Halal wholesale products for foodservice

Halal foods are food products prepared according to Islamic dietary guidelines under Shari’a Law. This typically concerns fresh meat and poultry products like lamb, turkey, chicken and beef. However, any food containing animal products needs to be scrutinised.

Halal foods must be free from forbidden (haram) substances like pork, blood and alcohol. For example, marshmallows using pork gelatine are not halal, but our Mallows Without Limits are both vegan and halal. Likewise, vegetarian and vegan products should not automatically be considered halal because they may contain alcohol.

Halal food is prepared according to strict rules which aim to ensure the cleanliness and purity of food products. 

Meat requires dhabiha slaughter; this denotes a Muslim using a sharp blade for a swift, humane cut to the throat to drain blood, while reciting a prayer that invokes the name of Allah. 

There are several conditions that affect the legitimacy of the final product, including that:

• The animal must be healthy at the time of the slaughter

• The animal must be treated humanely and well-fed

• After the slaughter, the meat must be stored separately from non-halal products to avoid contamination.

Halal food is, first and foremost, considered halal if it uses permissible ingredients and avoids forbidden ingredients. Meat products must be slaughtered, processed, stored and transported in accordance with strict regulations.

When it comes to commercial food production, however, simply stating that your products are halal isn’t enough – you need to become officially certified by a halal regulatory body in the UK (such as the HFA, or Halal Food Authority) in order to say that you produce halal food. They will audit your entire supply chain to verify compliance with the law.

Certified halal food will have an official symbol on the packaging, and the logo will be representative of whichever regulatory body approved the product. It's worth knowing that you can contact this organisation directly to trace and confirm the authenticity of the product.

If there isn't a symbol and the ingredients label is unclear — perhaps because various enzymes, emulsifiers and additives are listed — halal consumers are advised to avoid that product because of mushbooh (doubtful or unclear) ingredients. This is why clear labelling is imperative.