McDonald’s discontinues halal food following dispute resolution

Following a recent dispute resolution, the two U.S. McDonald's restaurants that served food prepared according to Islamic law will cease to do so.

The two restaurants, located in Dearborn, Michigan, have served halal Chicken McNuggets and McChicken sandwiches to the area's sizable Muslim population for the past 12 years, according to an article in USA Today. However, a 2011 lawsuit alleged that these items were not actually halal, despite being advertised as such.

Under Islamic law, there are numerous requirements for the preparation of halal food. For example, animals must be slaughtered quickly with a sharp knife so that they feel no pain, and blood from the carcass must be drained completely while a prayer is said over the meat. In addition, pork is not allowed to be consumed. 

Plaintiffs accused McDonald's of not following these procedures, and of serving non-halal food to customers who explicitly ordered halal items off the menu. McDonald's, meanwhile, denied any wrongdoing and released a statement that claimed the decision to discontinue the products was made "as a result of our continued efforts to focus on our national core brand."

Some believe that McDonald's should have made an effort to improve the handling of their products. Kassem Dakhlallah, the attorney who filed the lawsuit, said that the restaurants should have tried "to ensure that all products sold were halal as advertised."

Others disagreed, however. Majed Moughni, who opposed the lawsuit, told the news source that the discontinuation was "the right thing to do."

"If you can't get it right 100 percent of the time, then you're doing a disservice to the community," he added.

Though McDonald's ultimately lost this case, other restaurants must still make efforts to protect themselves from customer lawsuits. By working with a Phoenix small business attorney, establishments will be able to protect themselves in court.

Categorised in: Litigation

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