animal as well, with as little pain as possible.
Similarly, kosher beef and lamb must also be drained of blood.
The kill floor capacity will be 20 cattle and 20 sheep per day, seven days a week, eight hours per shift, one shift per day.
The by-products of the planned abattoir will be shipped to licensed rendering plants and there will be no rendering done on site.
Plans are in place also to minimize odours by reducing emissions though some degree of air recirculation, minimizing the stock of raw material and storing it in a cold, closed and well-ventilated place, pasteurizing any raw material in order to halt biological processes that generate odour and by operation under partial or total vacuum.
The Munawirs hope to begin the renovation this fall.
