By Joshua Solorzano • May 16, 2024 11:57 am
Muslims can now enjoy meat without the worries of being lied to about its halal status, and if there is deception, sellers can legally face the consequences.
At the Federal Way City Council meeting May 7, District 30 State Sen. Claire Wilson highlighted the new Halal Food Consumer Protection Act. Wilson teamed up with local members of the Islamic Center of Federal Way to sponsor the bill, which was signed into law on March 25. The bill makes it illegal for people to knowingly prepare or sell foods falsely described as halal.
Halal is an Arabic word that translates to “permissible,” and is a practice of processing and preparing foods in accordance with Islamic dietary laws.
The Islamic Center of Federal Way liason Muhammad Nazeer said the process of making meat halal while killing an animal is simple, but very important. For Muslim people, if the meat is not prepared halal, it is not permissible for them to eat. He said it’s the same as protection for Kosher foods enjoyed by Jewish people upholding religious law.