Pretzel dog: Halal or haram has nothing to do with name - Nik Abduh

Halal or haram of a food does not depend on its name but in its ingredients, said PAS's youth chief Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz.

However he said a food company should avoid giving confusing names to their food products.

He was commenting on Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) suggestion that pretzel store franchise Auntie Anne's change the name of its "Pretzel Dog" to "Pretzel Sausage" to receive a halal certification.

"Halal or haram does not lie in the name. Maybe this is not a name issue. It is compulsory for all food company to obtain halal certificate and not to give names that can cause confusion.," he said when met by reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

"The company should seek clarification from Jakim," he added.

Asked if the name 'hot dog' would confuse Muslims, he said the name has been around for a long time and it would not cause an issue.

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz called Jakim’s decision stupid and backward. He said the word “hot dog” did not mean the food contained dog meat.

“Please do not make us seem stupid and backward,” he said.