Melaka’s Islamic Religious Department revokes a coffee company’s halal certificate after confirming the use of pig bristle brushes, stressing the action upholds integrity
MELAKA: The Melaka Islamic Religious Department (JAIM) has stressed that revoking the Malaysian Halal Certification (SPHM) issued to a local coffee and biscuit manufacturer is not intended to harm the business.
JAIM director Datuk Md Azhan Samat said the move follows SPHM rules and safeguards the certificate’s integrity, which is not easily obtained.
“JAIM does not aim to harm the reputation or business of any company; the action was taken strictly according to the established rules and procedures.
“All procedures and requirements are set out in the Malaysian Halal Certification manual and must be followed by all certificate holders, including keeping raw material storage clean, using halal ingredients, and avoiding banned items in food preparation, such as brushes made from boar bristles,” he told reporters today.
He said the SPHM is vital for Muslim consumers and hard to obtain, requiring strict assessments and processes, while holders also benefit commercially, as the certificate assures consumers about the food, drinks, or products they purchase.
Md Azhan urged the state’s food and beverage industry to comply with halal certification rules to avoid enforcement actions, including certificate revocation.
He advised Muslims to check the halal status of any product or eatery on the official portal of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) to avoid doubt or confusion.
Media reports cited that a coffee and biscuit factory in Melaka had its halal certificate immediately revoked after an inspection by JAIM”s Halal Management Division in January found it was using brushes believed to be made from boar bristles to clean its equipment.
The brushes were seized and sent to the Malaysian Halal Analysis Centre (MyHAC) in Bandar Enstek, Nilai, where tests last month confirmed they were made from pig bristles.