Tighter rules needed on Halal certification

Calls are being made for tighter restrictions on the certification of Halal food in the UK amid claims the market is rife with “unscrupulous” certifiers.

According to Khalid Sharif, md of Halal confectionery manufacturer Ummah Foods, there are currently at least 20 known Halal certification bodies in the UK, and many more un-known individuals who carry out certification.

“There are no rules or restrictions in place when it comes to setting up as a certification body,” said Sharif. “Nobody can agree on what the Halal standard should be.”

Sharif claimed this was confusing for manufacturers looking to tap into the Halal market, making the task more difficult than it ought to be.

While it might not be practical to only have one certification body, due to the differing views on what is considered Halal among different communities, Sharif felt some regulation of the area was needed. “Something like a trading standards body [is needed] so at least if you go to a certification body you know what they have to adhere to.”

Dr Yunes Teinaz, acting head of environmental health at the London borough of Hackney and advisor to the London Centre Mosque Trust and Islamic Cultural Centre, was also deeply concerned about the situation.

“There are many unscrupulous certification bodies and individuals out there who are just doing it for financial gain,” he claimed. “They have no system in place to monitor the manufacturing or slaughtering procedure.”

Teinaz said the market was full of “imitation meat” incorrectly sold as Halal, as well as “meat not fit for human consumption”. He called for more regulation of the system and a unified definition of what is Halal.

“At the moment even the local authorities are confused [about what is Halal] if they come to make a prosecution,” he said.

Khalid Sharif will speak on the subject at the World Food Market​ in London on November 29-30.