China to check halal food

BEIJING -- China will check and rectify the trend of over-generalization of halal food, Xinhua learned Tuesday.

An official from the State Ethnic Affairs Commission told Xinhua that local departments will ban unlawful authentication of halal food in their jurisdictions.

The commission will improve systems and mechanisms for the administration of halal food, and crackdown on fake halal food.

Halal food concerns 23 million people in China. Although both central and local governments have policies to regulate the industry, fake halal food exists and supervision mechanisms are absent in some areas.

From this year, departments have strengthened administration of halal food, and urged local governments to properly address over-generalization.

The official stressed that the government strictly defines halal food as a custom of muslim people, rather than food conforming to Islamic Sharia, in a bid to prevent religion from interfering with secular life.