Festival of ‘halal’ foods

I had this idea, and you probably had it too, that "halal" food only refers to how chicken, beef and goat are slaughtered the "Muslim way." But if you go to the Malaysian Embassy in Salcedo Village, Makati, you will be surprised, as I was, to discover that halal is applied to the manufacture and canning of a vast array of food products – from frankfurters (beef or chicken), to fruit juices, coffee espresso, tea, curry paste, canned mechado, afritada, soy sauce and vinegar and cookies and shampoo and skin fresheners.

As I type this, I am sipping honey wheatgrass juice – it’s so cool and refreshing it’s no wonder that it’s the most popular of a host of food drinks bottled by NutriFres Food and Beverage Industries and marketed by Costrio in Malaysia. And the sharp tang of sambal tumis sauce and madras curry paste by Asian Meals will certainly add exotic flavor to meals at my home.

There is a bounty of goods from Rex Canning Co., such as cinta sardines, squid (this must be good), white rice, puff prata, tuna roll, samosa, crabmeat and salmon pink in oil, oyster smoked in oil, and mushrooms and abalone, red kidney beans and processed peas. The variety of cookies by Cookie Tree (oatmeal-raisin, pistachio, walnut, etc.), make excellent snacks.

The halal food exhibit, which opened yesterday and ends tomorrow, is organized by the Embassy of Malaysia in Manila and the Malay Islamic World Secretariat, Jemelaka, Malaysia. The exhibit and seminar, said Malaysian Ambassador Datuk Iskandar Sarudin, is aimed at exploring the potential of the halal food industry in the Philippines and explore the opportunity to export Malaysian halal food products to the Philippines.

Nearly a hundred food producers from Malaysia are exhibiting their product lines, and would you believe, some Philippine food and beverage companies, like Magnolia Food Products, and Silver Swan Manufacturing Company, Inc. (vinegar and soy sauce), and Asia-Pacific Tuna Canning Corporation (which makes caldereta, mechado, adobo, afritada, hot and spicy tuna and tuna loaf under the brand name Dolly).

Muslims throughout the world are required to eat only halal food, which is food permitted under the Shariah (Islamic) Law. This law is based on the Qur’an, Hadith (traditions of the Prophet Muhammad), Ijma (consensus), and Qiyas (deduction of analogy.) The qiyas, approved by the relevant Islamic Authority, state that food to be eaten does not contain any components or products of animals that are not halal; does not contain any ingredients that are considered najs (filthy), and during the food’s preparation, processing manufacturing or using equipment, it does not contaminate with thins which are considered filthy.

Muslims in Malaysia have slaughtered animals (chicken, beef and lamb) and cooked them the Islamic way since time immemorial, but it was only in 2000 that systematized adherence to halal food preparation was introduced by Datuk Seri Haji Mohd Ali Rustam in Melaka when he became its chief minister. Now halal is applied to food and consumer products that have to do with a person’s health (skin lotions, hair wash, etc.) in all states of Malaysia. Not surprisingly, the datuk is president of the Malay and Islamic World, whose main objective is to promote halal products.

Minister Rustam, an amiable person, said that the MIW has been "recognized world-wide, and by the United Nations. There are 1.8 billion Muslims around the world - and they make up a very big market. There is room for business."

Halal food is approved by the halal food certification agency under the Malaysian Islamic Affairs Department. A label of certification is printed on the products. "We guarantee that our food is halal," said the minister.

He told us that only chicken, beef, lamb and fish are considered food for Muslims. It’s no-no to pork, of course, we all know that, and no-no to monkey, tiger, cats, dogs, rats, snakes. But snake skin can be used for shoes and bags, as is tiger skin. But Muslims don’t use pig skin. It’s no-no to animals eating animals, said the minister.

He said that a halal certificate guarantees genuness, best quality, wholesomeness, cleanliness, and food best fit for human consumption.

For instance, animals to be slaughtered are certified to be free of any sickness. Animals are killed by slitting the veins around their throat with a very sharp knife, so their pain is lessened, and blood must flow freely. An important factor in the process is that a prayer is said before the slaughter is made.

Datuk Mohd. Nakhaie Ahmad, president of the Islamic Dahwah Foundation that is based in Kuala Lumpur, said that chickens used as halal food, are not given huge doses of hormones and vitamins that large companies use to fatten the fowl. "We have a system of monitoring the feeds of our chicken," he said.

As to whether the animals are fed the day before they are slaughtered, Datuk Ahmad laughed, and said, "Of course, they have to be fed. They have the right to be given food."

Monitoring is made to ensure that no pork fat is used in the production of gelatine, hair wash toothpaste, etc. Even perfume that uses alcohol is a no-no.

The MIW has other activities, like tourism development, cultural and educational activities, education and skills-training (like automotive mechanic). On tourism, the minister said that if the Philippines has restaurants serving certified halal food, more tourists from Muslim countries, including the Middle East, will be coming here. There are Muslims who are very particular about their food, and skip the Philippines precisely because of lack of establishments serving halal food.

The good news is that recently the Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines was organized, one of its objectives being the issuance of the halal certificate.

The MIW has gone to other countries to promote the virtues of eating only halal food. It has been to Indonesia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, India, and South Africa.

Currently going on at the Malaysian embassy in Makati are lectures on how to get a trading relationship between the Malaysian manufacturers and potential Filipino investors started. With even non-Muslims desiring food that is clean and filth-free, business is likely to be good.

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Our good friend Mandy Navasero, photographer par excellence, says LRI Business Plaza, with its furniture showrooms, galleries and support establishments, will hold a mid-year sale beginning today up to June 6, and will be open on Sundays, May 29 and June 5.

Home and Accents’ "big sale" corner will be on the second floor. Mandy will have a photo shoot for individuals or family portraits at her studio at Room 227. Ed Soler of Gruppo Reposo announces that a mural painting of the wall fronting St. Andrew’s church will be done by the Blumentritt Group of Artists to be folowed by a launch of art exhibits and sale on the whole stretch of Reposo St.

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