Secret Recipe's halal certificate was revoked due to cleanliness issues at its central kitchen and not because of non-halal ingredients, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom said today.

He said an inspection of the facility at Taman Mayang in Petaling Jaya had found the premises not in accordance with the toyyiban (good quality) requirements for halal certification.

“Halal certificates cover everything from farm to table […] when we inspected the processing facility, there were factors involving toyyiban,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.

He was responding to a question from Idris Ahmad (PAS-Bukit Gantang), who wanted clarification as to why the restaurant chain's halal certificate was revoked.

Jakim yesterday announced that Secret Recipe's halal stamp was revoked on May 7 due to cleanliness issues.

Elaborating on this, Jamil ( photo )  said halal certification was not just about serving halal food.

“Halal certification is not just about two prohibited items in Islam, that is pork and dogs.

“Another factor is halalan (permissible food) and toyyiban, under which falls good manufacturing practices (GMP),” he said.

“That is why Malaysia's halal certificate is sought after and liked by foreign countries because we are strict on two factors, cleanliness and halal issues,” he added.