Summary
Highlights
The training aims to help participants understand the total Halal application concept, achieve business objectives, and comply with Islamic dietary law. It will differentiate between Halal and non-Halal, refresh basic requirements for high service standards, and train competent personnel for Halal assurance. The course covers food production, food handler roles, ingredient use, contract management, and staff ethics.
The speaker addresses fundamental questions about Halal: 'Why' is it important, 'How' to implement it, and 'What' it entails. Halal is a divine command for Muslims, emphasizing quality, safety, hygiene, cleanliness, and wholesomeness. It promotes the well-being of all mankind, irrespective of faith, and offers increased market acceptance for food producers.
Halal means permitted or lawful. Haram means forbidden or unlawful. Shubaha refers to something doubtful or questionable. If the origin of a food item is uncertain or its Halal status is in doubt, it is considered Shubaha. Examples of doubtful ingredients include gelatin without Halal certification, emulsifiers with vague descriptions like E471, rennet, animal fat, and certain artificial flavorings.
Najis refers to anything considered filthy, impure, or unclean. Examples include vomit, urine, excrement, and intoxicants like alcohol. Halal food must not be contaminated by Najis. The speaker strongly emphasizes strict hygiene practices, such as handwashing and wearing gloves, to prevent contamination. Blood, even from a Halal animal, is considered Najis and is not permissible for consumption.
Halal ensures compliance from the source (farm) to consumption (fork). This includes raw material sourcing (animals, plants, minerals), ethical slaughtering of land animals, proper processing, handling, cooking, packaging, storage, and transportation. Strict adherence to food safety and hygiene protocols is required at every stage, including water sanitization for plants and workflow adherence in factories.
Food items are categorized into animals (land and aquatic), plants, and minerals/beverages. For land animals, Halal certification requires adherence to specific slaughtering processes by a Muslim, use of a sharp knife, and the animal being alive and healthy. Aquatic animals are generally Halal if they live in water, are not poisonous, and are not amphibians. Plants and natural minerals/chemicals are Halal unless they are poisonous, intoxicating, or hazardous.
Forbidden animals include pigs, dogs, animals with long pointed teeth (tigers, lions), birds of prey (eagles, owls), pests, poisonous animals (cockroaches, rats, snakes), and animals forbidden to be killed in Islam (e.g., bees). Animals intentionally and continuously fed with Najis (e.g., cows fed beer for Kobe beef, fish fed pork fat) are also not Halal. Amphibious animals like crocodiles, turtles, and frogs are not Halal.
Halal slaughtering requires a Muslim executioner, a Halal animal, a sharp knife, the animal being alive and healthy, and the cutting of the trachea, esophagus, carotid arteries, and jugular veins to ensure complete bleeding. Non-Halal slaughtering methods, such as stunning or collecting blood, are forbidden.
Halal premises, including food factories and caterers, must be effectively separated from non-Halal areas (e.g., animal farms by at least 10 km) to prevent cross-contamination. Proper facilities for cleaning, sanitation, and pest control are mandatory. Personal hygiene of staff, including wearing protective gear, is crucial. Hand sanitizers with alcohol content are permissible for external use, despite alcohol being Najis as an intoxicant, because it's for hygiene, not consumption.
Devices, utensils, machines, and processing aids used for Halal food must be designed for easy cleaning, not contain Najis materials, and be exclusively used for Halal products. The entire process, from receiving raw materials to final delivery, must maintain physical separation of Halal and non-Halal items to prevent cross-contamination. Critical Control Points (CCPs) are implemented to ensure food safety and quality, maintaining specific temperatures for chilling and freezing.
Foods and drinks containing products or by-products of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), or ingredients derived from non-Halal animals, are not Halal if the genetic material is from a non-Halal source (e.g., porcine). Manufacturers must declare the use of GMOs on labels, as consumers have the right to know.
Halal food must be stored, transported, displayed, sold, and served in a segregated manner, clearly labeled as Halal, to prevent mixing or contamination with non-Halal items. Packaging materials must be Halal, non-toxic, and free from Najis, processed using uncontaminated equipment. Labels, signs, symbols, logos, names, and pictures must not be misleading or contradict Islamic law (e.g., calling non-alcoholic beer 'Halal beer' is confusing). For primary meat products, labels must include slaughter and processing dates and reference numbers for traceability. Halal certificates for frozen meat typically have a 24-month validity, sometimes 36 months in certain regions like the UAE, with annual audits.
The speaker greets the audience and introduces the Halal awareness program. He mentions that the training was conducted two years prior in 2019 and aims to strengthen organizations, generate new business opportunities, increase revenue, and provide Halal knowledge to industry players and certified auditors.