An initiative by BCMA to overhaul their Halal certification process is attracting some eye balls.
BCMA has been around for more than 50 years and has been part of the growth of the Muslim community in BC. Among the services provided, their halal committee has been quite low profile all these years. Certifying wholesalers, slaughterhouses, halal butcher retailers and restaurants. After the Stephen Harper govt. Enacted laws for halal certification in 2014, Musa Ismail then President decided to make BCMA halal certification a priority. Since then Halal committee had been busy talking with consultants, lawyers and professional on how to best provide halal certification in light of the new laws. Br Iltaf Sahib since becoming president took this file as his priority and has now almost completed the process of policies and documentation needed to deliver the service.
As of April 5,2016 all halal claims on food labels, packaging and advertising materials will need to be accompanied by the name of the organization or person that certified it as halal. This regulatory change supports a consistent approach to halal claims on food products in the Canadian marketplace. It provides Canadians with the information they need to make informed decisions and purchase the food that meets their needs.
Halal claims on food are voluntary. However, if a halal claim is made on a product label, packaging or in advertising, then it must follow the regulatory requirements. The CFIA will take compliance and enforcement actions if the requirements are not met.
On April 12th Friday night, Imams of Vancouver gathered at Pakwan restaurant- the first to be certified, for dinner as a token of thanks to all the imams who has been spearheading this new program.
The official launch of the program took place at Surrey Jamea Masjid on April 13th, at 6.30pm.
For more info Like their facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/hicbcma/ Reported Al ameenpost.
