About Halal Food

Islamic jurisprudence specifies which foods are halāl (lawful) and which are harām (unlawful). This is derived from commandments found in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, as well as the Hadith and Sunnah, libraries cataloguing things Prophet Mohammed is reported to have said and done. Extensions of these rulings are issued, as fatwas, by Mujtahids, with varying degrees of strictness, but they are not always widely held to be authoritative. According to the Quran, the only foods explicitly forbidden are meat from animals that die of themselves, blood, the meat of pigs, and animals dedicated to other than God, but a person is not guilty of sin in a situation where the lack of any alternative creates an undesired necessity to consume that which is otherwise unlawful. (Quran 2:173)

The wholesomeness concept of Halal food covers the lawful requirements of the Syariah law (law of Islam) and the requirements for good food, in terms of hygiene, sanitation and safety. To achieve the wholesomeness concept, both aspects need to be adhered to and implemented together. Failure in any of it will cripple the wholesomeness concept of Halal food. This concept is adopted in Malaysian Standard, MS 1500 Halal Food – Production, Preparation, Handling and Storage.

Shariah law is the fundamental guide in developing the Halal standard. The laws of Islam applicable are the Mazhab of Shafie and any other Mazhabs of Maliki, Hambali and Hanafi approved by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to be in force in the Federal Territory, or the Ruler of any State to be in force in the states, or any fatwa approved by the Islamic Authority.

The standard emphasises the sources of Halal food, which include animals (land and aquatic), plants, mushrooms, microorganisms, natural minerals, chemicals and drinks. The requirement on genetically modified food is also covered in this standard. Besides the requirements as laid out by Shariah law in determining the permitted sources of food, the standard also emphasises that the food is safe and not poisonous, intoxicating or hazardous to health. The standard also lay out is the slaughtering requirement for the poultry and ruminant animals.

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