Are the animals in kosher foods killed in a humane fashion?

Yes,

Animals like cows, lamb or chicken are all killed in a humane way -- the throat is slit quickly with a very, very sharp knife that is checked literally before each cut. The person doing the slaughtering says a blessing to "consecrate" the act, and to avoid belittling the act. Once the jugular is cut, the animal loses consciousness almost instantly as blood stop flowing to the brain. Unfortunately, and as some animal right groups point out, there's lots of movement afterwards, mostly reflexive or unconscious.

Fish (and very specific species of grasshoppers), however, are not considered "animals" in Jewish law (there's a complication reasoning, but in short, they exhibit behavior that is essentially purely instinctive and "automatic" without a basic sense of soul) and thus do not require the same process of slaughtering. Like all fish and grasshoppers caught around the world, they are simply allowed to die.

First answer by Jayrusalem. Last edit by Jayrusalem. Contributor trust: 723 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 18 [recommend question]