Ruling on Feeding Poultry and Livestock with Suspicious Feed

Question:
The following message was received by the program from the brothers: Hasan ibn Saqr al-Mahmadi and Ahmad ibn Musa al-Zahrani. Our brothers describe the food that the poultry are fed, saying: After we asked about the nature of the materials used to feed the poultry, the supervisor of the food warehouses and the laboratory technician informed us that these foods are imported from European slaughterhouses. They consist of slaughterhouse waste, including meat, skins, bones, and blood. Pork may be included in the form of powder, and all of these are mixed together, along with grains and fish bones. They are distributed in two categories: one for poultry that are eaten, and one for laying hens, under the name that this is protein for nutrition. It is known that farms such as [name omitted], which His Eminence the Shaykh calls [name omitted], distribute and supply these foods to farms in several regions. They ask His Eminence the Shaykh for guidance and instruction regarding this. May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
Samples of this have come to us, and we referred them to the competent authorities. They stated that it is sound and contains nothing to be wary of; rather, it consists of things from fish, sound seeds, and other items that contain no solution, neither from the aspect of pork nor from the aspect of blood.
In any case: if something impure or forbidden, such as pork, is found among these things, if it is a small amount, it is excused, just as what is excused for the *jalalah* (animal that eats filth) regarding small, insignificant things. What is harmful is only if the impure and foul substance predominates over the food and drink of the poultry. If what they eat is something that is considered ugly, but it is a small amount and the good food and good drink predominate, then it does not cause harm.
As for the samples that came to us, which were sent to us from various quarters by the brothers here, and which we referred to the competent authorities who tested them, they stated that there is no danger in them, and that they are between seeds that are permissible and other things that contain no danger, such as fish and others, with which these poultry are fed. The original presumption is soundness and the innocence of the conscience until it is known with certainty that they were fed with what Allah has forbidden, and that this predominates, and that it is a large amount, meaning: that it predominates over their food and drink, so that they become like the *jalalah*. As for the small amount, it is forgiven. Yes.

The presenter: So: does Your Eminence see that one should reach those factories to see the reality with one's own eyes?

The Shaykh: These items that come from these factories must be referred to the competent authorities. If those who import them have any doubt, they should refer them to the competent authorities in the Kingdom, as long as the matter is within the Kingdom. They should be referred to the competent authorities and specialized laboratories, such as the Ministry of Commerce, the Standards Organization, Imam Muhammad ibn Saud University, and King Saud University, which have laboratories. They test them and clarify what is in them. We referred them to some of these authorities, and they found them to be sound.
The result is: the incoming goods may differ, and the imported items may vary. Those who import these things are obligated to strive to know the truth, and so that they do not deceive people or introduce to them what Allah has forbidden. The state must compel them to do this. The state, through the Ministry of Commerce and other responsible parties who have a connection to this matter, must compel any company or farm that imports to know what it imports and to ensure that it is sound, and that the responsible parties here certify this for them. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah bless you.