These days a new debate is going on in India regarding ‘Halal Certification’. The reason for this is a new order brought by the Yogi Adityanath government of Uttar Pradesh on November 18 in protest against this. The Uttar Pradesh state government has banned any such food certification with immediate effect. Now Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has also given a big statement regarding such certification.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that certification of food products should be done only by government agencies and it is not right to give certification by any non-government agency. To a question on the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to ban the production, storage, distribution and sale of food products with ‘Halal’ certification, Sitharaman said that such certification should be given by any organization other than government organizations. Is not right.
He said, “Food quality and testing of food is essentially a government function. The government should do this work. For this we have the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Sitharaman said that government agencies themselves should find out what kind of chemical additives, artificial or harmful colors are present in food products. (Government bodies) should have the authority to certify which food is of good quality for public consumption. It is not right for NGOs to do this.”
UP government had taken steps
This statement of Sitharaman has come in the context of an order of Uttar Pradesh government dated November 18. In this order, the production, storage, distribution and sale of food products without Halal certification has been banned with immediate effect. The state government in its statement said that “malicious efforts” have been made to discourage food products lacking Halal certification in the pursuit of “undue financial gain”.
What is ‘Halal Certification’?
Just as there are many ideas regarding vegetarian and non-vegetarian food in Hindu beliefs. Similarly, in Muslim religion also there are many opinions regarding food. One of these is ‘Halal’ and ‘Jhatka’. In Muslim religion, eating ‘Halal’ meat is allowed, but ‘Jhatka’ meat is prohibited. These two meats are determined by the way they are cut.
Therefore, if a company has to sell its food items in Muslim populated countries, then it takes ‘Halal certification’. ‘Halal certification’ is actually a guarantee that the food item has been produced in accordance with Muslim Sharia law. There is no adulteration of any kind in it and no animal or its by-product has been used in it, which is considered ‘haram’ in Islam.
