HALAL CERTIFICATION OF CULTIVATED MEAT IN SINGAPORE: DEVELOPING THE HALAL GOVERNANCE & REGULATORY READINESS ASSESSMENT (HGRRA) FRAMEWORK

Mohamed Faizal Abdul Hathi; Noriah Ramli

doi:10.33102/mjsl.vol14no1.1699

Authors

Mohamed Faizal Abdul Hathi International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), Level 3, KICT Building, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), 53100, Selangor, Malaysia / Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS), Singapore Islamic Hub, 273 Braddell Road, 579702, Singapore https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8364-533X
Noriah Ramli Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyah of Laws, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), PO Box 10, 50728, Selangor, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33102/mjsl.vol14no1.1699

Keywords:

Cultivated meat, halal certification, Sharīʿah governance, regulatory readiness, Singapore

Abstract

Cultivated meat produced through cellular agriculture offers potential benefits for sustainability, food security, and ethical consumption, yet presents complex halal-certification challenges, particularly in Muslim-minority contexts where religious authority and scientific regulation must be closely integrated. This article develops and applies the Halal Governance and Regulatory Readiness Assessment (HGRRA) framework to evaluate Singapore’s preparedness to certify cultivated meat as halal. Using a qualitative doctrinal and document-based method, the study analyses statutory provisions, the 2024 MUIS fatwa, halal-assurance manuals, food-safety guidelines, and scholarly literature published between 2022 and 2025. The HGRRA assesses governance maturity across six domains: Legal Mandate, Sharīʿah Framework, Technical Expertise, Infrastructure, Stakeholder Engagement, and International Alignment through a four-tier continuum. Findings place Singapore at Tier 3: Structured Readiness, reflecting strong legal authority, doctrinal clarity, and coordinated regulatory oversight, but limited by gaps in biotechnology-specific audit mechanisms, laboratory capacity, and institutionalised engagement structures. Advancing toward Tier 4: Managed Readiness will require operationalising fatwa conditions within HalMQ, accrediting halal-relevant biotechnology laboratories, enhancing scientific competencies among auditors, and promoting regional harmonisation of halal-biotechnology standards. The study demonstrates the adaptability of Sharīʿah principles to emerging food systems and proposes a structured, maqāṣid-informed governance model for halal authorities navigating biotechnological innovation. By offering a replicable readiness framework, this research contributes to global efforts to develop coherent, future-oriented halal regulatory systems for cellular-agriculture products.

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