Halal Food Authority: About HFA

April 2011

Halal CHAMP WINE! Is it halal or Permissible?

Dear All,

I was distressed, my anguish and angst could not be measured in words, whence I saw the details in www.halalchampwine.com of the drink so called Halal Champ Wine. This is purported to be alcohol free!

Who are we kidding? Firstly the name, secondly, the way it is being advertised with not only as the line says “meriot, this dry red drink is smooth and voluptuous in flavour and taste ---“, but also being presented by a seductive, alluring voluptuous female!

Allah only knows, do we need alcohol free beer, do we have any exigency of “bubblies”, “champs” and “wines”? Whereas, when wine vinegar is looked down upon, just because of the word “wine”. Why the word wine in this context is not taken as a prohibited beverage. Then, is it not the fact that “champ” is short or abbreviated form of champagne. And how does the Oxford Dictionary of English define the word champagne, “French region and former province of NE France, which now corresponds to the Champagne – Ardenne administrative region. The region is noted for the white sparkling wine first produced there in about 1700.” Then, observe what is wine described as in the dictionary, “an alcoholic drink made from fermented grape juice (or fermented juice of specified other fruits or plants)”. Fermented! Yes, it means “of a substance that undergoes fermentation, like, the drink had fermented turning some of the juice into alcohol.

Pray, then what are we setting out to do? Procure and sell something which is not only forbidden, but also on the surface of it look abhorrent to be marketed as halal. Halal Food Authority is of the opinion that anything which looks like, sounds like, has texture or tastes like something that is prohibited and forbidden must not be consumed by Muslims. No matter how attractive it looks, with claims of the processors that it has been created for “sportsmen and women, delivers, the health conscious and nutritionally conscious pregnant women, senior citizens.” Labeling laws will have to be checked for such profusion based extravagant claims.

In short, Halal Food Authority would implore that, this product should NOT be depicted with the word “halal” and should be removed from the shelves of supermarkets and domestic fridges.

We are given to understand that a reputable Halal accreditating establishment has issued a halal certificate for the said product – though it is only by implication, we suppose.

May Allah help us all!

Ma’assalaam,

Masood Khawaja

The above email has been circulated to World Halal Council members and others

Supposedly these wines have been halal certified with a Halal Certificate

Supposedly these named wines have been halal certified with a Halal Certificate

October 2010

HFA clarifies and expressed concerns over the spread of aversive and misleading information

The following is the email in circulation from Cert ID Europe Ltd addressed to the food industry that wrongfully outlined HFA stance on stunning:

From: Jerry Houseago [mailto:jerry.houseago@cert-id.eu]
Sent: 01 October 2010
To: ??????????
Subject: Only EHDA Standard Supports Labelling Halal Products

Dear ?????????

You may be aware of recent press attention on the labelling of Halal Meat, as for example on the BBC's "The One Show". The reported concerns centre on whether consumers should be made aware that meat is Halal by labelling, and whether the animal was stunned at time of slaughter, as this is perceived as a welfare issue.

The EHDA Standard has always been clear on these issues. It is the only certification standard that accepts stunned meat, both HFA and HMC only accept non-stun meat in their certification. The EHDA Standard also requires labelling to show if certified meat is stunned or non-stunned so as to promote consumer choice.
Cert ID are a Food Certification Body and are the audit partners for the European Halal Development Agency (EHDA). Our core business is certification of Identity Preserved systems such as those for Non-GM foods. Identity preservation is essentially the way we can certify Halal foods.
EHDA is a not-for –profit organisation whose aims are to promote trust in Halal foods by establishing a certification scheme fit for modern processing techniques and to encourage the development of a Halal supply chain through education of Muslim consumers.
If you need to reassure both Muslim and non-Muslim Consumers of the provenance and nature of your Halal meat, the EHDA Standard is the best certification scheme available.
Please let me know if you would like any further information or clarification about the scheme.

Jerry Houseago
Business Development Director
Cert ID Europe Ltd
[ www.cert-id.eu ]
T : +44 (0) 1827 874 849 F : +44 (0) 207 691 7779
Mob: 07957 808154

HFA has responded and protested against the statement as follows:

From: Saqib Mohammed [mailto:saqib@halalfoodauthority.co.uk]
Sent: 04 October 2010 13:28
To: Jerry Houseago
Subject: URGENT RESPONSE REQUIRED
Importance: High

TO WHOME IT MAY CONCERN

The email with the contents below are believed to have been circulated from your domain.
Halal Food Authority (HFA) strongly condemn your statement: The EHDA Standard has always been clear on these issues. It is the only certification standard that accepts stunned meat, both HFA and HMC only accept non-stun meat in their certification. The EHDA Standard also requires labelling to show if certified meat is stunned or non-stunned so as to promote consumer choice.
HFA Halal standard strictly stipulates that pre-slaughter stunning is permitted to stun the animal/bird and not to be used to kill the animal/bird. We have elucidated our halal slaughtering criteria on our website under HFA Brief Slaughtering Guidelines (http://www.halalfoodauthority.co.uk/HFA%20Brief%20Guidlines%20for%20slaughtering.pdf) and sufficiently detailed information is set out in HFA Halal Standard – Revision 2010 (available from HFA office on request).
HFA, hereby, seeks urgent proof to support your allegation in the above statement within the next 24 hours. We are also seeking legal advice and would not, certainly, hesitate to take legal action should you choose not to respond with valid proofs to support your alleged statement.
Kind regards

Saqib Mohammed

Finally Cert ID Europe apologised for the wronful and misleading information that had been circulated and took the following steps.

From: Saqib Mohammed [mailto:saqib@halalfoodauthority.co.uk]
Sent: 04 October 2010 16:44
To: Jerry Houseago
Subject: RE: URGENT RESPONSE REQUIRED

Dear Jerry

Thank you for your response.

This would be appropriate:

“I would just like to correct one of the statements in my email last week. It appears I was given some incorrect information concerning HFA and can only apologise for a genuine mistake. I would like to make it clear that HFA will accept either stunned (not to kill) or non-stunned slaughter in their certification scheme.”

Regards

Saqib Mohammed
Operations Manager

Halal Food Authority, 109 Fulham Palace Rd, London , W6 8JA , ENGLAND
T: +44 20 8563 1994 | M: +44 7723602772 | F: +44 20 8563 1993
E: info@halalfoodauthority.co.uk | W: www.halalfoodauthority.co.uk

From: Jerry Houseago [mailto:jerry.houseago@cert-id.eu]
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 3:41 PM
To: Saqib Mohammed
Cc: Richard Werran
Subject: RE: URGENT RESPONSE REQUIRED

Dear Saqib

Thank you for your email. As I said in our telephone conversation and subsequent email, I have apologised to you for a genuine mistake on our behalf. I had already started the process of correcting the email before you contacted me about.

I would propose to to send the following correction to our database.

“I would just like to correct one of the statements in my email last week. It appears I was given some incorrect information concerning HFA and can only apologise for a genuine mistake. I would like to make it clear that HFA will accept either stunned or non-stunned slaughter in their certification scheme.

Regards

Jerry Houseago
Business Development Director
Cert ID Europe Ltd “

We use an automated crm system that will produce a report confirming the number of recipients that the email is sent to and I will send you a copy of the report. I will also include you in the distribution list.

Please confirm your agreement to this so I can send the correction today.

Regards

Jerry

Jerry Houseago

Business Development Director
Cert ID Europe Ltd
[www.cert-id.eu]
T: +44 (0) 1675 475607 F: +44 (0) 207 691 7779
M: +44 (0)7957 808154

From: Saqib Mohammed [mailto:saqib@halalfoodauthority.co.uk]
Sent: 04 October 2010 15:26
To: Jerry Houseago
Subject: RE: URGENT RESPONSE REQUIRED

Dear Jerry

Further to your apology below, please send us the confirmation that you have made all those recipients privy to your misleading and wrongful information or have forwarded them the email below.

Please also send us the copy of such email sent to your initial recipients (please send us CC list). Should we not receive this confirmation or evidence of apologetic email to your recipients, we would be constrained to initiate further proceedings for damages and defamation against you without further notice being served.

Kind regards

Saqib Mohammed
Operations Manager

From: Jerry Houseago [mailto:jerry.houseago@cert-id.eu]
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 1:46 PM
To: Saqib Mohammed
Cc: Richard Werran; Jodie Tooke
Subject: RE: URGENT RESPONSE REQUIRED

Dear Saqib

Following our conversation I am writing to apologise to you for the incorrect information concerning HFA contained in our recent email. However, I would like to assure you this was a genuine mistake on our behalf as we were given some incorrect information.

Regards

Jerry

Jerry Houseago
Business Development Director
Cert ID Europe Ltd
[www.cert-id.eu]
T:+44 (0) 1675 475607 F: +44 (0) 207 691 7779
M: +44 (0)7957 808154