Monday, May 20, 2019

The Difference Between Halal Certified Meals And Other Food

By Nancy Hill


Muslims are expected to lead disciplined lives. Almost every aspect of daily life is prescribed by the rules contained in the Islamic Law. This comprehensive directive also contains numerous rules related to the manufacturing, packaging and preparation of the food that Muslims eat. Food is, in fact, important to those of the Muslim faith. It is not just fuel for the body but food also has an influence on the spiritual life and the moral character of each individual. Subsequently, Halal certified meals are important to all Muslims.

Food outlets, manufacturers, distributors and restaurants that want to cater to the Muslim market must apply for Halaal certification. Applications in this regard are made to a local Halaal Council. These councils are by no means mere rubber stamping authorities. Applications are carefully evaluated and great care is taken to make sure that the applicant adheres to all the rules pertaining to certification.

Some kinds of food are completely forbidden to all Muslims. They may not eat pork in any form. The derivatives and extracts used in the cooking process must be sourced from a specially approve abattoir where Muslim assessors evaluates each and every step of the slaughtering process. Alcohol is also strictly taboo and may never be used, even if it is used in medication.

It is not just the type of food that is strictly regulated. The manufacturing, packaging and preparation of food are also subject to many rules. There may never be any cross contamination between Halaal food and other types of food. Halaal food must be prepared in dedicated cookware and dedicated cooking utensils have to be used. These utensils must even be cleaned and stored away from those used for preparing other food.

The rules pertaining to Halaal certification do not specify that only Muslims are allowed to apply. Anyone that is able and willing to strictly follow the rules of the Islamic Law may apply. Applicants do not have to restrict themselves to the supply of Halaal food either but they have to make sure that there is never any cross contamination. It is not necessary to use only Muslims to work with the Halaal food.

Muslims are most certainly not the only ones that prefer to eat Halaal food. Millions of people do so because they believe that Halaal food is healthier and tastier. They like the fact that this food is prepared under such strict conditions and that very high standards of cleanliness are maintained at all times. They also like the fact that only top quality ingredients are used.

This is a lucrative market and it is therefore not surprising that there are many unscrupulous operators that try to fool consumers into believing that their products are Halaal. They use Muslim symbols on their packaging but consumers should look out for the official Halaal Council logo. There are also websites that list all suppliers, restaurants and outlets that are officially sanctioned to prepare and sell Halaal food.

There are those that think that Halaal food is subjected to religious rites and that it would be wrong for non Muslims to eat it. This is certainly not the case. Halaal food is simply subjected to very high hygienic standards. This is unfortunately not true of much of the other types of food millions of people consume every day.




About the Author: