Vadilal’s Sharia-compliant, Halal-certified ice cream is a scoop full of controversy! Halal India Private Limited grants Vadilal its Halal Certification. The governments of Qatar, Malaysia, and the UAE recognize its Halal certificate. However, only SC’s interim protection grants the safety of its products from any legal or government action in Bharat.
In 2023 CM Yogi’s ‘Ban on Halal’ shook this unrecognized certification industry. Consequent arrests revealed suspicions of terror-funding and financial mismanagement prevalent in the unregulated and unapproved Islamic certification industry. In February 2024, the Supreme Court saved Halal India Private Limited against Yogi’s ‘bulldozer ban on Halal-certified products’ in Uttar Pradesh. Enter Vadilal’s ice cream, whose Halal certification is causing a storm in the social media tea cup! Let’s discover how this ‘scoop’ of the sweetness reveals chilling truths.
An Inquest Into Ice Creams And Their Tags
Ice creams are non-meat products. However, they sometimes earn the brown tag that mark them as Non-Vegetarian. Gelatin and emulsifiers used in certain ice-creams can be derived from animals or animal products. Gelatin can be obtained from porcine or bovine sources. Procine geletain, i.e. from pigs, is ‘HARAM’ for Muslims. If the source is bovine, then the method of slaughtering Zabihah (Muslims) or Kashrut (Jews) are points of inquiry among the deeply devout. Additionally, emulsifiers like E 471 that are animal-based may also trigger concerns among relgious communities and consumers.
Thus, those manufacturers that use gelatine or emulsifiers from animal-based sources get a brown tag for their products. However, Ice creams in India usually get a green tag. Why? Because they use milk fat or vegetable emulsifiers to manufacture them! Thus, as a vegetarian product, the ingredients list should be safe from religious scrutiny of any kind. In case of alcohol in certian ice creams, the ingredient is specifically highlighted and mentioned in the list. Therefore, Indian ice creams follow compelete transparency. All ingredients used and the manufacturing process are certified by a government body.
‘Jagrut Consumers’ of all religions can safely consume Indian ice creams that align with their faith without the HALAL Certificate!
Vadilal Ice Cream – Halal Certified and Sharia Compliant?
Vadilal Ice Creams has a vegetarian green tag. Moreover, its certification from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) emerges as the arbiter of taste and legality. The FSSAI’s strict guidelines on ingredients and manufacturing standards ensure that the ice cream you scoop meets legal and safety benchmarks. Therefore, it is safe to assume that Vadilal Ice Cream does not have any animal products.
However, the manufacturer uses a “Halal” certification to woo its Muslim consumer base. This certificate to Vadilal is issued by Halal India Private Limited (HIPL). The organization was saved from CM Yogi’s wrath via the SC’s interim relief from the state’s policies on Halal Ban! HIPL ensures that the product, its packaging, and storage are as per Islamic rules and regulations. Therefore, one is compelled to ask why a separate HALAL certification is required for an ice cream that has an available ingredient list, FSSAI approval, and a green vegetarian tag! Is it because Muslims do not trust the FSSAI tags?
Some Islamic websites list Vadilal Ice Cream as a Sharia Compliant!
That means that the entire production process is as per Islamic religious guidelines. Thus, other religions must ask if this dairy product’s Halal certification is a subtle declaration of Muslim favoritism over other religions!
A Cold Reality Check
While Vadilal’s ice cream may satisfy sweet cravings, its certification is leaving a bitter aftertaste for its non-Muslim consumers. Each scoop is becoming a symbolic choice that asks one to pick between indulgence and religious conscience! Placing a Halal stamp on meat-product or brown tags may be acceptable logically, if not religiously! However, the stamp on vegetarian products reeks of appeasement to the ‘peacefuls’!
How the frick do you Halal Mango Kulfi of all things? Choke a poor Alphonso to death till it spits out its Guthli? This is beyond all limits of stupidity. Only way this is Halal is if some Maulana spat on it & recited Quranic verses. No way I’m EVER putting that in my mouth. 😭🤯 https://t.co/a9IHNBaTyl
— Savitri Mumukshu – सावित्री मुमुक्षु (@MumukshuSavitri) April 15, 2024
Consequently, the internet and social media are asking the manufacturers questions about their religious insensitivity. Why is there a need to pander to a particular religious belief at the cost of harming others? Should such non-government organizations like HIPL be allowed to operate in the gray zone of FMCG in India? Is the Halal Certificate a symbol of ‘secularism’ and ‘inclusivity’ of contemporary Bharat? Or is it a certificate that enriches the Islamic certifying agencies? And lastly, do green tag products need an extra Halal stamp in Bharat? The answers to these questions will serve up a scoop of controversy!
As the ice cream industry grapples with this certificate of religious insensitivity, Vadilal’s Halal-certified treats serve up frozen nightmares to non-Muslims. The conversation on Vadilal is a mirror that reflects a broader debate on food and faith in Bharat’s diverse consumer base! Thus, the next time you indulge in Vadilal’s ice cream, remember – it’s not just a dessert; it’s a frozen confectionery with a side of religious appeasement.