Ban on sale of Halal certified products in Uttar Pradesh

Ban on sale of Halal certified products in Uttar Pradesh

(UPPSC Main Exam: Uttar Pradesh General Studies Question Paper-V&VI)

December 01, 2023

Why in News:

Recently, the Uttar Pradesh government has completely banned Halal certification on any product in the state.

  • Apart from food items, this ban has also been imposed on medicines.

Key points:

  • Following the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department of Uttar Pradesh Government has issued an order in this regard on November 18, 2023.
  • Under this order, instructions have been given to all food and drug inspectors for continuous monitoring.
  • There will be a complete ban on manufacturing, storage, distribution and sale of food products as well as pharmaceutical products.
  • However, products sent abroad are kept free from any kind of restriction.
  • It is noteworthy that Halal certificate has been issued on meat and its products exported abroad.
  • Currently, Halal certified products include oils, soaps, ghee and medicines.

Causes of Ban:

  • This step has been taken by Uttar Pradesh against a company and some other organizations – Halal India Private Limited Chennai, Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Halal Trust Delhi, Halal Council of India Mumbai, Jamiat Ulama Maharashtr who have allegedly hurt the religious sentiments of the people in the state by providing "fake" Halal certificates to some product companies for financial gain.
  • In the context of this matter, the Uttar Pradesh government has said in one of its orders that Halal certification of food products is a parallel system which creates confusion about the quality of food items and this food law is not acceptable under Section 89 of the Food Safety and Standards Act.
  • The Uttar Pradesh government has taken this step with the aim of preventing social hostility and religious fanaticism and promoting public trust.
  • It is noteworthy that Halal certified products are completely banned in Uttar Pradesh under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
  • However, the government has not banned all products that are manufactured for export.

UP Government Guidelines for Halal Marketing Products:

  • No food products and medicines will be accepted in the state without Halal certification. If any product is found not to have Halal certification, action will be taken against the concerned manufacturer. Manufacturing, storage, distribution as well as sale have been completely banned.
  • If any exporter operating in the state manufactures his food products or medicines for countries where only food products with Halal certification are accepted, he will be exempted. It will be able to manufacture, store and distribute products meant for other countries.
  • There is no provision for Halal certification in state regulations. Only quality, packing, labeling should be right.
  • After the new order, if anyone prepares or stores and distributes medicines, cosmetics and food items without Halal certification, then action will be taken against him under the Act 1940 and related rules.
  • Under this, the punishment can be imprisonment of three years, fine of one lakh rupees and under Rule 18A, imprisonment of six years or fine of Rs 25,000.

What is Halal-Certified:

  • Halal in Arabic means permitted and halal-certified refers to food prepared in compliance with Islamic law. Halal meat is meat from an animal that has been killed by cutting the jugular vein.
  • Halal certification guarantees that the food has been prepared in accordance with Islamic law and is completely free from adulteration.
  • If a product contains any animal or animal by-product that is prohibited under law, then that product cannot be given Halal certificate.

Halal-certified organizations:

  • Major Halal certified organizations in India include Halal India Private Limited and Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Halal Trust.
  • It is worth noting that Halal certification is recognized globally and is especially important in Muslim-majority countries.
  • The International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF) is an international network of accreditation bodies mandated to implement halal standards in their economies.

Conclusion:

  • Halal India certified restaurant/product/company can be easily tracked by logging into the website www.halalindiarestaurant.com with the help of Halal certificate number mentioned on the top of the manufactured product. Apart from this, Halal certified organizations should issue advisories to ensure that the health of consumers remains happy and the social environment remains safe.

Source: The Hindu

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Mains Exam Question

What are Halal-certified products? Review the restrictions imposed by the UP government on Halal-certified products.