Himalaya Drug company on Thursday came under the scanner of social media after an image surfaced online claiming that the medicines prepared by it use 'certified-halal' meat. As per the company's profile, Himalaya Drug Company is an Indian multinational pharmaceutical company established by Mohammed Manal in 1930 and based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. Notably, Himalaya was founded in 1930 by M Manal with a clear vision to bring Ayurveda to society in a contemporary form.
As per the image circulated on social media, "Himalaya Drug Company states that it is committed to maintain the halalness of the (herbal/chemical/food colour)...Products produced by us in order to fulfill the obligation for Muslims to consume Halal products. Our products comply with Islamic Law/Shariah and free from any forbidden ingredients under Islamic law. "
Not only this, The Himalaya Drug company also stated that it has set up Halal Committee which also has Muslims from various disciples to be responsible for all matters pertaining to Halal Certification.
As soon as the Himalaya Drug Halal post went viral, people on social media started to threaten the company to boycott its product and demanded the company to come up with a clarification. It is pertinent to mention here that in July 2021, several social media users shared a claim suggesting that the Himalaya Drug Company’s neem, tulsi, and lasuna supplements contain halal-certified meat. It was also claimed that the Himalaya’s cosmetics products, tulsi, and neem capsule shells are made from Gelatine which is obtained from cows or pigs, and are Halal Certified.
Netizens fume at Himayala Drug company over Halal-meat certification
What is Halal certification?
Those who are wondering what is Halal certification can read further. Halal certification is issued by the government in several Islamic nations. Many private companies in India provide halal certification, which certifies that the food or items are suitable for Muslims. Because cosmetics and pharmaceuticals include animal by-products, they require halal certification. Alcohol is present in perfumes, pig fat is used in lipsticks and lip balms, and cosmetic items use pig, chicken, goat, and other animal by-products, all of which are considered haram by Islamic law. As a result, halal-certified cosmetics and pharmaceuticals merely signify that they do not include any ingredients that are forbidden to Muslims.
After the Hijab ban, Halal ban surfaces in Karnataka
After months-long row over the Hijab ban in educational institutions, the spotlight has been shifted to the Halal ban in Karnataka.Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said that the state government will look into 'halal' meat issue as "serious objections" have now been raised about it. "The halal issue has just started. We have to study it. It's a practice that is going on. Now serious objections have been raised about it. I will look into it," said Bommai in a press conference.