Halal meat is often sold at a premium compared to non-halal meat due to certification, packaging, and compliance costs. Unfortunately, some companies exploit this by selling non-halal products under halal labels.

One such case involved JKY Food Solutions Limited, a Birmingham-based wholesaler. Following investigations, the company was fined £35,000 and ordered to pay £26,910 in court costs, bringing the total penalty to £62,000.

The case was pursued under Operation Swordfish, an initiative targeting food fraud.

On July 19, 2012, Commerce Standards officers visited the company ahead of Ramadan. Officers posing as customers purchased a 12kg case of chicken labeled halal for £22. Both the packaging and bill displayed halal markings, including Arabic script.

Upon inspection, the chicken was traced back to an Irish supplier that did not produce halal meat. Further investigations revealed that 274 boxes of chicken — worth nearly £6,000 — were mislabeled as halal. Records suggested the company distributed more than 1,000 crates per month, indicating widespread fraud.

Birmingham Crown Court found JKY Food Solutions in violation of the General Food Regulations 2004 for selling non-halal chicken as halal.

Councilman Barbara Dring, head of Birmingham’s Licensing and Public Protection Committee, stressed:

“Counterfeiting food is a big issue that we take very seriously. We will take proper action, including legal action, to protect consumers.”

“This case is a wake-up call for the halal food industry. When companies deliberately mislabel products, they exploit not just consumers’ wallets but their faith and trust. For Muslim families, halal is not an optional label — it is a matter of spiritual obligation.

At VERIHALAL, we are committed to stopping these practices by verifying sourcing and certification at no cost to restaurants and suppliers. By creating a transparent system, we ensure that customers know exactly what they are buying and businesses that act with honesty are rewarded.

Food fraud damages communities, businesses, and trust. Our goal is to ensure that no family ever has to question whether the ‘halal’ food on their plate truly meets the standard they expect.”

Original reporting from The Halal Times. Read more here.