Choosing Zabiha Meat in the West

Choose what you will, but 'Zabiha' (animal slaughtered according to Islamic canons) clearly has more advantages over non-Zabiha meat available in supermarkets. Here are some major reasons why:
1. You can be sure there's no pork in it. In the last few years, news have been revealed of pork being mixed with meat. According to Ahmad Sakr, Professor Emeritus of Food Science and author of "A Muslim Guide to Food Ingredients", a group of prisoners in San Francisco sued the food industry after discovering this happened to the meat they were being served.
This type of an incident ensures no Muslim can consume such beef or chicken, for example, which has been mixed with pork, as the consumption of pork is Haraam. A more recent and widespread example of this is found in an NBC Dateline consumer investigation report that aired recently.
Although in the United States it is illegal to sell "mixed meats" as pure ground beef, the report found it still takes place. This mixing is called adulteration and it is considered a health hazard. Adulteration happens when lamb, poultry, and of special attention to Muslims, pork, are added to and sold as pure ground beef.
NBC Dateline went to small supermarkets, large chains and discount stores all over the US that sell food. In each of the ten cities sampled, NBC Dateline found supermarkets that failed the ground beef test.
2. Support Muslim businesses. Buying the Zabiha meat is an almost sure way to support a Muslim's business. This way, you are not only getting your next meal (or meals) by buying straight from a Halaal grocery store, but you are also helping another Muslim gain a livelihood. You are giving back to the community more than you can if you are buying your meat at the nearest supermarket.
Today, there are Halaal grocery stores in virtually every major city in North America. These were, in most cases, the second type of "institutions" established by the Muslims on this continent after mosques.