Time to Build Trust: Deep Concerns for UK Halal Meat Supply 

The Muslim Council of Britain welcomes the suspension by the Ministry of Justice of a supplier after it discovered that halal pies and pasties sourced from a properly halal-certificated supplier may contain traces of porcine DNA (pork).

Dr. Shuja Shafi, Deputy Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain said: "This discovery underscores the dire need in this country to establish agreed standards, processes and regulations amongst our halal meat suppliers. Muslims seek to fulfil their religious obligations by consuming halal-certified food and a lot of trust is placed in this industry. We need a collective approach to ensure these expectations are realised. We call upon the Food Standards Agency to identify where else the product may have been supplied and remove it from the halal food chain by enacting their 'food alert' product 'recall' procedures. There is a need for strengthening the partnership between the community, suppliers, government agencies and consumers. The Muslim Council of Britain is initiating the process by sending a questionnaire to Halal Certification bodies and calling a meeting of stakeholders."