Government of India notifies guidelines for halal certification of meat products: What it means, what the guidelines say and what Hindu orgs are saying

On April 6, the Commerce Ministry, Government of India, notified guidelines for halal certification of meat and meat products specifically for export purposes. It read, “Meat and meat products shall be allowed to be exported as ‘halal certified’, only if produced, processed and/or packaged in a facility having a valid certification under the i-CAS of the Quality Council of India, issued by a certification body duly accredited by the NABCB as per the guidelines issued/amended from time to time.” Products covered under the notification Meat and meat products like the meat of bovine animals, fish, the meat of sheep and goats, sausages and other similar products are covered under the notification. Halal Food Halal food means food and drink and/or their ingredients permitted under the Shariah law and that fulfil the following conditions: a) does not contain any parts or products of animals that are non-halal by Shariah law or any parts or products of animals which are not slaughtered according to Shariah law; b) does not contain najs according to Shariah law; c) safe for consumption, non-poisonous, non-intoxicating or non-hazardous to health; d) not prepared, processed or manufactured using equipment contaminated with najs according to Shariah law; e) does not contain any human parts or its derivatives that are not permitted by Shariah law; f) during its preparation, processing, handling, packaging, storage and distribution, the food is physically separated from any other food that does not meet the requirements stated in items a), b), c), d) or e) or any other things that have been decreed as najs by Shariah law. The organisation pointed out how food chains like Mc Donalds, KFC, Burger King, and Pizza Hut have “proudly” announced they only serve Halal meat and meat products on their outlets.