The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has refuted claims made in a viral video on social media about 'Halal-certified' food being served on trains. IRCTC took to its X handle to clarify, stating, "This is a misleading video. Please don’t believe it and don’t forward it. IRCTC requires only FSSAI compliance for its catering units." The video in question shows a passenger arguing with railway staff over halal certification on a tea packet. The passenger expressed concerns about the certification during the month of Sawan, a sacred period in the Hindu calendar.
In response, IRCTC clarified on X that the tea is 100 percent vegetarian and meets mandatory FSSAI certification with a 'Green Dot' indication. Additionally, the manufacturing company, Chaizup, issued a statement explaining the concept of halal certification and emphasized, “All our products lab reports are available, and our products are 100 percent vegetarian. All ingredients are natural. We use milk powder and 100 percent plant-based ingredients to make our tea and coffee premises.” Interestingly, this is the second time IRCTC has provided clarification on the same video, having previously addressed it in July 2023.