The Great Mischief, a Muslim-owned restaurant and bar, serves non-alcoholic drinks inspired by cocktails and wine. While some Muslims are receptive to the concept, others argue that such drinks are still non-halal. (Photo: Zeng Shiya)
The halal spectrum
“Permissible” and “forbidden” are terms which guide Muslims worldwide, but not everything is black and white. So how do Muslims draw the line when they shop?
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By: Norazreen binti Abd Haris
A square piece of banana leaf and a toothpick are the only items needed to wrap one of Southeast Asia’s most iconic snacks – the tapai. Made from either tapioca or glutinous rice with sugar and yeast, the mixture is fermented for two to four days before it is ready to be eaten.
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Despite being a favourite among Malay/Muslims, the tapai is controversial because of the rice wine collected during the fermentation process. With alcohol being non-halal, some argue that the snack is unfit for Muslim consumption.
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“Halal” means permissible based on Islamic law and it encompasses the overall Muslim lifestyle. Catering to Muslims’ needs provides an opportunity for businesses as the global halal market is estimated to reach over US$5 trillion by 2020, according to the Economist, up from US$3.6 trillion in 2013.
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Although the halal market is wide, the global spotlight is on the halal food sector which is anticipated to grow to US$2.5 trillion this year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service.
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The same trend is observed in Singapore. The halal food industry is booming and applications for halal certifications are on the rise. A steady growth of 10% has been observed annually, said a representative from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS).
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More than 5,000 premises and 55,000 types of products, from ready-to-eat meals to sauces, were certified by MUIS in 2017 alone.
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Seven halal certification schemes are offered by MUIS to ensure proper sourcing of ingredients, preparation methods, management of kitchen and storage. These are all on a voluntary basis.
However, MUIS mandates that any business claiming to be halal, whether in written or verbal terms, needs to be certified if it is owned by non-Muslims.
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The same rule does not exist for Malay/Muslim businesses, said Azrulnizam Shah Sohaimi, executive director of the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
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This is because Muslim owners are expected to practise “religious responsibility” in ensuring that food sold to fellow Muslims is halal, according to the MUIS website.
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Either way, MUIS advises every entrepreneur tapping into the local halal market to get certified as a mark of assurance to consumers.
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However, Muslim-owned businesses are less likely to be penalised if they make halal claims to their operations without certification from MUIS.
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An advisor from the Association of Malay Entrepreneurs, Ibrahim Arif, observed that given the leniency, many Malay/Muslim businesses choose not to obtain halal certification. The consultant, who is in his 70s, warned that this decision could end up excluding Muslim consumers who are strict with their dietary restrictions.
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“They should obtain halal certification because we Singaporeans know that if you are Malay means you are halal compliant, but there’s still no guarantee. You may get your sources from non-halal products,” says Ibrahim.
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Azrulnizam, however, thinks differently. Speaking from his office in Bugis, surrounded by Muslim-owned businesses and hipster cafes, he said that the nature of a business must be considered before applying for the certification.
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“I think nowadays, you look at the Muslim community, they are less hung up on the whole halal thing... it is really up to the person to decide,” says Azrulnizam, who is in his 30s. He added that Muslims are now more open to patronise restaurants that use halal sourced ingredients, even if the eateries are not halal-certified.
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Even then, depending on the target market, getting halal certification could still be beneficial. For example, companies that gain revenue through calls for tenders and bulk purchases would do better with halal certification.
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“If their business is oriented towards catering or maybe 50% of the business derives revenue from outside catering, then having a halal certificate is important,” says Azrulnizam. “But if most of their business is based on walk-ins, then I wouldn’t say that. It’s increasingly less important.”
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Treading the halal line
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While MUIS sets standard guidelines, what they cover is limited, leading to some confusion among Muslims about which items are truly halal.
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Do cosmetic products need to be halal? What about alcohol-free wines and beers? Without a comprehensive system for halal certification, local sellers’ and consumers’ perceptions vary.
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Although MUIS categorises non-alcoholic wine and beer as non-halal on its website, the matter is rarely highlighted publicly. In general, these products are prohibited in Islam because the manufacturing process resembles that of alcoholic drinks.
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Amiruddin Aman, an undergraduate who is professionally training to be an Islamic leader, refuses to acknowledge the idea of halal beer and wine.
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“For myself, as a Muslim, as long as it’s wine or beer, I won’t tamper with the temptation of alcohol. Beer is beer, wine is wine,” says Amiruddin.
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However, not all millennials share the same view. Marketing Executive Sharifah Yusoff from The Black Hole Group said that The Great Mischief is just a restaurant with a bar setting which sells non-alcoholic drinks.
“Islam is more about personal salvation rather than the societal upliftment, that’s one. Number two, Islam is becoming legalistic, there is no grey area, it’s always black or white, halal or haram.”
— Dr Norshahril Saat, a fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
“When you go to this kind of bar, it’s not to stimulate what drinking real alcohol would be like. To me, it’s the atmosphere, hanging out and chilling. It just so happens that it’s a bar setting,” says Sharifah.
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The company’s brand manager, Hayley Ridgwell, however, acknowledges that customers may be confused when walking into a Muslim-friendly bar.
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“If I didn't know much about The Great Mischief and I went in only knowing they serve halal food... I would still think the bottles of beer were real,” says Ridgwell.
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The Black Hole Group is the parent company of several Muslim-owned food establishments which are not halal-certified. In order to boost their credibility in selling halal food, Ridgwell said that the company is considering halal certification.
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People trust in MUIS’s certification and it makes sense to obtain it, even if her boss “doesn’t believe in it,” said Ridgwell. Her co-worker, Sharifah, nodded in agreement.
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When asked if the halal standard only applies to food and drinks, MUIS did not respond. In Malaysia, the Islamic Development Department certifies multiple sectors including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and logistics.
Demands for a more comprehensive halal guideline are clear. Some even call for wider coverage of MUIS’s halal certification.
US$1.3 trillion was spent on food and drinks by Muslims globally. It is a crucial sector for Muslim consumers, given their religious dietary restrictions which make it compulsory for them to consume only halal food.
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This includes Ibrahim who said that the labelling on halal products should cover items beyond food to mitigate the ambiguity that plagues Muslim consumers.
“When talking about halal perfumes for example, there are two schools of thought. One says that alcohol is haram for perfumes even. But there’s another school of thought saying that the alcohol in perfume is not for drinking... so it is halal,” says Ibrahim.
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While some Muslims opt for halal products entirely, others like financial advisor Aman Ibrahim are receptive to non-food items that are not certified halal.
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“We don’t really take the halal issue into concern for perfumes and all. It’s very different for certain levels of belief... It’s how we look at it,” he says.
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His son, Amiruddin, adds: “I mean it’s not the kind of alcohol you want to drink. It’s a necessary component for perfumes.”
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The same applies for food like tapai, and alcohol-free beers and wines. While some are tolerant, others reject such products outright. Different standards are upheld by Muslims depending on the types of products and their own personal levels of belief.
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These differences are explained by Dr Norshahril Saat, a fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies: “There are two phenomena you’re looking at. Personal piety, that means Islam is more about personal salvation rather than the societal upliftment, that’s one. Number two, Islam is becoming legalistic, there is no grey area, it’s always black or white, halal or haram.”
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Views differ even among certifying bodies.
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For instance, Veltins Alkoholfrei, alcohol-free beer which comes in distinctive dark brown glass bottles, is certified halal in Spain. Yet, it is not recognised by MUIS due to its resemblance to alcoholic counterparts.
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In some cases, countries have multiple halal certification bodies which follow different guidelines to determine if a product is halal. Australia, for example, has at least seven entities dealing with halal certifications, making it a challenge to standardise nationwide.
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For a business planning to enter the halal market in Singapore, the process is straightforward. With MUIS as the only certification body, the requirements are formalised.
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Obtaining a halal certification from MUIS can be advantageous since it is recognised globally. MUIS received the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 17065 certification last December. The ISO 17065 is an international standard on conformity assessment for certifying bodies.
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With that, awareness of the consumers’ adherence to halal matters. Going into the F&B sector, businesses need to be aware of the different spectrum of halal and how to provide for their selected target market.