Halal Certification Misuse in the City of Sydney

(This story is a joint investigation conducted by myself and fellow UTS Journalism students Amaani Siddeek and John Voutos).

According to Halal Certification Australia, 50 certificates have been reported as ‘misused’ over the last decade.

How ‘halal’ is George Street in Sydney’s Haymarket?

‘Halal-friendly’ signs and certificates within Sydney establishments are said to only account for their meat wholesalers.

The misuse of these signs affects Muslim consumers who may be unknowingly consuming products that may be “haram” (“unlawful” under Islamic law).

Halal certification is largely unregulated by government bodies and although certifiers have been “approved” there is no legal regulation ensuring procedural consistency of certification between domestic certifiers.

The two main types of certificates issued by certifiers include:

• Export, for suppliers of red meat in Australia.
• Domestic, for restaurants, food outlets, stores, and shops in Australia.

Nadia, a member of Halal Certification Australia (HCA), expressed there is “a form of deception” from which companies and restaurants may be benefitting and deriving profit from.

Nadia is working for a better future for the Muslim communities in Australia and has called for an international quality standard that oversees not only halal but Kosher certification and food safety regulations.

“I really believe structure is the key to excellence.

“Can the halal industry be more structured? One-hundred percent!,” she says.

“I do believe the industry needs more structure, but that’s not to say that it isn’t operating well,” she says.

In a survey directed to Muslim university students within the City of Sydney, more than half of respondents were confident that the products they consume are indeed halal.

However, all respondents stated that they rely on word-of-mouth and the manner of staff to recognize a legitimate halal certificate.

Although $26 billion from the Halal industry is injected into the Australian economy, the majority goes not to certifiers but to these establishments.