Hindus want religious food certification: USOH president

Hindus would like religious food certification similar to Jewish Kosher and Muslim Halal foods, according to Universal Society of Hinduism (USOH) president Rajan Zed.

Zed was quoted by merinews.com as saying that Hindus take their diets very seriously and that food plays a major role in Hinduism.

Like several other faiths, Hindus also have religious dietary laws, noted Zed.

Zed suggested that foods permissible to Hindus could be termed as "shuddh" (pure) and could be depicted by a capital "S" with a circle around it.

According to Zed, shuddh food should be free from meat, fish, eggs, alcohol and intoxicants, and these ingredients should also be avoided in the processing of shuddh food.

Machinery and equipment involved in the processing of shuddh food should be properly cleaned and purified beforehand, said the Hindu statesman.

In addition to products supplied by manufacturers and retailers, Zed suggested that food provided to Hindu consumers in airlines, defence forces, cruises and prisons could also make use of the "shuddh" symbol.

He also proposed the creation of a worldwide Hindu body to certify products, manufacturers and restaurants as "shuddh".