The Biology program at UIN Sunan Kalijaga organized the Professionalism Training in Biology Series on July 2, 2022, with the theme “Techniques for Sacrificial Animal Slaughter.” The event, conducted via Zoom, featured Drh. Supratikno, M. Si. PAVet as the speaker. Drh. Supratikno is an internationally certified animal welfare trainer by the OIE, an expert in developing Indonesian National Standards (SNI) 99002:2016 and SNI 99003:2018, the head of the Halal Slaughter Division at the Halal Science Center, LPPM IPB University, and a member of various expert teams related to halal slaughter during the Covid-19 pandemic and PMK outbreak. The presentation covered intriguing topics such as handling sacrificial animals, preparation for slaughter, and execution during the PMK outbreak.

According to the MUI Fatwa 32/2022, animals with mild PMK symptoms can still be used as sacrificial animals. During the PMK outbreak, several considerations are crucial for handling sacrificial animals:

• Separating meat from bones
• Removing defense glands
• Boiling hooves, heads, bones, offal, and defense glands before distribution
• Marinating the meat
• Processing the meat before distributing it outside the area

Salting and drying the hide or using sodium carbonate After receiving the sacrificial meat, it’s essential to immediately boil it without washing to eliminate PMK viruses. Washing the meat directly could potentially contaminate the environment and water sources. Instead of freezing the meat immediately, refrigerate it for 24 hours first. Freezing meat immediately can cause cold-shortening, resulting in tougher meat due to stronger muscle bonds. Additionally, the meat cells would enter dormancy without dying. Refrigerating the meat first triggers glycogenolysis, producing lactic acid that lowers the pH and renders the virus inactive. Rigor mortis also occurs, relaxing the actin-myosin bonds and activating proteolytic enzymes.
Challenges during sacrificial animal slaughter in Indonesia include limited access to clean water, availability of sharp slaughter equipment, unqualified individuals wanting to participate, stress-inducing rituals for the animals, and turning the slaughter process into a spectacle. There’s much more fascinating material related to the physiology of sacrificial animal slaughter. For further details, you can check out this video: YouTube link.