Halal standard no longer an issue after new enforcement

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 (Bernama) -- Halal issue in this country will no longer be a seasonal topic in the media when the new Malaysia Halal Standard is enforced by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM). The halal issue always receives more attention just before Ramadan and according to Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Fadillah Yusof, this was due to confusion by consumers on current halal standards as many bodies are involved in this country on the matter. "Starting from July 1 this year, consumers can rest assured that all food sold at premises that hold JAKIM's halal logo are safe for consumption while products on the shelves of supermarkets will use the logo starting Jan 1, 2013," he said. Speaking at the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP) on Halal Standards and Conformance Infrastructure for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries here Thursday, Fadillah said: "Not only will the enforcement of halal logo will be implimented, the ministry is also developing a system where the authentication of the halal logo can be made using mobile phones." Saying there is no other Muslim country in the world that has set a globally accepted halal standard, Fadillah said Malaysia's halal standard is being groomed and introduced to other OIC countries to ensure all Muslim countries practise the same halal standard. -- BERNAMA