Education Authority explains use of halal-certified chicken in Northern Ireland school meals

The Education Authority has issued a fact file explaining why some chicken served in Northern Ireland schools may be halal-certified.

EA says:

• It has not introduced halal chicken across all schools.
• Some halal-certified chicken is purchased because suppliers cannot meet demand using non-halal chicken alone.
• The halal-certified chicken purchased by EA is stunned before slaughter.
• EA says there is no additional cost for buying halal-certified chicken.
• Alternative meal choices are available in most school kitchens for pupils who do not wish to eat chicken.

EA responds to claims over halal-certified chicken in school meals

The Education Authority has clarified the use of halal-certified chicken in Northern Ireland school meals following concerns and claims circulating on social media.

In a fact file published on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, the Education Authority (EA) said some chicken served in schools may be halal-certified because of supply constraints in the wider poultry market.

EA stressed that it has not made a decision to replace all non-halal chicken with halal products.

The authority provides school dinners to more than 1,100 schools across Northern Ireland. It employs more than 4,500 catering staff and produces more than 155,000 school meals each day.

Chicken dishes, including curries and chicken goujons, are among the most popular choices for pupils.

EA says its kitchens order more than 5,000 cases of fresh chicken every month, alongside frozen chicken products.

Why is halal-certified chicken being served in NI schools?

According to the Education Authority, its Northern Ireland supplier sources poultry from several markets.

These include Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and international suppliers.

EA said discussions with suppliers established that the quantity of chicken required for Northern Ireland schools could not currently be supplied entirely through non-halal chicken.

As a result, some chicken arriving in school kitchens may carry halal certification.

EA said the issue is not specific to one supplier and described it as a consequence of availability within the current poultry market.

The authority stated that it purchases the chicken it needs while continuing to follow regulations covering:

• Food quality
• Food traceability
• Animal welfare
• Public procurement

EA says halal-certified chicken is stunned before slaughter

One of the points addressed by the Education Authority concerns how the chicken is slaughtered.

EA says the halal-certified chicken purchased for its school meals is stunned before slaughter.

The authority stated that the chicken it buys is therefore slaughtered using pre-stunning in the same way as the non-halal chicken it purchases.

This distinction is important because halal certification does not automatically mean an animal was slaughtered without stunning.

No blanket introduction of halal chicken

EA has also rejected claims that it has introduced halal chicken as a blanket policy for Northern Ireland schools.

It said there has been no decision to replace non-halal chicken with halal-certified chicken across every school.

Nor, according to EA, has there been a decision requiring halal-certified products to be provided to every pupil regardless of their faith or dietary preferences.

Instead, EA says procurement reflects the chicken available from suppliers at the volumes required to operate its school catering service.

Does halal-certified chicken cost schools more?

EA says it is not paying an additional premium for halal-certified chicken.

The authority stated that purchasing halal-certified poultry does not create additional costs for its school meals service.

It also said similar poultry supply limitations affect other public-sector catering organisations and high street food businesses across Northern Ireland.

What can parents do if they do not want their child eating halal-certified chicken?

The Education Authority acknowledged that some parents may prefer their children not to eat chicken which could be halal-certified.

According to EA, a large majority of school kitchens already provide pupils with a choice of meals.

Where alternatives are available, children can select another main course rather than a chicken dish.

EA says it is continuing work to extend meal choice across all schools.

Parents with specific questions about the food served at their child’s school may also wish to contact the school directly.

EA says removing chicken could reduce school menu choice

EA said the scale of its catering operation means restricting purchases only to non-halal chicken could affect the availability of chicken dishes.

The authority argues that if sufficient chicken cannot be obtained from suppliers, it would have to reduce or remove some chicken meals from school menus.

That could affect popular dishes currently offered to pupils.

Schools were informed about the supply issue in 2025

The Education Authority says the position is not a newly introduced policy.

EA said it contacted school principals about its chicken supply arrangements in December 2025 and subsequently published information about the issue on its website.

The latest fact file has now been released after further discussion of halal-certified chicken appeared online.

Where to read the Education Authority statement

The full Education Authority fact file can be viewed here:

Education Authority: Fact File – Halal-Certified Chicken in EA School Meals
https://www.eani.org.uk/news/fact-file-halal-certified-chicken-in-ea-school-meals

Parents can also find information about school meals, menus and dietary requirements through the Education Authority website.

What do you think?

The issue has generated discussion among parents and social media users across Northern Ireland.

The Education Authority says its latest fact file is intended to provide clarity about how chicken is sourced and to correct inaccurate information being circulated online.