§ 31.658 — Halal Products
Plain-Language Summary
This section protects consumers from false claims that food is Halal. It is illegal to sell food as Halal unless it was actually prepared according to Islamic religious law. Sellers can defend themselves by showing they relied on a certification in good faith.
31.658 HALAL PRODUCTS.
§
Subdivision 1.Halal food requirements.
A person must not:
(1) serve, sell, or expose for sale food or food products, meat or meat products, or poultry or poultry products that are falsely represented as Halal;
(2) permit food, food products, meat or meat products, or poultry or poultry products, or the contents of a package or container to be labeled or inscribed with the “Halal” sign unless the food or food products, meat or meat products, or poultry or poultry products have been prepared and maintained in compliance with the laws and customs of the Islamic religion; or
(3) make an oral or written statement that deceives or otherwise leads a reasonable person to believe that non-Halal food or food products, meat or meat products, or poultry or poultry products are Halal. §
Subd. 2.Presumption.
Possession of non-Halal food or food products, meat or meat products, or poultry or poultry products in a place of business is presumptive evidence that the person in possession of them exposes them for sale. §
Subd. 3.Defense.
It is a defense against a charge of misrepresenting non-Halal food or food products, meat or meat products, or poultry or poultry products as Halal that the person relied in good faith upon the representation of a slaughterhouse, manufacturer, processor, packer, distributor, or person or organization which certifies or represents a food or food product, meat or meat product, or poultry or poultry product as having been prepared under or sanctioned by Islamic religious requirements.
History:
History: History:
2001 c 54 s 2