Standardizing Halal Certification

While the American Jews have several standardized bodies in work labeling food and snack items “Kosher” through their testing and labeling of goods, Muslims have no such system in place as of today.

This is why the American Halal Institute takes this mission so seriously. Each member of our staff takes eating halal very seriously. As such, we strive to streamline the process for consumers, manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors alike in popularizing the notion that we must rigorously test goods and services for Sharia compliance and label those who meet the Islamic guidelines as safe for Muslim engagement.

How a Standard Halal Certification Would Help

A standard halal certification system would serve the American Muslims well because there is currently no easy method for determining what is halal or haram when shopping, eating out or looking for services.

Normally, observant Muslims must carefully inspect the ingredient lists in order to look for items they know are disallowed in Islam. While many know about enzymes and gelatins, there are other problematic substances found in many common food items. These items are either doubtful or completely forbidden for Muslim consumption.

Beyond peering over the list of ingredients on the back of foodstuffs, many Muslims also do a Web search. They do this to determine if what they hope to buy is acceptable by Islamic law. There is an assortment of sites and apps that proclaim to offer lists of halal and haram items. However, these lists are far from all-encompassing. More importantly, many of these lists are made based on word of mouth or communication with product manufacturers. These manufacturers either have no interest in complying with Sharia. Or they have no clue about the ins and outs of Islamic jurisprudence. This means that there is no testing involved under the supervision of Muslim scholars.

Although our standardized system is simple and straightforward, it also involves rigorous testing. This includes both food experts and scholars trained in the nuances of halal and haram. This means that if a consumer sees the AHI stamp on a product they wish to buy, they can rest easy knowing that it fits their religious sensibilities. This also means no more ingredient inspections of Google searching in the middle of the supermarket.

For More Than Consumers

This AHI stamp is beneficial to consumers, for sure, but it is also largely helpful to product manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers. This is because they can market their goods as halal-certified. This opens them up to the market of the largest growing religion in America, of nearly 4 million and counting. A halal stamp means more buyers and less concern.