When I first arrived in Singapore, one of the first things I noticed in hawker centers (open-air food complexes that house many small, independent stalls serving affordable local dishes) wasn’t the food itself; it was the trays and utensils. I noticed that mine was a different color from my friend’s, and at certain stalls, utensils were kept separate. There were also numerous small signs and labels that I didn’t fully understand. As someone new to the country, it felt like there was a complex system operating in the background that I hadn’t quite figured out yet.
A Visible Marker of Diversity
Over time, I began to understand what I was seeing. Many of these practices are tied to halal food preparation. Before coming here, my understanding of “halal” was fairly surface level. To me, it simply meant no pork and no alcohol. In reality, halal food practices are far more comprehensive than I imagined. As my Muslim friends explained, halal encompasses an entire system of food acquisition and preparation. It controls how animals are slaughtered, how ingredients are sourced and stored, and how each cooking utensil is handled to prevent any form of contamination from a list of prohibited ingredients.
Credit: In Singapore, religious diversity and tolerance go hand in hand, Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C. (October 6, 2023)
A Certification to Build Trust
In Singapore, halal certification is overseen by Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura, which sets detailed standards that businesses must meet before they can be certified. These include requirements around ingredient sourcing, food-handling processes, kitchen cleanliness, and separation of equipment. These standards ensure that Muslim diners don’t need to constantly ask how food is prepared or whether a stall is suitable for them. The Singapore Food Agency works alongside religious bodies to maintain food safety and labelling standards across all food establishments and supermarkets, which reinforces this sense of reliability.
These considerations are built directly into the everyday food environment, but they are not without challenges. In Singapore, debates around labels such as “No Pork No Lard”, which are notably not halal certifications, highlight how easily confusion can arise when systems are not clearly defined. When inclusion is the goal, such inconsistent standards are actively working against us. They introduce uncertainty and place an additional burden on minorities who now must independently verify information that should have been communicated honestly by service providers from the beginning. Simply offering options isn’t enough to avoid bias.
Sharing Food Makes Community
I now realize how much thought goes into something as simple as eating together. In many regions, dietary restrictions often appear as last-minute considerations or special requests. Here, they are anticipated. People can join colleagues or friends for a meal without needing to question every ingredient or explain their dietary needs. There’s something powerful about that. At the same time, tools like color-coded trays and clear labeling don’t solve everything. They still rely on people noticing, understanding, and respecting them. For many, especially those unfamiliar with these systems, it’s easy to overlook how much thought and care are required to make everyday spaces feel inclusive.
The burden of navigating food environments that weren’t designed with all people’s needs and safety in mind is something many carry quietly every day. When systems are designed considerately, participation becomes easier for everyone. Sometimes, that inclusion is most easily seen in very ordinary places, like the hawker center tray you notice before you even notice the food.
Credit: Ypsilon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
This article was written by a guest contributor, A. Orui.
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