Ang Mo Kio Ice Cream Café Owner Claims Year-Long Halal Certification Costs S$1.2K
For F&B operators in Singapore, getting a halal certificate can be a tedious process.
While some may argue that the reward outweighs the hassle, not everyone may know what it takes to attain the certification.
The owner of an ice cream café in Ang Mo Kio recently shed some light on the situation in a TikTok video.
@yongwei92 Replying to @Milo no pork no lard
He explains that a year-long certification would cost him roughly S$1,200, an amount he can’t afford at this stage of his business.
Ang Mo Kio ice cream cafe claims all desserts are vegan
After going viral recently for a hilarious publicity stunt, Heartbreak Melts, an ice cream café in Ang Mo Kio, received plenty of queries.
Customer Pretends To Confront Ang Mo Kio Ice Cream Café Owner, Only To Compliment Food
The owner took to TikTok to answer them, including one that asked if the café was halal-certified.
Source: @yongwei92 on TikTok
While he clarified that Heartbreak Melts has no halal certification, co-owner Mr Goh assured that everything is vegan. They also don’t serve any alcoholic flavours.
The only alcohol comes in the form of beers, but the café stores them separately.
This ensures that the drinks don’t cross-contaminate with the ice cream in the display area and the freezers.
Halal certification would cost Ang Mo Kio ice cream café $1.2K in a year
Mr Goh went on to explain that putting off the halal certification is purely a business decision.
He said, “For a small café like us, to get halal certification for a year, it would cost us S$1,219.”
While the door is still open for them to get the certification, it’s just not currently possible with their budget.
Nevertheless, he reasoned that in some cases, customers can decide for themselves if food is permissible for consumption according to their dietary needs.
He cited an explanation by Muslim.sg which states that “Halal food need not necessarily be prepared by Muslims”.
Source: @yongwei92 on TikTok
Café owner shares understanding of halal & haram
Mr Goh proceeded to share his understanding of halal and haram, using Panadol as an example.
Noting that the medication doesn’t have a halal certification but Muslims consume it for medical purposes, Mr Goh explained that certification may not be mandatory in such cases.
Source: @yongwei92 on TikTok
He also explained how halal-certified products like Milo can become haram when consumed in excess, as it could negatively impact one’s health.
The Muslim community, impressed by his research and sincerity, applauded him in the comments section.
Sincerity & honesty could win café new customers
Though his café ultimately isn’t officially halal at the moment, Mr Goh’s impressive knowledge of the subject matter could perhaps instil some confidence in the Muslim community.
Knowing what his customers need, people will be more inclined to trust that Mr Goh would cater to them.
The honesty and sincerity in his replies would also surely have won him some new customers.
Hopefully, Heartbreak Melts continues to get into the headlines for the right reasons, and we wish them success in the future.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and @yongwei92 on TikTok.
