A statewide grocery store chain is facing criticism over its sale of halal-certified meat products, amid debates surrounding Texas culture and animal welfare.
H-E-B, a well known Texas-based supermarket chain headquartered in San Antonio, operates more than 455 stores in Texas and Mexico.
The company markets itself as a Texas-focused retailer that prioritizes locally sourced products. However, critics have recently pointed to the chain’s sale of halal-certified foods, which are prepared according to Islamic laws.
Under Islamic law, halal slaughter traditionally requires an animal to be killed by a Muslim who recites a blessing, including the phrase “Bismillah, Allahu Akbar,” before using a knife to sever the carotid arteries.
Critics of halal slaughter argue that the practice is inhumane because the process does not involve stunning the animal.
In the United States, Halal is protected under the First Amendment’s protections for religious freedom. However, the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act states that livestock needs to be rendered insensible to pain before slaughter to prevent needless pain and suffering.
The debate has prompted criticism from many Texans, including Texas Railroad Commissioner Candidate Bo French, to call for Halal slaughter to be banned.
“We should ban halal slaughter as it is inhumane,” French posted to X.
Amy Mek, founder & editor-in-chief of RAIR Foundation USA, also denounced the practice in a post on X.
“Halal is not a ‘dietary preference.'” Mek wrote.
“Halal is Islamic law applied to food 0- ritual slaughter facing Mecca while prayers to Allah are spoken, then certified by terror-linked organizations and pushed onto the public through legal threats and bureaucratic cowardice,” she added.
Several H-E-B locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and Houston areas have already stocked products from Crescent Foods, a halal-certified meat and poultry supplier based in Chicago.
However, the distribution of Halal meat is not the only controversy affecting the Texas supermarket. It has also been revealed that it is actively bringing H-1B visa holders to work for its company.
In Fiscal Year 2025, 47 H-1B Labor Condition Applications were filed for H-E-B, with an additional 17 applicants already filed for fiscal year 2026, according to federal labor records.
“Texas companies should hire Texas workers first and respect the culture and traditions that built the state of Texas and their franchise – not importing cheaper labor and changing to foreign dietary standards,” nonprofit group, This Is Texas Freedom Force, wrote.
