The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has addressed public concerns regarding Muslim meals served on board Singapore Airlines flights.
The online discussion was sparked by a post on Threads on April 20, which questioned whether cabin crew heated halal meals alongside those containing pork in the same oven.
On April 22, MUIS responded to the post, saying that it had been “eyeing this discussion from the side for a while”.
“Definitely monitoring, we’re not on airplane mode,” it wrote.
The religious board then reassured Muslims that it is safe to order Muslim Meals (MOML) while flying.
Such meals on Singapore Airlines, as well as other outward-bound flights from Singapore, are prepared in dedicated halal-certified establishments before being loaded onto the aircraft.
“While the ovens may be shared, flights generally have procedures in place to prevent cross-mixing (e.g. sealed meals, proper handling),” MUIS explained.
Not having halal-certification does not automatically mean the food itself is not halal, it said.
The religious board also advised Muslim travellers to follow its guidelines when looking to decide if something is safe for them to consume.
They are:
- Check – Look out for ingredients. Any high-risk items? Better to avoid them
- Ask – Unsure? Reach out to the airline beforehand instead of waiting until you are onboard
- Decide – If still doubtful or unable to confirm, it’s safer to avoid it
“Also! No such thing as over-preparing! If you are still unable to ascertain the halal status of the in-flight meals, bringing your own food is also an option,” MUIS added.
Singapore Airlines also addressed the public’s concerns in a media statement, clarifying that its Muslim meal options are prepared without pork, lard, or alcohol and with ingredients from halal-certified suppliers.
“However, these meals are not halal-certified, as the serviceware used is not segregated by meal type and the meals are reheated in the same ovens as other in-flight meals,” the airline’s spokesperson said.
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