Eid al-Adha at UNU Jogja: Collaborating with a Slaughterhouse to Ensure ASUH-Standard Qurban Meat

Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Yogyakarta (UNU Jogja) held a qurban ritual to commemorate Eid al-Adha 1447 Hijri. The slaughtering process involved a certified slaughterhouse (Rumah Pemotongan Hewan/RPH) to ensure the quality of qurban meat met the standards of being safe, healthy, wholesome, and halal—aman, sehat, utuh, dan halal (ASUH).

This year, UNU Jogja received four cows and seven goats for qurban. The cows were slaughtered at Giwangan Slaughterhouse in Yogyakarta City, while the goats were slaughtered and all qurban meat was packaged at the Integrated Campus on Saturday (May 30).

Acting Rector of UNU Jogja, Fahmy Akbar Idries, expressed his appreciation and gratitude for the support of the qurban donors (sohibul qurban) who participated in the university’s qurban program. He hoped that the ritual would bring blessings and rewards to the donors while strengthening their ties with UNU Jogja.

He explained that involving the slaughterhouse made the slaughtering process more effective and efficient. The animals were handled by trained halal slaughterers, ensuring both animal welfare and meat quality were properly maintained.

In addition, the campus environment remained clean and conducive to academic activities. Equally important, conducting the slaughter at a certified slaughterhouse aligned with government recommendations aimed at producing meat that meets ASUH standards.

“From a time-efficiency standpoint, slaughtering at the slaughterhouse is much faster because it is carried out by professional butchers. We also strive to maintain campus cleanliness and avoid unpleasant odors,” Fahmy said while monitoring the qurban activities.

Chairman of the UNU Jogja Qurban Committee, Udin Kusuma, explained that the slaughtering of cows at Giwangan Slaughterhouse took place shortly after dawn prayers. The qurban activities then continued at the campus in the morning with goat slaughtering and the packaging of all qurban meat.

“All qurban activities are conducted in accordance with Islamic law while paying close attention to environmental and hygiene aspects. All personnel wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks, gloves, and head coverings, and smoking is prohibited,” he said.

More than 500 qurban meat packages will be distributed to members of the university community and residents living around the campus in Dowangan, Gamping, Sleman. The meat packages are also packed in environmentally friendly containers such as woven bamboo boxes to reduce waste and environmental impact.

UNU Jogja received four cows and seven goats from various qurban donors, including Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs (Menko PMK) Pratikno, Acting Rector Fahmy Akbar Idries, UNU Jogja Rector for the 2022–2026 period Widya Priyahita, and several members of the university community. Strategic partners of UNU Jogja also contributed as donors, including Danone Indonesia, LazisNU PBNU, and Baznas DIY.

How to Keep Qurban Meat Fresh for Longer

During the qurban activities, Andra Tersiana, a lecturer in the Agricultural Product Technology Study Program under the Faculty of Halal Industry (FIH) at UNU Jogja, reminded the public that meat is a highly perishable livestock product. During Eid al-Adha, qurban meat received by households is often not consumed all at once.

Therefore, proper meat storage is essential to maintain its condition, protect it from spoilage, and ensure the availability of food in adequate quantity, variety, and quality.

“Meat contains a complete and balanced composition of nutrients, has high nutritional value, a high moisture content, and serves as an important source of protein. However, these characteristics also make meat susceptible to spoilage because microorganisms can easily grow, causing physical and chemical changes,” she explained.

Andra noted that low-temperature storage is one of the most effective ways to preserve meat quality. Meat should be placed in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator to keep it frozen.

He also shared several good storage practices, such as separating beef and goat meat to prevent cross-contamination and the transfer of goat meat odor, as well as storing meat separately from offal. Meat should ideally be divided into cooking portions to make thawing easier when needed.

“It is best to store meat in thick transparent plastic bags or airtight food containers, and to label them with codes and storage dates,” Andra said.

Properly stored meat should retain its fresh characteristic smell without any foul odor. Good-quality beef should have a red color, firm yellowish fat, and finely textured muscle fibers.

“In addition to keeping meat fresh, its shelf life can also be extended through processing. One example is making beef patties from minced meat, an activity previously conducted by the Agricultural Product Technology Program together with members of the PKK women’s group in Kauman Hamlet, Wijirejo Village, Bantul,” Andra concluded. [Arif]