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Halal' is an Arabic word which means lawful or permissible. Any food or drink which falls under this category is permitted for Muslim consumption. Examples of Halal food include vegetables, spices and meat deriving from animals slaughtered in accordance with the Islamic Law. You may wish to visit our website www.halal.sg for more information.
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Halal' is an Arabic word which means lawful or permissible. Any food or drink which falls under this category is permitted for Muslim consumption. Examples of Halal food include vegetables, spices and meat deriving from animals slaughtered in accordance with the Islamic Law. Halal-certified means that the company has gone through a stringent process of desktop and site audits to ensure that they are indeed providing halal food. If a company is not halal-certified, it does not mean that they are also not halal. However, we would advise consumers to look out for the halal certificate for greater assurance, especially if the company is dealing with high risk items involving meat, poultry or their derivatives.
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'Halal-certified' refers to products which have been endorsed as Halal by a credible Islamic body (third-party certification).
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'Halal certification' is an award of endorsement given by a credible Islamic body to attest that a product/service is suitable for Muslim consumption/use.
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Outside food is generally not allowed into any eating establishment, including the Halal-certified ones. However, this is more of a company's policy rather than a MUIS halal requirement. Baby food and food for the aged are of course exceptions to this case. We also provide guidelines to the certified companies to ensure that the halal integrity is not compromised.
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In general, any stall can sell Halal food. However, if owners of the stalls want to claim, through verbal or written means, that they sell Halal food, they must obtain Halal certification and/or prior permission from Muis.
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In general, Halal certification is voluntary in Singapore. Owners of eating establishments, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, are advised to obtain Muis Halal certification as this provides an independent testimony and assurance that the food they serve are Halal. However, we do not penalise Muslim-owned companies should they make halal claims to their operations as it is their religious responsibility to ensure so.
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Guide dogs are the guiding eyes for people who cannot see. They are
carefully bred, raised and trained for the purpose of providing a safe means of
mobility for people who are visually impaired.
Halal-certified companies may follow the recommended practices provided
by Singapore Food Agency, the Ministry of Social and Family Development, and SG
Enable with regards to guide dogs:
(i) Within the food
establishment, the guide dog is required to be kept under proper control; (ii) The guide dog is restrained from straying or
causing annoyance or nuisance, or from damaging any property; and held in leash; (iii) The guide dog should
also not be fed within the food establishment unless it is a pet café.
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Islam has a clear set of principles and laws on the
consumption of food and beverages for Muslims. Foods such as unslaughtered meat, pork and their derivatives, and drinks that contain alcohol are prohibited.
With
the rapid advancements in food science, newer and more complex forms of foods
have emerged. These include plant-based products that are intended to replicate
the texture, smell and taste of meat. An example is mock pork, designed as a
substitute for pork.
To
ascertain if such products can be consumed by Muslims, two things need to be
considered: first is whether all its ingredients are permitted under Muslim
law; and second whether there are undesirable social consequences arising from
the consumption of such foods. In this case, it may cause
confusion for the Muslim public from the use of the name of a clearly
prohibited food item under Muslim law.
As such, we advise the Muslim community to not consume such
food until the considerations stated above have been looked into in a thorough
and holistic manner. We encourage Muslims to consume other varieties of Halal protein sources that are in abundance in Singapore.
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Enforcement |
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According to Section 88A(5) of the Administration of Muslim Law Act, any person who uses the Muis Halal certification mark without its approval shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or both.
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According to Section 88A(5) of the Administration of Muslim Law Act, any person who issues a Halal certificate in relation to any product, service or activity without Muis' approval shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or both.
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Displaying a photocopied Halal certificate is not permitted by Muis, even for Halal Certified premises. All Halal Certified premises are required to display the original copy of the certificate issued. If a copy of the Halal Certificate is required, a written request for certified true copies can be made from Muis' Halal Certification Strategic Unit Office. Should you come across such incident, do report it to our office. It would also be good if proof can be provided.
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Religious Rulings |
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It is a religious dietary requirement for Muslims to consume Halal food.
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The consumption of food is an individual responsibility. Muslims can opt for food that is not endorsed as Halal by any Islamic body as long as they are confident and can ensure that the food has been prepared according to the Islamic Law.
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It is a religious obligation for all Muslims to consume only food that is Halal. Muslims can consume food that is prepared and/or sold by non-Muslims as long as the ingredients and processes are Halal.
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Fresh vegetable in its natural form is Halal. However, when it comes into direct contact with pork, the vegetable becomes non-Halal.
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