Techno Edge’s Indonesian Panggang foodstall goes halal

Juliet Huang | juliethuang@nus.edu.sg
the ridge news
A NUSSU Publication

29 February 2008

Story Highlights:

• Indonesian Panggang stall applies for Halal certification
• Islam guidelines for Halal food
• MUIS guidelines for the Halal logo
• Muslims’ reactions to Halal certification
• Plate Collector ensures that students do not place their plates wrongly.

Fans of the popular Indonesian Panggang food stall at the Engineering canteen will have noticed the new sign requesting customers to return their plates to the Muslim plate collection area.

The new sign comes into place because the stall now has added a logo of Singapore Halal certification mark.

When asked about the sign, Madam Shen Ah Moy, a stall vendor, said in Chinese that the stall had not applied for the Halal certification mark previously.

Therefore, although food preparation and its products were following the Halal guidelines, they could not declare the food Halal.

Now the muslims can enjoy the stall’s offer as they are required to consume only Halal food

As defined by Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, “Halal is an Arabic word which means lawful or allowable. Any food or drink which falls under this category is permitted for consumption.”

Pigs, dogs, animals with pointed teeth, birds with talons, insects, amphibians and animals not slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines are considered non-Halal.

According to the guidelines stipulated on the MUIS: “Halal logo is an authoritative, independent and reliable testimony to support Halal food claims”. MUIS is also the “sole authority to administer and regulate Halal certification in Singapore”

Suffirah Bte. Mhd. Fi Mansor, a second year Arts and Social Sciences undergraduate and a Muslim, said “If there is no Halal certification, by right you are not supposed to (eat). But, sometimes it depends on the individual, how strict he or she is.”

“There are times when I eat with my friends, and I’m not sure if it’s Halal or not. My friends feel uncomfortable because the stall may say ‘no pork, no lard’ but yet, I can’t eat,” she added.

Now that the stall has applied for the logo, the stall vendors are worried that students will put their plates in the wrong section of the clearing deck.

”The students may not be observant enough to take note of the Halal logo,” Shen said.

Islamic beliefs suggest that eating utensils used for non-halal food will result in food traces left behind. When the plates are served with Halal food, the exchange of these food traces will render it “haraam”, or “forbidden” in Arabic.

However Madam Tia, a plate collector who declined to give her full name, said the staff does correct students who return their plates to the wrong section thus resulting in fewer mistakes being made now.