Tuesday, March 19, 2019

The Strict Rules Applicable To Halal Certified Meals

By Brian King


The daily lives of Muslims are strictly regulated by the many laws and rules contained in the Islamic Law. Every aspect of life is affected. There are also very strict rules regarding the packaging, manufacturing and preparations of food. For Muslims, these rules are important because to them, food is not just fuel for the body. It also has a profound effect on the morals and spirit of the individual. This is the main reason why Muslims make sure that they only consume Halal certified meals.

Halaal certification is granted by a local Halaal Council. Such councils exist wherever sizable groups of Muslims live and work. Certification is not easily granted and the application process is protracted. The council needs to be sure that the applicant is following every rule in the manufacturing, preparation and packaging of food. Even then certification is granted only on a year to year basis.

There are certain types of food not allowed at all. Pork, in any form, is one of them. Alcohol is completely taboo, even if it is an ingredient in medication. Even derivatives and extracts used in cooking must be sourced from approved Muslim abattoirs where there are always Muslim inspectors present. The entire slaughtering process is strictly controlled throughout and extremely high standards of hygiene are maintained

It is not only the ingredients used in preparing Halaal food that is controlled by Islamic Law. They way in which it is packaged and prepared are also subjected to strict rules. Utensils and tools that have been used for the reparation of non Halaal food may never be used. Containers and utensils used for Halaal food must even be cleaned and stored separately. No cross contamination of food or utensils is allowed.

Surprisingly, applicants for Halaal certification do not have to be Muslims, nor do they have to employ Muslims. As long as they are able and equipped to adhere to the strict rules contained in the Islamic Law, they can qualify for certification. They are not restricted to the preparation or manufacturing of Halaal food only, but they must have measure in place to make sure that no cross contamination occurs.

The fact that only ingredients of the highest quality is used in the preparation of Halaal food and the fact that all the processes related to the food are conducted under extremely high hygienic standards have attracted a lot of non Muslims to Halaal food. Apart from the high standards maintained, non Muslims also like the fact that this food is generally healthier and tastier.

The market for Halaal food is very lucrative and it is only to be expected that there are many unscrupulous operators that try to pass their products off as Halaal approved. They use ambiguous terms such as Halaal friendly on their packaging to try and fool consumers. If the official logo of the Halaal Council is not displayed, then the food is not approved.

There can be no doubt that Halaal food is healthy, tasty and at all times handled in hygienic conditions. Sadly, this is not the case with all other types of food consumed by so many millions of people every day. Muslims certainly do not think that the rules governing their eating habits are restrictive.




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