When is a product "Halal"?

For fruit juice, gelatine is often used

The purification of juice with the help of gelatine is a problematic production process – even if it does not remain in the final product or just a low amount.

The islamic sources of law (Quran and Sunna) describe „Halal“ and „Haram“ and some others dietary rules more specific, without making a clear classification for „Halal“-products. If food can be categorized as „halal“ depends on several criterias, which are differently interpreted by islamic jurisconsults. There are no lists of foods that are valid for all Muslims and that are expressly considered "Halal".

No unified certifications

In the EU the term „Halal“ is food legally not protected. For „halal“-products there are no unified standards, which will be checked during a certification. Therefore a lot of several „halal“-seals exist, which are established by traditional or fabricator oriented certifiers.

For consumers is is seldom clear, how these differ or rather what criterias underlie. While some certifiers seal meat as „halal“ when a short-term electric anaesthesia or captive bolt gun was used, others take the the non anaesthetised „Schächtung“ as a basis.

A „halal“-certification is not only oriented on the ingredients or a specific kind of slaughter, but also checks the compliance of halal-regulations in the production process, e.g. the cleansing and maintenance of the installation with appropriate tools (without alcohol and inadmissable fats). Furthermore, important according to the ethic of the Quran is it whether animals originate from factory farming or if they had to suffer while being slaughtered.

This way even meat of allowed animals can be „haram“, when the animals were not held, fed and slaughtered halal-conform.

Slaughtering prohibited

The „Schächten“ (slaughtering without anaesthetization) of animals is basically forbidden in Germany – an exemption is only given under strict conditions. Therefore halal-salughtering is made almost only with anaesthetization.

The import of animals, that were slaughterd („geschächtet“) is permitted – there is no EU-wide regulation. Meat of animals killed in the tradition of „Schächtung“ need not to be marked.

Ask the producer!

Common questions are questions about the production, food additives or ingredients like alcohol or gelatine, for example:

• Is the emulsifier „mono- and diglycerides from fatty acids“ suitable for muslims?
• What juices are not treated with porcine gelatin?
• What food additives (flavours, colourings etc.) are made with the help of alcohol?

In most cases it is only possible to speculate here, for example with emulsifiers, which are rather made out of vegetable fats, because these are cheaper to buy on the world market.

In the end, if further information is desired, we can only refer you to the respective producer. Muslims buy their „halal“-meat preferably at ethnic supermarkets, on regional slaughterhouses or directly at the farmer.