201-G - Persons certifying as halal; filing with department.
§ 201-g. Persons certifying as halal; filing with department. 1. Any person who certifies any non-prepackaged meat, meat preparations, meat by-products or poultry as halal, and any person who certifies any non-prepackaged food or food products as halal shall file with the department, in accordance with regulations set by the commissioner, a statement of such person's qualifications for providing such certification. 2. No person shall within this state manufacture, compound, brew, distill, produce, process, pack, sell or offer for sale any non-prepackaged meat, meat preparations, meat by-products, poultry or food or food products that are represented or branded as halal unless such person has, in accordance with regulations set by the commissioner, filed with the department the name, address, and telephone number of the person certifying such food or food product as halal. 3. Any food establishment or caterer that sells or offers for sale food or food products prepared on the premises or under its control that are represented as halal, shall file with the department the name, address, and telephone number of the person certifying the food or food products as halal. Food establishments and caterers selling or offering for sale food or food products prepared on the premises or under their control that are represented as halal shall post a "halal certification form" in a location readily visible to the consumer, and shall also provide a copy of such form to the department. The halal certification form shall contain the information and be in the form set forth below, in not less than twelve point type: HALAL CERTIFICATION FORM Name of Establishment:_______________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________________ Name of Individual or Organization Certifying Food as Halal:______________________________________________________________ Address & Phone Number of Certifying Individual or Organization:________________________________________________________ Affiliation & Education of Certifying Individual or Organization:__________________________________________ The certifying individual or organization visits this establishment: ___time(s) daily ___time(s) weekly ___time(s) monthly ___time(s) yearly All meat sold or served by this establishment __is __is not halal. Describe halal food preparation process:_____________________________________________________________ We ___do ___do not exclusively sell or serve halal food. Establishment selling and serving both halal and non-halal food must complete the following: We __do __do not use separate ovens and sinks for halal and non-halal foods. We __do __do not use separate utensils, refrigerators, freezers and storage areas for halal and non-halal foods. All utensils and equipment __are __are not clearly identified as halal and non-halal. Non-halal products __are __are not mixed with halal products and then sold as halal. 4. Any food establishment or caterer that sells or offers for sale food or food products prepared on the premises or under their control that are represented as halal shall maintain a permanently bound logbook that shall include for each inspection visit of the person certifying their food or food products as halal, the signature and printed name of the person performing the inspection and the date and time of arrival at the establishment. The logbook shall be maintained for a period of not less than two years after the final entry, and shall be made available to the department upon request.5. The department is authorized to inspect all food establishments and caterers selling or offering for sale food or food products represented as halal to ensure compliance with sections two hundred one-e and two hundred one-f of this article and this section, and the accuracy of any information supplied in accordance with such sections. The commissioner is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations as are necessary to further implement the provisions of sections two hundred one-e and two hundred one-f of this article and this section. The department shall develop and maintain a website that makes available to consumers copies of all forms and certification information that are required by this section. 6. Failure to comply with the requirements of sections two hundred one-e and two hundred one-f of this article and this section or the failure to conform sales practices to the information provided in the halal certification form pursuant to this section shall be punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars for a first violation; not more than five thousand dollars for a second violation; and not more than ten thousand dollars for a third violation and each subsequent violation thereafter.