Technology simplifies process of checking whether halal food is really halal
In May 2014 chocolate maker Cadbury found itself at the center of a media storm in Malaysia after tests found that some of its chocolate bars contained pork DNA. The company recalled the chocolate bars but insisted that all of its products were halal. After an official inspection and another round of tests found no problems, its halal certificates were reinstated in early June.
The episode highlighted the importance of halal testing but also the shortcomings of the technology. No system is entirely reliable, and false positives are an unfortunate fact of life. Testing processes tend to be complex, but the technology is developing all the time and easier-to-use tests aimed at consumers are now starting to appear.
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Dominic Dudley