According to Section 88A(5) of the Administration of Muslim Law Act, any person who uses the Muis Halal certification mark without its approval shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or both.

Halal' is an Arabic word which means lawful or permissible. Any food or drink which falls under this category is permitted for Muslim consumption. Examples of Halal food include vegetables, spices and meat deriving from animals slaughtered in accordance with the Islamic Law.

Halal-certified means that the company has gone through a stringent process of desktop and site audits to ensure that they are indeed providing halal food. If a company is not halal-certified, it does not mean that they are also not halal.

However, we would advise consumers to look out for the halal certificate for greater assurance, especially if the company is dealing with high risk items involving meat, poultry or their derivatives.

Muis Fatwa Committee states that;

1) Even though the products contain low alcohol content (less than 0.5%) and/or have zero alcohol content and/or have its alcohol removed, the process of manufacturing the products is similar to the manufacturing of alcohol (khamr1). Thus, it is Haram even though the small amount of alcohol in the products does not cause an individual to be intoxicated.

2) The products are being marketed in a manner that is similar to alcoholic beverages. Islam forbids an event that has resemblance or events that can lead to Haram activities, even though, in its’ natural state, is permissible. This is aligned with a principle in the Sharia’ known as sad al-zari’ah2.

Thus, products that meet the first or second criteria or meet both criteria are considered non-halal for Muslims consumption.

1 kahmr – An intoxicating drink containing ethanol & other components such as methanol, acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate which is produced by fermentation of carbohydrates or drinks containing ethanol and/or methanol as ingredient.

2 Sadd al-dhara’i‘means, literally, "blocking the means", i.e. to undesirable ends, in other words, forbidding what is likely to lead to the haram. The basis of this principle is contained in the Qur'an where Allah says: "Do not swear at those who call on other gods than Allah, so that they will then swear at Allah in enmity, without any knowledge. …." (Q.6:108). Allah has thus made it haram to swear at the gods of others, to avoid them cursing back at Allah. Another example usually highlighted by our past scholars like Imam An-Nawawi, is the issue of accepting and giving gifts for officials. Even though the act of giving a gift itself in essence is virtuous, hence permissible, scholars clearly discouraged those holding on to official posts to accept gifts from the public, as it could be perceived as a bribe. Please refer to: al-Asyqar,Sulayman ‘Abdullah, al-Wadih fi Usul al-Fiqh, (Amman: Dar al-Salam, 2001) 159.

Islam has a clear set of principles and laws on the consumption of food and beverages for Muslims.

Foods such as unslaughtered meat, pork and their derivatives, and drinks that contain alcohol are prohibited.

With the rapid advancements in food science, newer and more complex forms of foods have emerged. These include plant-based products that are intended to replicate the texture, smell and taste of meat. An example is mock pork, designed as a substitute for pork.

To ascertain if such products can be consumed by Muslims, two things need to be considered: first is whether all its ingredients are permitted under Muslim law; and second whether there are undesirable social consequences arising from the consumption of such foods. In this case, it may cause confusion for the Muslim public from the use of the name of a clearly prohibited food item under Muslim law.

As such, we advise the Muslim community to not consume such food until the considerations stated above have been looked into in a thorough and holistic manner. We encourage Muslims to consume other varieties of Halal protein sources that are in abundance in Singapore.

The consumption of food is an individual responsibility. Muslims can opt for food that is not endorsed as Halal by any Islamic body as long as they are confident and can ensure that the food has been prepared according to the Islamic Law.

Yes, you may as long as the take-away container is empty and clean.

Muis Halal Certification Conditions do not prevent certificate holders from acceding to customers' request for using own containers for take-aways as long as the containers are empty and clean.

Most of these products have been de-alcoholised or have the alcohol content removed. The Muis Fatwa Committee rules that these beverages are not permitted for consumption by Muslims.

Generally, products bearing a Halal certification mark is suitable for Muslim consumption. Although it contains a 'doubtful' ingredient, do be rest assured that the Islamic body which certifies the product has verified the status of the ingredient. For further assurance, you may contact the Halal certifying body or the product manufacturer.

Generally, the Halalness of a food product is determined by its ingredients (internal factor) and the process at which it is prepared, manufactured, stored and distributed (external factors). In order for a product to be truly Halal, it must be free from any non-Halal ingredients. The food product should not, by any chance, come into contact (cross contamination) with any non-Halal items during the preparation, production, storage and distribution stages. This is the same for rennet that is commonly used in the making of cheeses. Cheeses made with rennet enzyme is Halal if the calf is slaughtered according to Islamic rites. Likewise, it is deemed as non-halal if it is made with rennet enzyme that comes from a non-halal source.

It is a religious obligation for all Muslims to consume only food that is Halal. Muslims can consume food that is prepared and/or sold by non-Muslims as long as the ingredients and processes are Halal.

In general, Halal certification is voluntary in Singapore. Owners of eating establishments, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, are advised to obtain Muis Halal certification as this provides an independent testimony and assurance that the food they serve are Halal.

However, we do not penalise Muslim-owned companies should they make halal claims to their operations as it is their religious responsibility to ensure so.

Outside food is generally not allowed into any eating establishment, including the Halal-certified ones. However, this is more of a company's policy rather than a MUIS halal requirement. Baby food and food for the aged are of course exceptions to this case. We also provide guidelines to the certified companies to ensure that the halal integrity is not compromised.

Halal' is an Arabic word which means lawful or permissible. Any food or drink which falls under this category is permitted for Muslim consumption. Examples of Halal food include vegetables, spices and meat deriving from animals slaughtered in accordance with the Islamic Law. You may wish to visit our website https://www.muis.gov.sg/halal/ for more information.

Generally, Muslim consumers are advised to exercise discretion before consuming any products. It is best to avoid a product when one feels “was-was” or doubtful.

It is a MUIS halal requirement for any certified eating establishments to display their valid, original halal certificate prominently at the certified location. The name reflected on the certificate must also tally with the name of the foodstall/company name.

Should you patronise a stall and find that something is amiss, please report it to our office. We will follow up accordingly.