New Delhi: Jamiat Ulama i Hind Halal Trust – a registered authority which issues Halal Certification to manufacturers, rejected the reports that Halal trade in any way is against the national interest of India, also asserting that the certification process is done as per the government’s set guidelines.
“Certain individuals are making false claims against Halal Certification directly undermine our national interests. Halal Trade stands as a significant $3.5 trillion industry, and India benefits from its promotion in exports and tourism, particularly with our crucial trade partners in the OIC countries and Southeast Asia”, Niaz Farooqui, CEO, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Halal Trust said.
“We adhere to government regulations, as emphasized in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry notification, requiring all Halal Certification bodies to be registered by NABCB (National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies under Quality Council of India), a milestone that Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind Halal Trust has achieved”, he added.
The Halal trust’s clarification came after Uttar Pradesh government mulled banning products with Halal tags – a move seen as another dice-throw by the BJP in India’s highly populated state to consolidate the Hindu vote bank ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
The UP government order says, “Halal Certification of food products is a parallel system which creates confusion regarding the quality of food items and is not tenable under Section 89 of the Food Law Food Safety and Standards Act.”
"The right to decide the quality of food items lies only with the authorities and institutions given in Section 29 of the said Act, who check the relevant standards as per the provisions of the Act", the UP government order added.
Farooqui rejected all these claims and said that by issuing Halal Certification the Jamiat Ulama i Hind Halal Trust is actually helping the Indian government and the exporters in turn strengthening the Indian economy.
“The global demand for Halal Certified products is robust, and it's imperative for Indian companies to obtain such Certification, a fact endorsed by our Ministry of Commerce, Government of India (refer to Ministry of Commerce Trade notification no. 25/2022-23). The Halal certification stands as a significant economic activity benefiting our nation”, Farooqui said.
“Collaborating closely with APEDA (Agricultural Products Exports Development Authority of India) and Indian embassies worldwide, we actively promote Indian Halal Certified products in global markets”, he added.
“If India needs to export, then we need to fulfill these mandatory requirements set by the importing countries. Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind Halal Trust’s Halal Certificates are globally recognized by different governments and authorities all across the world”, he said.
Jamiat Ulama i Hind Halal Trust is a member of World Halal Food Council and its Halal Certification is recognized by a number of countries including the authorities like Malaysia (JAKIM), Indonesia, Thailand (CICOT), Singapore (MUIS), South Korea (MFDS), Qatar (MoH), UAE (MOIAT, ESMA & EIAC), Saudi Arabia (SFDA), SASO (Saudi Arabia) and all GCC countries (GAC).
The Jamiat’s Halal Trust also refuted the UP government officials who reportedly claimed that “the Halal tag was being used to spread propaganda and exploit religious sentiment”.
“It is a matter of choice of individuals and manufacturers preferring to certain certifications for their own satisfaction based upon the credentials which the certifying authorities enjoy. It saves large number of consumers from using products which they do not want for a variety of reasons and ensures availability of need based products in the market”, the Jamiat’s Halal trust said.
“Those who do not want to use such products are free not to use them”, it said.
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