Rapid Fire
Halal Certification Controversy in Non-Meat Products
- 24 Jan 2025
- 2 min read
The Solicitor General, in response to a petition in the Supreme Court, opposed the practice of halal certification for non-meat products like cement, iron bars, wheat flour (atta), and gram flour (besan).
- The halal certification system is alleged to harm businesses not adhering to halal standards, with claims of fostering unfair competition.
- Companies accused of issuing forged halal certificates exploited religious sentiments to boost sales, fostering social animosity and violating public trust.
- About Halal: Halal is an Arabic word that loosely translates to permissible in English.
- The FAO defines Halal Food as that which is permitted under Islamic Law.
- A halal certification is a guarantee that the food is prepared, adhering to Islamic law, and is unadulterated.
- India lacks a national halal certification system, though efforts to streamline certification for meat products through the i-CAS (Indian Conformity Assessment Scheme) scheme are underway.
- i-CAS streamlines Halal certification for meat and meat products.
- Meat and its products can be exported as 'halal certified' only if produced, processed, and packaged in a facility with a valid certificate from an accredited body, as per DGFT guidelines.
- About Solicitor General: SG is the 2nd senior most law officer of the government after the Attorney General.
Read More: CLEA - Commonwealth Attorneys and Solicitors General Conference 2024
