LAUSR

Abstract Rapid growth in the global halal markets in recent years has invited scholars to pay close attention to the development of halal standards. However, the actual processes behind the formulation of the criteria specified in halal standards remain underexplored. This paper examines competing arguments and narratives behind the formulation of halal ruling on pre-slaughter stunning and mechanical slaughter in the new state-led halal standards in Indonesia. Drawing on the notion of ‘backstage politics,’ the results show that the criteria in halal standards are no longer determined exclusively by Islamic dietary laws that explain them. The inclusion of various actors in the formulation of halal standards has cleared the path for non-religious concerns, namely the meat production shortage and protections to the poultry sector, to embed and play an essential role in shaping the approval on pre-slaughter stunning and the ban on mechanical slaughter, respectively. As such, this paper argues that halal standards not only operate as a tool for economic development and facilitation of international trade but also serve as a safeguard to address food security issues and a mechanism to protect the national economy from the adverse consequences of the globalized markets.