Baskin Robbins holds US halal certification recognised by Malaysian government

Published on March 18, 2025 at 07:45
2 min read
By Raevathi SUPRAMANIAM, AFP Malaysia

Social media users in Muslim-majority Malaysia have misleadingly claimed the popular American ice cream chain Baskin Robbins was not certified halal by the country's Islamic affairs authority. In fact, the company received its certification from a US-based halal authority recognised by the Malaysian government.

"All 138 Baskin Robbins outlets are not certified halal by Jakim," reads a February 13 Malay-language Facebook post that has been shared 1,800 times.

Malaysia's Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM) is the primary halal certification body in the country, where two-thirds of its 34 million population are Muslims.

They must observe strict halal dietary standards, which prohibit pork, alcohol and other meat that has not been slaughtered according to Islamic rites (archived link).

Screengrab of the misleading post taken on March 17, 2025

Similar posts appeared elsewhere on Facebook, as well as in a group with more than 107,000 members, alleging the ice cream chain was not certified by JAKIM.

In fact, it holds an equivalent certification by the US-based Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA) (archived link).

Baskin Robbins Malaysia's website features an FAQ page that explains the IFANCA certification is recognised by JAKIM (archived link).

"The next time you visit any of our outlets, please feel free to ask our outlet managers to show you our IFANCA certificate," the site states.

JAKIM's latest list of recognised foreign halal certification bodies and authorities, released in February 2025, shows IFANCA remains accepted in the country (archived link).

AFP has repeatedly debunked posts falsely claiming international food and beverage brands operating in Malaysia lacked halal-certification.

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