Breaches of MUIS' Halal Certification by Licensed Food Importer
Ministry of Social and Family DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the prosecution of Yocorn Food Enterprise Pte Ltd for false halal labelling, with Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim inquiring about licence revocation, future certification eligibility, and detection measures. Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli B M M stated that while the licence was not revoked, the company and director were fined under the Wholesome Meat and Fish Act. MUIS responded by instructing certified establishments to cease purchasing affected items and increasing inspections of food premises to ensure compliance. The Minister explained that MUIS uses regular inspections and shorter certification validity for previous offenders as part of its enforcement framework. Additionally, MUIS is reviewing its Halal Certification Conditions to tighten measures against repeat violations and ensure breaches are expeditiously detected.
Transcript
25 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs with regard to the prosecution of a licensed food importer for false halal certificates from an overseas halal certification body and false halal labelling (a) whether the importer’s food importing licence has been revoked; (b) whether the importer concerned and the officers prosecuted will be barred from applying for MUIS halal certification in the future; and (c) what are the steps and measures taken to ensure that such breaches are expeditiously detected and reported.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Member is referring to the case of Yocorn Food Enterprise Pte Ltd (Yocorn), which is a licensed food importer, but not a Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) halal-certificate holder. When MUIS detected that Yocorn was selling smoked duck falsely labelled as “halal” to MUIS halal-certified food establishments, MUIS immediately instructed its other halal-certificate holders not to purchase any smoked duck items from Yocorn that were presented as “halal”. MUIS also stepped up its inspections of food establishments that serve duck items to ensure compliance. Yocorn’s licence was not revoked but Yocorn and its director were fined $35,000 and $20,000 respectively under the Wholesome Meat and Fish Act for their actions.
MUIS regularly inspects halal-certified food establishments to ensure that their products and offerings are accompanied by valid halal certification from MUIS or MUIS-recognised foreign halal certification bodies. Food establishments that have previously breached the conditions for MUIS’ halal-certification are inspected more frequently by MUIS. Such establishments are also given a shorter validity for their halal certification when they are recertified.
MUIS will take the necessary investigative and enforcement actions if any breaches of its Halal Certification Conditions are identified and reported. MUIS regularly reviews its Halal Certification Conditions, including to tighten measures taken against companies with repeated halal violations.