Sanatarium Halal Accreditation Email Enquiry .pdf

First and foremost I would like to categorically state that I am not against halal accreditation on
religious grounds. I really couldn't give a crap what mo mufti and his band of merry camels can or
can't eat or for that matter what I can or cant eat. I am against companies forcing me to pay for a
levy that has nothing to do with my lifestyle. Hey, I a user pays kind a guy. You want Halal food...
YOU pay for it.
Eating breakfast, one morning, I noticed that Sanitatium Weet-Bix doesn't have the 'Halal' logo or
any indication of its halal accreditation status printed on its label so I continued to purchase, and eat
my childhood favourite breakfast cereal as normal (I've been eating their product since I could eat
solids, so over 40 years).
Then I saw 'Sanatatium Products' get listed as a halal accredited company on one of 'those' facebook
pages. I checked this out on a number of websites and yes, it seemed, Sanitarium were now one of
'those' companies.
I had another look at the packaging. I had a look at their website. So I though this can't be right,
maybe that website got it wrong. So I emailed their customer service team and this is what
transpired.
From me: (7th Feb 2015)
To whom it may concern. I have been a long time supporter and consumer of your products. I also
boycott purchasing Halal certified foods purely on the grounds that I just do not wish to support
another religion.
I do this by purchasing products that do not display the halal logo or any wording to suggest this. I
have recently seen on various web resources that Sanatarium products are now halal certified
although there is no indication on your products or your website to this effect.
Could you please verify your halal certification status so I can make a better informed decision. I
will also pass on the information regarding websites I have found stating that you are now indeed
halal certified for your perusal.
Thankyou in advance and I look forward to your answer. Matt Murphy
Sanatarium: (9th Feb 2015)
Dear Matthew
Thank you for your enquiry concerning Sanitarium and Halal Certification. Please find below our
company statement.
Sanitarium’s mission is to share with our community health and hope for a better life. This means
we want to ensure everyone within our community (both locally and globally) have the opportunity
to choose and enjoy healthy, tasty and convenient foods.
Sanitarium products naturally meet Halal standards and appeal to people seeking Halal foods as we
do not use meat-based ingredients or alcohol in our products.
Sanitarium exports to over 40 countries around the world. Many of these countries require by law

and right of entry that our foods are Halal certified. Therefore, to be able to provide Muslim
communities with healthy foods we obtain Halal certification for the foods we export. This by
nature of our production and processes includes foods produced in Australia and New Zealand.
Halal certification is a one-off annual fee which covers direct certification costs only, such as air
travel, inspection time, raw material evaluations against Halal standards, data entry and clerical
administration costs. The certification authority we use is recognised and approved by the Federal
Government’s Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) for export purposes. There is
no product royalty payable on products that have Halal certification.
Thanks again for your interest and for taking time to contact us.
Regards

My response (they didn't answer my core question) : (10th Feb 2015)

Thankyou for your prompt reply. But as a consumer I should be able to
easily identify between halal and non halal foods. As you do not have
any markings on your packaging or information on your website, as a
consumer, how do I know this about your products without having to
email or phone the company?
Once again thanks in advance and I look forward to your reply
Matt Murphy

A week later I emailed them again: (16th Feb 2015)
Sorry to bother you again but I was wondering when I would be
receiving a reply to my earlier query?
"Thankyou for your prompt reply. But as a consumer I should be able to
easily identify between halal and non halal foods. As you do not have
any markings on your packaging or information on your website, as a
consumer, how do I know this about your products without having to
email or phone the company?
Once again thanks in advance and I look forward to your reply
Matt Murphy"

An hour later I got this: (16th Feb 2015)
Hi Matt
The company statement is the only information I have to give you regarding this. Your concerns
were registered and our team notified of them.
Melissa
Well. All I can say is, Sanitarium, you have lost me as a customer, not for the Halal accreditation so
much now, but the fact that you are now hiding the fact (well making it harder to obtain the
information more so than hide, but hide none the less) so that consumers like myself cant make an
informed decision.
Feel free to share this around.