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Introduction
Halal is an Arabic phrase for something that is permitted according to Islamic law (Riaz and Chaudry, 2004). These principles extend beyond dietary requirements and underpin all types of human conduct for adherents of the Islamic faith, including beliefs, actions, diet, clothes, modes of earnings, relationships, etc. The term “halal” with reference to food covers all the aspects starting from the farm and ending at the table of a halal observant home. Halal food must be free of any components that Muslims are prohibited from consuming, which is known as haram. Based on Qur’ānic guidance (Qur’an, 2:168, cited in Chandia, 2015), all foods are halal except those that are specifically mentioned as haram. Haram foods can be divided into several main categories, and include any products derived from or contaminated with these prohibited materials, such as, carrion, blood, pig, permitted animals slaughtered incorrectly, and intoxicants. Recently, examples of haram contamination and dishonest behaviour with halal certified products highlight (Table I) areas of concern to Muslim consumers as they are dependent on the food industry and policy makers to assure the integrity of the halal supply chain. Food processors may choose to use pork derivatives, other non-halal slaughtered meats and gelatine to substitute meat products because they are cheap and readily available (Aida et al., 2005). This raises the question of what is halal integrity and what measures can be taken to assure that products are produced and handled with integrity? The paper aims to provide an eclectic appreciation of relevant sources, critically understand their nuances and implications to bridge the needs of halal integrity within the food chain. This is supported by providing a critical independent analysis which presents an ethical framework that is more embracive of the religious needs of more than 1.5 billion (and ever-increasing) people of the world and (arguably) is very pragmatic for both local producers and exporters alike. This paper will attempt to conceptualise the context of halal using the farm to fork and global supply chain models to define halal integrity. The models will assist food manufacturers, food traders and policy makers to ensure the halal integrity of the local and global food supply chains.
Methodology
A desktop review of priori literature and media reports...