A halal consultant who’s assisted on historic food fraud investigations – one
of which saw a major supermarket chain halt its halal food counters, says
that the issues within the halal market have reached distressing levels. SCANDAL: “I caught my HALAL butchers selling HARAAM
chicken”
26/11/2020
Abu-Eesa Asif Khan, 43, works as a halal business development consultant
across the country. His work includes advising UK’s supermarket chains,
other retailers and numerous brands on how they can conform their
products and services to meet the requirements for their Muslim customers.
Originally from Rochdale and now living in Birmingham, Abu-Eesa has
played a role in numerous Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC) projects, as
well as partaking in numerous televised halal debates.
After reading the Asian Express article titled: ‘Halal Chicken Scandal –
Rogue butchers serving up gas-killed non-halal chicken at the counter’,
published on 22nd October, Abu-Eesa contacted the newspaper in support of
its investigations.
“I have personally experienced Muslims selling pure haraam to customers
and also Muslims cheating with their supply chain”
Braving up to going public, the father-of-three boys contacted Asian Express
to provide his expert opinion and findings of the halal chicken industry.
Abu-Eesa says: “Muslims (the vast majority) whom I have come across,
simply do not care what method of slaughter is their meat coming from.
Muslims are cheating Muslims for profit and paying no regard to Islamic
guidelines and values. There’s deep deception and no regard to damning
innuendos of Islamic law and practices.
“I have personally experienced Muslims selling pure haraam to customers,
and also Muslims cheating with their supply chain to major supermarket
halal counters.”
“During one visit to my local butchers who claimed he only bought and sold
HMC certified poultry, to my surprise, had box of a brand of chicken legs
which I already knew from the work I do, did not supply halal non-stunned
products.
“Upon taking note of the EC number I contacted the plant in question who
confirmed what I was dreading to hear…that they do not produce halal
products, stunned or non-stunned.”
Interestingly, he says, whenever he has worked with non Muslims in the
halal food market business, he’s witnessed immense integrity, honesty and
transparency.
“It seems Allah has replaced the Muslims with hard working non Muslims
who have bought the likes of Humza foods, Shazan foods, taken over meat
counters of National Halal, and do a better job as some of them have opted
for third party certification of HMC for transparency,” he says.