Sikhs eat any type of food.

Some Sikhs eat meat and some eat only vegetarian food (which usually excludes eggs)

The first Sikh Guru said in the Sikh Holy Book (Sri Guru Granth Sahibji):First Mehl:

The fools argue about flesh and meat, but they know nothing about meditation and spiritual wisdom.

What is called meat, and what is called green vegetables? What leads to sin?

It was the habit of the gods to kill the rhinoceros, and make a feast of the burnt offering.

Those who renounce meat, and hold their noses when sitting near it, devour men at night.

They practice hypocrisy, and make a show before other people, but they do not understand anything about meditation or spiritual wisdom.

O Nanak, what can be said to the blind people? They cannot answer, or even understand what is said.

They alone are blind, who act blindly. They have no eyes in their hearts.

They are produced from the blood of their mothers and fathers, but they do not eat fish or meat.

Leading Sikh intellectuals ruled on this issue in the 1920s-as some Sikh sects attempted to get all Sikhs to be vegetarian-and came up with the following rule or code of conduct for baptised Sikhs with regards to meat and vegetarianism:Sikh Rehat Maryada- In the Rehat Maryada, section six, it states:

The undermentioned four transgressions (tabooed practices) must be avoided:

Dishonouring the hair
Eating the meat of an animal slaughtered the Muslim way (Kutha)
Cohabiting with a person other than one's spouse
Using tobacco.

The Rehat Maryada ( The Official Sikh Code of Conduct) states that Sikhs are bound to avoid meat that is killed in a ritualistic manner[28] e.g. Halal, Kosher, etc.[29][30]

There are groups such as the Akhand Kirtani Jatha that dispute the meaning of the word "kuttha", claiming it means all meat, however, in mainstream Sikhism this word has been accepted to mean, as that which is sacrificed.

Once a Sikh is baptised he is not allowed to eat Kuttha Meat (ritually slaughtered meat). Kutha (Kuttha) meat is defined as "meat of animal or fowl slaughtered slowly as prescribed by Islamic law." [1]. It has been more broadly defined as "killing an animal with a prayer" [2] or "a sacrifice to God" [2]. Baptised Sikhs cannot eat vegetarian food that has been ritually prepared or offered to God/Godesses.

- ^ Punjabi-English Dictionary, Punjabi University, Dept. of Punjabi Lexicography, ISBN 8173800952; Hardcover; 2002-10-01
- ^ H. S. Singha & Satwant Kaur Hemkunt (1994) (Limited preview digitized online by Google books). Sikhism, A Complete Introduction. New Delhi: Hemkunt Press. ISBN 81-7010-245-6. http://books.google.ca/books?id=5_SirMuPr54C&lpg=PA50&dq=Sikhism%2C%20A%20Complete%20Introduction&client=firefox-a&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=&f=true. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
^ a b cd Sikhs and Sikhism, Dr. I.J.Singh, Manohar Publishers ISBN 8173040583

^ Sandeep Singh Brar. "Misconceptions About Eating Meat - Comments of Sikh Scholars". Sikhs.org. http://www.sikhs.org/meat_au.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
^ "Faithandfood Fact Files - Sikhism". Faithandfood.com. http://www.faithandfood.com/Sikhism.php. Retrieved 2009-08-09.

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