Colgate has a new commercial. It is promoting their recent qualification for Malaysia’s Halal certification. In the Islamic world, this is an admirable achievement. Outside of that world, people are probably less sure of the benefits. Does this certificate guarantee cleaner teeth?

In the earlier post Malaysians no longer allowed to practice Yoga, we talked about the term haram, which means forbidden for Muslims. The term halal is the direct opposite, being used to describe (mostly food) items that are permissible according to Islam Law.

When the term halal is used for meat, it generally means that there is no pork in it (pork is blatantly haram) and that the animal is slaughtered in a specific way to ensures all blood leaves the body before preparation. When non-food items such as toothpaste or even banking are halal, it means there are only Islam approved ingredients and procedures used. Asking interest for example, is not an Islamic thing to do.

How much Colgate has actually changed their toothpaste to make it halal is something I’m not entirely clear or on either. But it is estimated that 70% of Muslims worldwide follow Halal food standards and that the Global Halal Market is currently a US$580 billion industry. I would say that’s pretty much enough reason for any large company to see the benefits of the Islamic way…

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