24 October 2024, An undercover investigation by CBC’s Marketplace has uncovered some shocking facts related to the availability of halal food in most of the top fast-food chains, such as KFC, Popeyes, Boston Pizza, and Osmow’s, in Canada. The Marketplace investigation found that some of those chains are less than forthcoming about their halal certification, with expired certificates and misleading claims causing confusion for consumers.
Disparities were found in the investigation in different outlets. The employees at some of these outlets were not aware if the food that they were selling was halal certified, while others had outdated or expired halal certification on show. This inconsistency brings into question the legitimacy of offering products as halal and whether these fast-food chains are meeting the expectations of Muslim consumers who place a premium on the standards of halal.
Those staff interviewed in the course of the investigation highlighted that at any one time, they were never certain as to the condition of their ingredients. Some restaurants advertised the items as halal without them being able to produce any form of documentation and details on how such certification had been done.
These findings, therefore, highlight the importance for increased supervision and transparency in the food industry, especially for those establishments offering religious diet-related services. At the same time, consumers expect a high degree of truthfulness with regard to the food they consume.
The research would only assist consumers in being more watchful and inquiring into food certifications, even for big chains, while also reminding the business to keep proper and updated certifications to reassure trust and reliability in its service.
