What foods can be eaten by Muslims and do they need to be prepared in a specific way?!


Question: It is a religious obligation for Muslims to eat nothing but halal food. 'Halal' means lawful or permissible. Examples of halal food include vegetables, spices and meat from animals slaughtered in accordance with the Islamic law. So, food is halal not just because of the ingredient but also taking into account the process or preparation. If there is any cross-contamination during food preparation eg. vegetables that come into direct contact with pork, a previously halal food item becomes non-halal. Besides pork, another well known non-halal food item is alcohol. Although Muslims can rely on halal certification of food products & eating places, the onus is still on them to be personally aware & to check with the appropriate religious authority if in doubt.

For meat or animal by-products (eg. gelatine) to be considered halal, there are four conditions for halal slaughtering:
1) The slaughterer must be a Muslim,
2) The blade must be very sharp,
3) The animal must be alive just before the slaughter, and
4) Both the animal’s windpipe and gullet must be completely cut.

For non-Muslims, they should be sensitive to their Muslim friends, neighbours & colleagues' dietary requirements and only offer food known to be halal. In multi-racial places like Singapore, corporate functions with at least some Muslim participants often cater completely halal food for everyone (or at least ensure the Muslims get food from a halal-certified source); there's no issue with non-Muslims eating halal food. Also, note there is no problem having both Muslims & non-Muslims sitting together at the same table to have their meals, as long as there is halal food available for the Muslims.


Answers: It is a religious obligation for Muslims to eat nothing but halal food. 'Halal' means lawful or permissible. Examples of halal food include vegetables, spices and meat from animals slaughtered in accordance with the Islamic law. So, food is halal not just because of the ingredient but also taking into account the process or preparation. If there is any cross-contamination during food preparation eg. vegetables that come into direct contact with pork, a previously halal food item becomes non-halal. Besides pork, another well known non-halal food item is alcohol. Although Muslims can rely on halal certification of food products & eating places, the onus is still on them to be personally aware & to check with the appropriate religious authority if in doubt.

For meat or animal by-products (eg. gelatine) to be considered halal, there are four conditions for halal slaughtering:
1) The slaughterer must be a Muslim,
2) The blade must be very sharp,
3) The animal must be alive just before the slaughter, and
4) Both the animal’s windpipe and gullet must be completely cut.

For non-Muslims, they should be sensitive to their Muslim friends, neighbours & colleagues' dietary requirements and only offer food known to be halal. In multi-racial places like Singapore, corporate functions with at least some Muslim participants often cater completely halal food for everyone (or at least ensure the Muslims get food from a halal-certified source); there's no issue with non-Muslims eating halal food. Also, note there is no problem having both Muslims & non-Muslims sitting together at the same table to have their meals, as long as there is halal food available for the Muslims.

Just about anything. There main restrictions are no alcohol and no pork.

Besides pork, they can not eat anything with talons, fangs or claws. (land dwelling) Also, no blood, or anything not slaughtered for consumption.

yup.. all those two are right..
also.., no dogs (you should be aware, that in some place, they eat dog)..

Basically, any food product that has a "Halah" stamp or logo on it. You will never go wrong ...because it would mean that the product was prepared accordingly to the approved food regulations for Muslim. If you are unable to find any, then stick to vegetable salads or fruits to serve.

Pork and alchohol are usually a big no no. You might want to buy halal meat (kosher) from a middle eastern butcher or a pakistani grocery store to be on the safe side.





The consumer Foods information on foodaq.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.
Copyright © 2007 FoodAQ - Terms of Use - Contact us - Privacy Policy

Food's Q&A Resources