According to the ruling issued on Saturday, it is in the public’s health interest to prohibit halal-certified items in Uttar Pradesh.
Products that have gotten the halal certification indicate that they appear to have complied with Islamic law and are fit for Muslim eating. Arabic for “halal” means “permissible,” as opposed to “haram.” With immediate effect, the UP government on Saturday outlawed the production, distribution, storage, and sale of food products bearing the halal certification.
Since there is no evidence of halal certification before to 1974, halal certification was first applied to slaughtered meat. Meat that has been obtained via an Islamic method is referred to as halal meat. Unlike the jhatka method of slaughtering an animal when the neck receives the blow, the animal must be killed through the throat, oesophagus, and jugular veins but not the spinal cord.
The halal certification was expanded to include other items in 1993.
Why are non-meat goods certified halal all over the world?
Recently, a sachet of tea premix that was halal-certified caused a commotion aboard a Vande Bharat train. A traveler wanted to know what a tea with a halal certification meant. The corporation clarified that other nations’ exports of that tea premix were the reason for the certification. The accreditation was intended for nations that practice Islam. Thus, halal is not just associated with meat; some cosmetics are certified halal to indicate that they are free of “haram” ingredients like alcohol and pig fat.
Who certifies something as halal?
Since there are no laws governing this matter in India, halal certificates are issued by private organizations recognized by the nations that import the goods. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority would be designated as the overarching monitoring agency for this purpose, according to a draft guideline on halal certification released by the commerce ministry earlier this year.
Exports of meat and meat products are restricted to those that are produced, processed, and packed in accordance with a valid certificate that has been duly awarded as “halal certified” by a certification agency accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), Quality Council of India,” the draft guidelines stated.
The two main halal certification agencies in the nation are Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Halal Trust and Halal India Pvt Ltd. An multinational network of certifying bodies with the responsibility of enforcing halal standards in their respective economies is known as the multinational Halal certifying Forum.
Pakistan, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia all have their own halal requirements.
Why is the UP government banning products with halal certification?
Products for export excluded the Uttar Pradesh government claimed that halal certifications for vegetarian goods like oil, soap, honey, and toothpaste—for which no such certification is required—indicate a purposeful criminal plot that targets a certain population and its goods. The prohibition is meant to avoid confusion and promote public health. Goods intended for export are excluded from the restriction.
According to the UP government’s verdict, food goods certified as halal are subject to a different system that violates Section 89 of the relevant Act, degrades the quality of the products, and is unenforceable.
The move was made in response to the government’s announcement that it had learned of the labeling of products bearing a halal certification, including dairy products, sugar, baked goods, peppermint oil, salty ready-to-eat beverages, and edible oils.
“There is no mention of halal certification or provision for labeling halal certification in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, or its associated rules government regulations pertaining to pharmaceuticals, equipment, and cosmetics. The aforementioned Act states that it is fraudulent to infer halal certification in any manner on the labels of prescription drugs, medical supplies, or cosmetics doing so is illegal.