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Q&A
Detailed questioning on halal certification verification and contract language discrepancies
0:45:25
·
3 min
Council Members Julie Won and Amanda Farías press for specific answers regarding the city's verification process for halal certification and address discrepancies in contract language between halal and kosher meal requirements.
- Won requests clarification on the city's verification process for halal certification
- Discussion of differences in contract language for halal and kosher meals in DHS contracts
- Kate MacKenzie acknowledges the need to provide more accurate information on verification processes
- Council members emphasize the importance of treating halal and kosher requirements equally in contracts
- Request for follow-up information on how the city ensures halal verifiers are certified and credible
Kate MacKenzie
0:45:25
you once we have a chance to speak with our colleagues at H and H and across more detail and come back with the specifics about what the standards in the contracts are along as what the verification process is.
Amanda Farías
0:45:37
Okay.
0:45:38
I'm just gonna ask some general questions as
Kevin Riley
0:45:40
as One second.
0:45:41
Sure.
Julie Won
0:45:41
We need to understand what the city's verification process is for halal certification.
0:45:47
Does anyone at this table know what the what the verification process is or are you just taking people's word for it?
0:45:53
Like I could set up an LLC and be like, sure.
0:45:56
I'm gonna say that you're halal.
Kate MacKenzie
0:45:58
There are a number of different verification processes and entities.
0:46:04
I do have a recollection from our experiences during the pandemic about the organization that you're referencing in in Florida.
0:46:13
And also, I will say that there's differences in the certifying of the kitchens versus the certification of the food itself.
0:46:21
And I just would like to be able to speak clearly and correctly about the processes that are utilized by different city agencies on that.
Julie Won
0:46:29
And I just wanna point out even for DHS not just for H and H where we're having issues with Halal, DHS has a contract with Riviera, the e pin number is zero seven one one seven p zero zero zero three zero zero two that my team and I have reviewed, and it states that the contractor and or subcontractor halal meals must come from a certified vendor.
0:46:50
So does d s does DHS verify this information?
0:46:54
Does DHS require more than the vendor being registered with the New York State Department of Agriculture?
0:46:59
And what happens if a supplier is found to have provided non halal food after securing the contract, and have there been cases of past noncompliance?
0:47:08
And we've also found multiple DHS contracts, which we could share the EPIN numbers for you for, that we've reviewed.
0:47:15
There's a difference in language where DHS nutritional specification table for kosher and halal meals.
0:47:22
So for kosher, the contract state all kosher meals must be must be certified kosher vendors and meet religious diet guidelines and requirements.
0:47:31
But for halal, they require only all halal meal must be certified.
0:47:35
So you don't make the differentiation that it has to be a certified halal vendor and a certified verification process for it to be halal.
0:47:44
And does DHS not require that halal meals must be certified from halal vendors, meet religious diet guidelines and requirements?
0:47:51
Why are there differences for these two religions for DHS contracts.
Kate MacKenzie
0:47:59
So once again, we we need to come back to I also there are clear distinctions in the certifying bodies for kosher meals and halal meals, and I wanna be able to provide you with the accurate information on the different verifications that are required for each, but they are distinctly separate.
Julie Won
0:48:19
Okay.
0:48:19
But for both halal and kosher, they should be treated the same.
0:48:22
The legal language should be the same where we say that they need to meet religious guidelines and requirements, and both should be certified vendors.
0:48:30
And I want to make sure that we have a city verification process.
0:48:34
I want you to get back to me on how we're making sure that these verifiers for halal are certified and credible, not some random entity in Florida who's not gonna come and actually check out how you're making halal food.