No Halal Certification for ‘Beer’, ‘Ham’ or ‘Bacon’ in Malaysia

Malaysian authorities will not issue halal certification for non-alcoholic “beer” or any product using names associated with haram (forbidden) items, such as ham or bacon, according to Jamil Khir Baharom, the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department. On Monday (April 17), Baharom stated that the term “halal beer” contradicts the Manual Procedure for Malaysia Halal Certification (MPPHM), a guideline used by the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and other state Islamic departments for halal certification.

National newswire Bernama reported Baharom’s comments at the Dewan Negara, emphasizing that products using names synonymous with non-halal items, such as ‘ham’, ‘bak kut teh’, ‘bacon’, and ‘beer’, are ineligible for Malaysian halal certification. He stated, “In the manual, it’s clearly stated that products which use names or have names synonymous with non-halal products, or confusing terms like ‘ham’, ‘bak kut teh’, ‘bacon’, ‘beer’ and the like, cannot qualify for Malaysian halal certification.”

Baharom further explained that halal food or halal artificial food coloring also cannot use names synonymous with confusing terms referring to non-halal food. His comments were in response to Senator Khairiah Mohamed, who inquired about the list of approved “halal beer” available in the market and the conditions for selling such products.

He noted that some beverages have received halal certification from foreign private companies or certification bodies, and some do not use any halal logo on their products. Baharom emphasized, “It must be stressed that Jakim and JAIN (state Islamic departments) are the authorities for Malaysian halal certification. Each application for Malaysian halal certification must follow the MPPHM or fatwa decisions and related rules used in Malaysian halal certification. So, Jakim will ensure that these beverages do not misuse the Malaysian halal logo on their products.”

The Wall Street Journal reported in 2015 that Malaysia’s non-alcoholic beer market in 2013 was three million liters and was projected to grow to 3.6 million liters by 2016—a relatively small figure compared to the 11.5 percent sales in the Middle East and Africa. The report also highlighted that fast-food chain A&W renamed its root beer “RB” in 2013 to secure halal certification for all its outlets.

The issue of halal certification came to the forefront last October after an executive from the US pretzel chain Auntie Anne’s revealed that their application for halal certification had failed, partly due to concerns over “pretzel dogs” on the menu.

In Malaysia, some fast-food restaurants use non-pork alternatives for ham and bacon, such as turkey ham and beef bacon. There are also vegetarian versions of “bak kut teh” (pork rib soup), demonstrating efforts to cater to the halal market without compromising religious guidelines.

This stance reinforces Malaysia’s commitment to maintaining strict halal certification standards and preventing confusion among consumers about what qualifies as halal.