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Sunday, December 25, 2011

MS1500

Malaysian Standard MS 1500:2009 is the second revision of the general guidelines on the production , preparation, handling and storage of Halal food. The Department of Standards Malaysia(STANDARD MALAYSIA) is the standard and accreditation body in Malaysia. Malaysian Standards (MS) are developed through consensus by committees which comprise balanced representation of producers, users , consumers and others with relevant interest and are adopted form International standards. Approval of a standard is governed by the Standards of Malaysia Act 1996 . The Malaysian Standard is reviewed periodically. STANDARDS MALAYSIA has appointed SIRIM Berhad as an agent to develop , distribute and sell Malaysian Standards. However , this standard does not contain all requirements which may be required for certification.

The content of MS1500:2009 also defines Shariah law as Islamic law based on Hadith , Quran , Qiyas and Ijmas accodring Mazhab Shafie , Maliki , Hanbali or Hanafi school of Thoughts or Fatwa that is approved by the relevant Islamic Authority. The term "Halal" is defined as things and actions that are permitted by Shariah law. Halal Foods are defined as foods and drinks permitted under the Shariah law . Animals used must be Halal and the foods should not contain najs .Najs includes dogs , pigs , non-halal contaminated halal food, non-halal contacted halal foods, anything that is discharged from orifices of human beings and animals including urine , blood , vomit , pus , placenta , excrement , sperm and ova of pigs and dogs , animal carrions of non-halal Slaughtering and also Khamar food. The Najs is divided into 3 categories which are Mukhaffafah(light) , Mutawassitah (medium) and Mughallazah (severe) cases. The foods should be safe for consumption .

Competent authority is the agency which is entrusted by the government to carry out specified work according to prescribed requirements. Premises are buildings , structure and land used in connection with the whole processing of Halal foods. The premises shall be designed and constructed to enable efficient process flow that minimizes the risk of contamination. The processing equipments and machines are ensured to be not contaminated. The MS1500 also specifies the hygiene , sanitation and food safety. The halal foods shall be processed , packed and distributed under hygienic condition according to Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). The requirements for the processing of Halal foods include suitable sources either animals from land or aquatic animals ,plants , mushroom and microorganisms , chemicals and minerals , drinks and genetically-modified foods. Animals that live both on lands and water , pigs and dogs , animals that use long pointed teeth and tusks to kill preys, predator birds , pests and poisonous animals , Islam-forbidden animals and repulsive animals are not halal . Animals fed with najs should be avoided.

The Malaysian Standards also describe the slaughtering act as the severing of Trachea , oesophagus , both carotid arteries and jugular veins to hasten the bleeding and death of animals. The requirements for slaughtering process should include the required identity of the slaughterman , certificate for halal slaughter, niyyah , conditions of animals at slaughtering, tasmiyyah , facing to the Qiblah, sharp and clean knife , the correct slaughtering position and the slaughtering should be done only once. The further processing, handling, distribution, storage , transportation , display , sale and servings of halal food is also specified to avoid contamination. The packaging, labelling and advertising have to include non-confusing information and also a halal certification mark . A muslim supervisor checks if the slaughtering is carried out according to Halal way.

The MS1500 also describes the general requirements for the use of stunning in slaughtering . But , stunning is not usually recommended. The stunning should not injure or kill the animals and avoid contamination of the animals.The last part of the MS1500 includes the method of ritual cleansing like seven times of washing . The water and soil for washing shall be mustamal and free form najs.

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