Sandwich maker breaks silence but no explanation of halal logo

Summary

• Sandwich supplier Shake and Bake Cafe Sdn Bhd says its ingredients have valid halal certifications.

• However, it did not explain why it used Jakim’s halal logo on its sandwich packaging without obtaining the certification.

Food manufacturer Shake and Bake Cafe Sdn Bhd has broken its silence on the sandwich controversy but did not explain why it used the Islamic Development Department (Jakim)’s halal logo on its sandwich packaging when it did not have the certification.

In a statement today, the company said ingredients for the sandwich include bread, cheese, and chicken slices.

It also said the chicken slices used were halal-certified by Jakim.

“We promise to provide full cooperation with the Domestic Trade and Cost Of Living Ministry and Jakim in this investigation,” it added.

Along with its statement to the media, Shake and Bake Cafe furnished two halal certificates.

The first is a certificate from Jakim for the sandwich. It was issued on April 16, 2023, and is valid until April 15, 2025.

But the certificate was issued to Lucky Food Processing Sdn Bhd, and not Shake and Bake Cafe.

The second certificate is an Austrian halal certificate for the cheese slices used in the sandwich dated from June 2, 2024, until June 1, 2025. This certification is recognised by Jakim.

Usage of halal logo

On Monday (Jan 13), Jakim confirmed that the ham and cheese sandwich sold at several KK Mart outlets in Universiti Malaya was not halal-certified and its supplier is not a halal certificate holder.

This was a violation of the Trade Description Act 2011 (Act 730), it added.

Fraudulent use of Jakim’s halal certification and logo is a criminal offence and companies can be fined up to RM200,000 for the first offence.

Before this, the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry indicated that the factory where the sandwiches were assembled did not have a valid halal certificate.

The ministry also said the expired certificate was originally issued to another company that Shake and Bake Cafe had acquired.

In a Facebook post yesterday, the ministry also said the halal certification and logo must not be traded, lent, transferred, forged, misused, or altered in any way.

Additionally, KK Mart said the supplier was not authorised to use the convenience store chain’s logo on the sandwich packaging and it is pursuing legal action over the matter.

This incident came less than a year after KK Mart was also embroiled in a scandal over socks bearing the word Allah - which the convenience store chain also blamed on a supplier.

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