الأحد، 24 مارس 2019

The Strict Rules Applicable To Halal Certified Meals

By Brian King


The Islamic Law is central to the daily lives of all Muslims. This law regulates all aspects of life, not just the religious side of it. Among other things, it contains very strict rules related to what Muslims may eat and drink and even how their food must be prepared. This is because food is much more than mere nourishment to Muslims. They believe that food also has an influence on their spirits and even their moral character. This is why they strictly stick to Halal certified meals.

Halaal certification is handled by Halaal Councils. They do not grant certification easily and go to great lengths to make sure that applicants comply with all the requirements applicable to Halaal food. Certification is a lengthy process and certification is only granted for one year at a time. Infringements of any rule will certainly lead to the immediate cancellation of the Halaal certification.

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

The ingredients used in Halaal food are not the only aspect of food consumption subjected to strict rules. When Halaal food is prepared or manufactured, separate tools, utensils and containers must be used at all time. These tools and utensils need to be cleaned and stored separately as well. Any food that has been tainted in any way must be thrown away.

It is not necessary to be a Muslim to apply for Halaal certification. Anyone that strictly adheres to the rules contained in the Islamic Law may apply. Applicants do not have to concentrate solely on the manufacture, packaging or preparation of Halaal food either, but great care must be taken to avoid cross contamination. Halaal Councils prefer the presence of Muslims when food is prepared, but this is not a strict requirement.

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 is no downside to the consumption of Halaal food. It is healthy and the standards maintained during preparation and manufacturing are extremely high. For Muslims, adherence to the rules related to food is an integral and important part of their spiritual lives.




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