Abstract In Arabic, halal literally means ‘permissible’ or ‘lawful’. Halal is no longer an
expression of an esoteric form of production, trade and consumption, but part of a huge
and expanding globalized market in which certification, standards and technoscience
play important roles. Over the past three decades, Malaysia has become a world leader in
the global expansion of halal markets. This has come about in large part because the state
and government of Malaysia have taken on the role of halal-certifying authority within
the country. In effect, it has certified, standardized and bureaucratized halal production,
trade and consumption. Based on fieldwork in Malaysia, this article explores how
manufacturing companies understand and practise halal certification, standards and
technoscience. I argue that while existing studies of halal overwhelmingly explore
micro-social aspects such as the everyday consumption among Muslim groups, ‘the
bigger institutional picture’ that frames such consumption production and regulation are
not well understood. By studying halal production, I provide an ethnography of the
overlapping technologies and techniques of production and regulation that together
warrant a product as ‘halal’ and thereby help to format the market.
Keywords Malaysia . Halal . Certification . Standards . Technoscience . Manufacturers