New Jersey was one of the first states in the nation to ensure that when consumers buy halal foods, they have access to information that will enable them to determine whether they are getting products that have been prepared according to Islamic dietary guidelines. Because of the special preparation and handling requirements for halal foods, there is an opportunity for misrepresentation and fraud.

The Halal Food Consumer Protection Act requires the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs to enforce the law ensuring that all food offered for sale or sold as halal has been prepared according to the halal dealers representations of his practices.

The Act further requires stores, restaurants, caterers, nursing homes, summer camps, and slaughterhouses to post information setting forth the procedures they follow in their purchase, handling, and preparation of the halal food they sell and requires dealers to keep records for inspection by the Division. A person found to be fraudulently representing the standards that person follows could be fined up to $10,000 for the first offense and up to $20,000 for each subsequent offense.

Consumer Briefs

• Buying Halal Food (pdf file 440KB)

Links

• Halal Statutes (pdf file 16KB)
• Halal Regulations (pdf file 52KB)