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Halal & HMC

Does a halal sign mean the meat is halal?

A halal sign on a shop window means the owner says the meat is halal. It does not mean anyone has checked. Halal certification means an outside body, such as the Halal Monitoring Committee, has inspected the slaughter, the supply chain and the shop, and keeps inspecting. The two look the same from the pavement, which is why it is worth knowing how to tell them apart.

Is it illegal to call meat halal when it is not?

Describing food falsely is an offence under UK food law, but there is no legal definition of halal and no government inspection of the claim. Enforcement relies on trading standards acting after a complaint. In practice the only ongoing check is voluntary certification.

What should a genuinely certified shop be able to show me?

A certificate naming the shop with an expiry date, a listing on the certifier's public register, and, for HMC, stamped carcasses or labelled poultry in the chiller. If a shop shows a logo but cannot show a certificate, treat the logo as decoration.

What questions should I ask a butcher?

Who certifies you? Can I see the certificate? Is everything on the counter from that certifier, or only some of it? Is the chicken hand slaughtered? A certified butcher answers all four without hesitation.

How does Ikhlas answer those questions?

Ikhlas Halal Butcher is certified by HMC. The certificate is at the counter at 26-28 City Road, Bradford; we are on the register at halalhmc.org; everything on the counter, without exception, is HMC; and all chicken is hand slaughtered. You are welcome to see the chiller.

Everything on our counter is HMC certified

Chicken, lamb, mutton, beef, goat and turkey, hand slaughtered and cut to order at 26-28 City Road, Bradford. Order online for collection in about two hours or local delivery within seven miles.

Order onlineSee our HMC certificate

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