Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Act, 2025 assault on India’s Halal economy 

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By Syed Ali Mujtaba, Edited by Adam Rizvi, The India Observer, TIO: The proposed Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Act, 2025 marks a decisive shift in India’s food regulation landscape by bringing Halal certification exclusively under government control and criminalizing all private Halal certification bodies.

While the Bill claims objectives of “transparency” and “standardization,” its structure and implications raise serious concerns about religious freedom, economic marginalization, and the systematic dismantling of a thriving Muslim-led Halal ecosystem in India.

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Criminalization of Traditional Halal Institutions

Halal certification in India has historically been conducted by Muslim religious trusts, ulema-led institutions, waqf-linked bodies, and community organizations.

The Bill explicitly states that no private trust, society, or association may issue or charge for Halal certification, with violations punishable by imprisonment up to two years and fines up to ₹10 lakh.

This effectively outlaws existing Muslim Halal bodies, turns a centuries-old religious practice into a criminal offense, and makes Islamic scholarship in determining Halal illegitimate.

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As such, this is not regulation but displacement of a large workforce attached to the Halal industry.

Economic Blow to the Halal Industry

India’s Halal economy supports small Muslim slaughterhouses, meat exporters, food processors, herbal, Unani, and nutraceutical manufacturers, as well as certification professionals and auditors.

By mandating that all certification fees be deposited into the Consolidated Fund of India, the Bill cuts off livelihood streams for thousands of Muslim-run institutions.

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This transforms Halal from a community-driven religious economy into a state-controlled revenue channel, disproportionately affecting Muslim entrepreneurs.

State Control Over Religious Definition of Halal

Halal is not merely a food safety label; it is a religious ruling (hukm) governed by Islamic jurisprudence.

Yet the Bill places Halal standards, slaughter criteria, and certification rules under a government-appointed committee dominated by bureaucrats and public health officials, with no guaranteed representation of Islamic jurists (fuqaha).

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This raises a fundamental question: can a secular state define what is religiously Halal for Muslims?

Unequal Impact on Minorities

Although the Bill uses the neutral phrase “religious dietary certification,” in reality Halal is the largest and most economically significant certification and is overwhelmingly used, managed, and relied upon by Muslims.

Thus, the practical effect is a disproportionate impact on Indian Muslims, their institutions, and their businesses, raising concerns under Articles 25, 26, and 19(1)(g) of the Indian Constitution.

Weakening India’s Global Halal Position

Globally, Halal certification credibility depends on independence, religious authority, and international recognition.

Replacing respected private Halal bodies with a single government authority risks loss of trust in Indian Halal exports, reduced acceptance in OIC and Muslim-majority markets, and damage to India’s multi-billion-dollar Halal export potential.

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Conclusion

The Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Act, 2025, in its present form, is not a neutral regulatory reform.

It represents the criminalization of Muslim religious institutions, economic disenfranchisement of Muslim businesses, state overreach into religious doctrine, and a structural assault on India’s Halal economy.

True reform would mean regulation without dispossession, oversight without criminalization, and standardization without erasing religious autonomy.

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Without urgent reconsideration, this Bill risks being remembered not as a food safety law, but as a policy that institutionalized economic exclusion.

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Curated by Humra Kidwai

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