A Beginner\’s Guide to Halal Products
The Halal system is something that the Muslims strictly adhere to. An Arabic word meaning acceptable or permissible, it designates any object or action that is deemed acceptable by Muslims. An action or object that is considered not halal is called haram, an Arabic term that literally means forbidden or sacred. The halal system also applies to their diet. Specific foods are considered acceptable for nourishment, while some are considered to be unacceptable. For Muslims, especially the devout ones, following what is halal is very important to them. This is the primary reason why halal products are introduced to the market.
By definition, a food is considered to be halal if it is considered permissible for consumption. Actually, this is pretty simple in theory as all foods that are not considered forbidden are all halal foods. Foods that are forbidden according to Islam laws are intoxicants including alcohol, dead animals (carrion), meat from animals that are not slaughtered according to Dhabihah, animals that are brutally murdered, and food that comes from swine (pork). It sure sounds simple, but in reality, how this is enforced is something that is more complicated than it sounds. It gets all the more confusing when the person is in a country wherein Islam is not part of the main religions. In addition, the processing of foods differs from product to product. This has led consumer groups to actually label food if it doesn\’t compromise the faith of Muslims.
Halal products are usually marked with a halal seal, a notification that signifies that the food served would not compromise the principles of their faith. This is pretty much very important to Muslims as they rely on these notifications to ensure that they are abiding their faith solidly. Nowadays, there are fast food chains that claim to be following the halal way. These companies include McDonald\’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut. In addition, there are meat shops that are picking up halal certifications to signify that they butcher their meat according to the way of the Dhabihah.
There are products that are known to contain (or at least potentially contain) haram materials. These products include gelatin (which potentially contains pork), vanilla (which contains alcohol), glycerin (which is potentially composed of animal fats), and vitamins (if they contain animal content). Recognizing the difficulty of these, consumer organizations have probed in the process of how it is made too. Then, if the process is deemed to pass Islamic standards, these products receive halal certification.
An important thing to take note is that food products that come from the Middle East may not necessarily be halal. It\’s still all about the process. However, there are laws that must be adhered regarding these branding systems. In most countries including in the United States, mislabeling foods, especially with regards to religious customs (such as halal and kosher) is penalized by law. To look at the bigger picture, the prevalence of halal products is a sign of progress with regards to the increasing respect of the world to religion diversity.
Are you looking for more information regarding Halal products? Visit http://www.ehalal.org today!
Are you looking for more information regarding Halal products? Visit http://www.ehalal.org today!
Author Bio: Are you looking for more information regarding Halal products? Visit http://www.ehalal.org today!
Category: Food and Drinks
Keywords: halal products,halal system,products receive halal