A halal claim on a food label should not be used to suggest that halal foods are nutritionally superior to, or healthier than, other foods, according to the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s General Guidelines for Use of the Term Halal. The guidelines and Singapore’s Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) both set out what may be eaten and how food is handled, and Codex adds rules on how animals are slaughtered.
MUIS defines Halal as an Arabic word meaning lawful or allowable, and says most food and drinks are Halal unless the Quran and Hadith state clearly that they are forbidden. The Codex guidelines, an advisory text, set out which sources of food are unlawful under Islamic Law and how lawful animals should be slaughtered.
What does halal mean in food?
MUIS starts from permission. Any food or drink that is Halal is permitted for consumption, according to MUIS, which describes the Quran as the holy book of Islam and the Hadith as the prophetic sayings.
The Codex text, CAC/GL 24-1997, defines Halal Food as food permitted under Islamic Law that contains nothing unlawful under Islamic Law, has not been prepared, processed, transported or stored with any appliance or facility that was not free from anything unlawful, and has not been in direct contact with food that fails either of those conditions.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted these guidelines at its 22nd Session in 1997 and sent them to all Member Nations and Associate Members of FAO and WHO as an advisory text, leaving individual governments to decide what use to make of them.
Which foods are forbidden in a halal diet?
MUIS gives Singapore’s consumers a memory aid, ABCDIS, for the food and drink it classes as Non-Halal, the category traditionally known as Haram and defined by MUIS as unlawful or unallowable. The six letters stand for:
- Amphibians, such as frogs and toads
- Blood, and Birds of prey with sharp claws, such as eagles, falcons and vultures
- Carnivores, such as tigers, lions, cats and crocodiles
- Dead meat or carrion, meaning animals not slaughtered according to Islamic requirements
- Intoxicants, such as alcoholic beverages and drug abuse
- Swine, such as pork and lard
The Codex guidelines say that under Islamic Law all sources of food are lawful except a listed set, together with their products and derivatives. Among the sources Codex lists as unlawful are pigs and boars; dogs, snakes and monkeys; carnivorous animals with claws and fangs; birds of prey with claws; animals that live both on land and in water, such as frogs and crocodiles; mules and domestic donkeys; any other animals not slaughtered according to Islamic Law; and blood.
Codex extends the list beyond meat. Its unlawful sources include intoxicating and hazardous plants, unless the toxin or hazard can be eliminated during processing, alcoholic drinks and all forms of intoxicating and hazardous drinks, and every food additive derived from those unlawful animal, plant and drink sources.
How must animals be slaughtered for halal meat?
For lawful land animals, the Codex guidelines set out six conditions. Codex says the person slaughtering should be a Muslim who is mentally sound and knows the Islamic slaughtering procedures. The animal, according to Codex, should be lawful under Islamic law and alive, or deemed to be alive, at the time of slaughter.
Codex says the phrase “Bismillah” (In the Name of Allah) should be invoked immediately before each animal is slaughtered. Under the same guidelines, the device should be sharp and should not be lifted off the animal during the act, and the slaughter act should sever the trachea, oesophagus and main arteries and veins of the neck region. Codex also says slaughter should comply with its Recommended Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh Meat.
Codex accepts that there may be minor differences of opinion between the Islamic Schools of Thought on lawful and unlawful animals and on the slaughter act, and says its guidelines are therefore subject to the interpretation of the appropriate authorities of importing countries.
What does MUIS say about processed food?
MUIS says a processed food is halal if it meets four conditions. It contains no components of animals that are non-Halal by Shariah Law or not slaughtered according to it. It contains nothing non-halal in large or small quantities. It is made with equipment and facilities free from cross-mixing with non-halal substances. And it is fully separated from non-compliant food during preparation, processing, storage or transportation.
Islam places much emphasis on hygiene, according to MUIS, covering personal hygiene, clothing, equipment and working premises, with the objective that the food produced is hygienic and not hazardous to health.
Can halal food share a factory with non-halal food?
The Codex guidelines allow it, with conditions. Codex says halal food can be prepared, processed or stored in different sections or lines of premises that also produce non-halal food, provided contact between them is prevented. Codex also allows facilities previously used for non-halal food to be used, provided proper cleaning according to Islamic requirements has been observed.
What happens when an ingredient is unclear?
Not every ingredient sorts neatly. MUIS classes food or drink in the grey area as Syubhah, meaning questionable or dubious, and uses lecithin as its example: MUIS considers lecithin Halal when it comes from plants and non-Halal when it comes from pigs or from animals not slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law. Until the status becomes clear, MUIS says, Muslims should avoid Syubhah food or drinks.
How can shoppers and diners check?
Codex says that when a food is claimed to be halal, the word halal or equivalent terms should appear on the label. For diners in Singapore, MUIS provides a search of Halal-certified eating establishments and food preparation areas.
For more on the scriptural basis, see what the Quran and Hadith say about halal food. The MUIS guidance is published on its Halal page for consumers, and the Codex text is hosted by the FAO.
Related reading: How Is Halal Meat Processed Differently From Non-Halal Meat? | What is the Difference between Halal and Tayyib?
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