An estimated 90% of all food sold in South African supermarkets is certified halaal, in a nod to the spending power of South Africa’s almost 1 million Muslims, and the halaal market is estimated at as much as R45bn. According to the National Independent Halaal Trust (NIHT), the halaal-certification process simply “oversees the entire programme of production and ensures that no non-halaal products are used, or that halaal products are contaminated with pork, insects, urine, alcohol, animal waste, blood, certain genetically modified organisms and harmful supplements and colourants”. According to the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL), however, they have received a campaign-level number of complaints from Christian punters concerned that their hard-earned cash is somehow finding its way into Muslim pockets and that they are being forced, against their will, to consume idolatrous corn flakes.
Comment: It’s 2018 people, it’s a small little world we all share, and it’s time to grow up.