Talk has been going around that Pezzo is no longer Halal-Certified thanks to an eagle-eyed Singaporean who spotted that the Star Vista branch had no Halal Certification by MUIS, followed by tweets from @halalsg, the Official account of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) on Halal food & certification queries.
Use of Halal Logo while Halal Certificate is not present
Mr Rahmat Jebon questioned on why Pezzo had no halal cert on their shops but still has the Halal MUIS logo on their packaging. He also claimed that Pezzo was wrong to use the MUIS’ halal logo since they have no Halal certificate any more and that MUIS should fine the Star Vista branch of Pezzo.
Is Pezzo not halal?
Netizens were mostly aghast that the poster Mr Rahman could post this up without clarifying with anyone from the shop. They claimed that Mr Rahmat Jebon was participating in the act of ‘membawang’, a term which is popular these days originating from the Malay word ‘bawang’ meaning ‘onion’. The term is used popularly with ‘Makcik Bawang’ or ‘Onion Aunties’ implying the act of gossiping without proof. This side asserted that Mr Rahmat Jebon should have clarified with Pezzo straight before creating chaos in the Facebook Group.
Netizens started asking around for confirmation through various channels.
One of the avenues that they went to ask for confirmation was the MUIS Halal Certification Twitter account – @halalsg.@halalSG is run by the halal department of MUIS, claimed that Pezzo’s Halal Certificate has expired in a Tweet on July 11, 2018.A Twitter user by the name of Fatimah Haniff first asked if Pezzo was still Halal-Certified by MUIS.
Salaam Fatimah. Nope, Pezzo is no longer Halal-certified. https://t.co/2O80IVq5wm
— halalSG (@halalSG) July 11, 2018
A second user @FirHart2109 then asked why Pezzo lost their Halal Certification. @halalsg responded that Pezzo’s certification had expired and they have not received any applications.
Pezzo’s Halal certificate has expired and we have yet to receive any Halal application. https://t.co/Iy72JyrBzF
— halalSG (@halalSG) July 11, 2018
What Pezzo saysSome Facebook users also gave a direct message to Pezzo’s Facebook Page. Unexpectedly, the Regional Head Chef of Pezzo himself, Sazali Ahmad, replied to the message and personally replied to the Facebook comments in the Halal Cafe & Restaurants Facebook group.He replied that Pezzo is undergoing Halal Certification renewal and he assured other concerned patrons that the ingredients used are the same as when they were halal-certified. Halalfoodhunt managed to contact Pezzo and got in touch with their Halal Officer, Sherrill Razali, who oversees the Halal Certification application process for Pezzo.”Pezzo’s Halal Certification has expired on 30th April 2018 and we are currently in the midst of renewal process. All ingredients used, are Halal and cooking and preparation methods are in accordance of Halal Principles.”
Renewal of halal certification is a process and looks beyond ingredients
However, concerned Netizens clarified again with @fox1Yoda on whether Pezzo had indeed renewed their applications in March. The Twitter account maintained that the fact that this is “not true”.According to @halalsg, while Pezzo is indeed undergoing renewal process of their halal certification in March, @halalsg has not received applications from Pezzo.
Master Yoda, greetings.Not true, their claims are. https://t.co/uja0TYfXjC
— halalSG (@halalSG) July 11, 2018
@halalsg added that Pezzo might have submitted their application a few times before this but had failed to meet MUIS’ existing Halal Certification Conditions (HCC). The HCC Certification Condition for Eating Establishments on MUIS’ website is a 41-page document detailing the exact process of how a place gets their halal-certification and involves requirements like payment and submitting of documents on time.
Pezzo’s HC has expired since April 2018. All renewal applications have been rejected as they do not meet our HCC (Halal Certification Conditions).
As of now we’ve yet to receive any new Halal applications from them.— halalSG (@halalSG) July 11, 2018
Although the Head Chef Sazali Ahmad maintains that the ingredients used are still halal, the lag in getting the halal certification may be due to other matters.Twitter user @diLaAnwar asked if the Halal Certification process considered other matters beyond just the ingredients, like documentations. @halalsg responded saying that it involves looking at their systems and processes.
Ten points for Gryffindor!
Halal certification is more than just ingredients, it looks at the entire system and processes. https://t.co/G9YpbE1Q6C— halalSG (@halalSG) July 11, 2018
Does no Halal-certification mean that the food is not halal?
As the official account of the only halal certifying body in Singapore, @halalsg maintains that it is better to wait for the Halal-certification for added assurance. However as the Head Chef of Pezzo who is a Muslim, has given his assurance that the ingredients used are halal, some patrons might feel that that assurance is all they need.Would you wait for Pezzo Pizza SG to receive their Halal-Certification, or be okay with their Muslim Head Chef’s assurance that their ingredients used are still the same as when they were Halal-Certified? Either way, it is up to the individual’s level of comfort with the establishment.Concerned members of the public can also reach out to Pezzo’s halal officer Sherrill Razali at 68444222 or 9384 4713.
