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Based on "General Guidelines for Use of the Term Halal" (CAC/GL
24-1997 1) issued by the Secretariat of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standard
Programme (1999), halal food is defined as food permitted under the Islamic
Law and should fulfil following conditions: |
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1. does not consist of or contain anything which is considered to be unlawful
according to Islarnic Law;
2. has not been prepared, processed, transported or stored using any appliance
or facility that was not free from anything unlawful according to Islamic
Law; and
3. has not in the course of preparation, processing, transportation or storage
been in direct contact with any food that fails to satisfy 1 and 2 above.
In addition, halal food can be prepared, processed or stored in different
sections or lines within the same premises where non-halal foods are produced,
provided that necessary measures are taken to prevent any contact between
halal and non-halal foods. Halal foods can also be prepared, processed,
transported or stored using facilities which have been previously used for
non-halal foods provided that proper cleaning procedures, according to Islamic
requirements, have been observed. |
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Criteria for Use of the Term "Halal"
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The guideline mentioned above points out that the term halal may be used
for foods which are considered lawful. Under the Islamic Law, all sources
of food are lawful except the following sources, including their products
and derivatives which are considered unlawful: |
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1. Food of animal origin
1.1 Pigs and boars.
1.2 Dogs, snakes and monkeys.
1.3 Carnivorous animals with
claws and fangs such as lions, tigers, bears and other similar animals.
1.4 Birds of prey with claws
such as eagles, vultures, and other similar birds.
1.5 Pests such as rats, centipedes,
scorpions and other similar animals.
1.6 Animals forbidden to be killed
in Islam, i.e., ants, bees and woodpecker birds.
1.7 Animals which are considered
repulsive generally like lice, flies, maggots and other similar animals.
1.8 Animals that live both on
land and in water such frogs, crocodiles and other similar animals.
1.9 Mules and domestic donkeys.
1.10. All poisonous and hazardous
aquatic animals.
1.11. Any other animals not slaughtered
according to Islamic Law.
1.12. Blood.
2. Food of plant origin. Intoxicating and hazardous plants except where
the toxin or hazard can be eliminated during processing.
3. Drink
3.1 Alcoholic drinks.
3.2 All forms of intoxicating
and hazardous drinks.
4. Food additives. All food additives derived from item 1, 2 and 3. |
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Islamic Law also regulates the slaughtering procedure of lawful animal.
This is explained by the guideline that all lawful land animals should
be slaughtered in compliance with the rules laid down in the Codex Recommended
Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh Meat (CAC/RCP 11, Rev. 1-1993) and
the following requirements:
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1. The person should be a Muslim who is mentally sound and knowledgeable
of the Islamic slaughtering procedures.
2. The animal to be slaughtered should be lawful according to Islamic Law.
3. The animal to be slaughtered should be alive or deemed to be alive at
the time of slaughtering.
4. The phrase "Bismillah" (In the Name of Allah) should be invoked
immediately before the slaughter of each animal.
5. The slaughtering device should be sharp and should not be lifted off
the animal during the slaughter act.
6. The slaughter act should sever the trachea, aoesophagus and main arteries
and veins of the neck region. |
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All food should be prepared, processed, packaged, transported and
stored in such a manner that it complies with halal definition mentioned
above. |
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Halal
Requirement
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Production of halal products requires certain
raw materials, additives, process, handling, and transportation to meet
the criteria of the term of halal as mentioned above. In addition, the industry
should have a good system in order to assure that the products meet this
requirement forever and no mistake can be made during the production period.
The system called Halal Assurance System (HAS) proposed by Apriyantono (2001)
can be adopted. This system consists of 5 components: |
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1. Standard of halal management and halal system. Halal management is
managing of all the function and activities necessary to determine and
achieve halal products. Halal system is defined as the organisational
structure, responsibilities, procedures, activities, capabilities and
resources that together aim to ensure that products, processes or service
will satisfy stated or implied aims, i.e., production of halal products.
2. Standard audit of halal system. Basically, standard audit of halal
system is conducted to:
2.1 Determine the conformity of
halal system elements with specified requirements.
2.2 Determine the effectiveness
of the implemented halal system in meeting specified objectives.
2.3 Verify that non-conformities
identified in a previous audit have been rectified as agreed.
3. Haram Analysis Critical Control Point (HrACCP). A system which could
point out the critical points where haram or najees (najasa) materials
may contaminate halal materials, as well as preventing haram materials
to be used for the production of halal foods. There are 6 elements which
go to make an HrACCP system:
3.1 Identify and assess all haram
and najees materials.
3.2 Identify the critical control
points.
3.3 Establish the monitoring procedures.
3.4 Establish corrective actions.
3.5 Establish a record-keeping system.
3.6 Establish verification procedures.
4. Halal guideline. This consists of general regulation of halal foods
and standards procedures of production of halal foods. In addition, specific
regulation and procedures may be added, for example, in the case of food
additive production.
5. Halal database. It consists of list of materials used for food production;
information of the source and preparation of each material is mentioned
in the list as well as its halal status and other important information.
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To ensure that the industry has met the halal requirements in producing
halal foods, especially those that would like to put a halal logo in its
packaging, the industry must ask help from a reliance and acceptable halal
certifying organisation. The halal certifying organisation will then audit
and certify its products, raw materials, additives, production facilities,
administration and management. Once the industry has got a halal certificate
for its products, it can be used as a formal basis for applying a halal
logo. This certificate can also be used to declare that the products are
halal and hence the products can be imported to Muslim countries or sold
to Muslim consumers. |
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