Friday, 4 January 2019

Halal Meals Ready To Eat Have To Be Officially Certified

By Anthony Cole


Muslims live their lives according to the dictates of the Islamic Laws. These laws cover every conceivable aspect of the day to day lives of all Muslims. The laws governing the manufacturing of foodstuffs, the preparation of food and the ingredients used in these processes are particularly strict. This is because Muslims believe that food not only has an effect upon the body of an individual, but also on his spirituality and even his morals. This is why all halal meals ready to eat are subject to strict rules.

Halaal certification is vital for any manufacturer of foodstuffs, restaurant or retailer that wishes to sell their products to the Muslim community. Essentially halaal certification means that the Halaal Council is satisfied that the applicant complies with each and every rule. The issue of certifications is not done before a thorough investigation is conducted and once it is granted, it has to be renewed every year.

Not all foodstuffs are allowed. Pork products and alcohol in any form is strictly forbidden. Even medication that contains miniscule quantities of alcohol may not be used. Some types of food may never be consumed together during a meal. Extracts and other derivatives have to be obtained from specially monitored and licenced abattoirs. The entire processing system at these abattoirs is closely monitored by qualified Muslim overseers.

It is not just the ingredients used and their origins that are scrutinized before halaal certification can be obtained. The process whereby the food is prepared is also subject to many rules. Only utensils, cookware and containers that have never been used for the preparation of non halaal food can be used and these must be cleaned and stored separately from any other utensils and tools.

Interestingly, it is not only Muslim owned businesses and Muslim individuals that are allowed to apply for halaal certification. Anyone that complies with the rules of the Islamic Law is eligible. Applicants are also not prohibited from selling non halaal food. Applicants find it easier to obtain certification, however, if they have at least two Muslims overseeing the preparation, manufacturing and packaging of halaal foodstuffs.

It is certainly not exclusively Muslims that buy and consume halaal food. People from all walks of life prefer these products. They find them to have superior flavor and they know that only the best ingredients are used in the preparation of food. They also know that the highest possible standards of hygiene are maintained at all times. For health conscious consumers, these are very important matters.

The market for halaal foods is a lucrative one and many unscrupulous operators that are not halaal certified try to pass off their products as the real thing. If a product or meal is marked as halaal friendly or if it does not boast the official logo of the Halaal Council, then it is probably not halaal. These days it is also easy to use the internet to check whether a specific restaurant, manufacturer or retailer is halaal certified.

The rules governing the preparation of halaal food may be strict, but they are sensible. Halaal products are invariably of high quality and the standards by which it is prepared are very high. Devout Muslims and many other people will certainly not touch any non halaal food.




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