Does vegetable-based food require Halal certification?
Yes. Most food producers, especially those from non-Muslim countries, assumed that vegetable-based products are safe for Muslim consumption. Thus Halal certification is not required by an established Islamic Council. But the Halal Certification System is not only with regards to the raw material used. It encompasses the whole production process which includes processing, packaging, labelling, storage and transportation.
Generally all plants are Halal as long as it is not poisonous and not intended to be made into Haram food. However, a processed vegetable-based food is not naturally Halal if any of the production cycle is tainted with unclean elements (filthy or Najis) as in accordance with the Syariah Law. For instance, fats and oils or shortening is used during the process to enhance the taste of vegetable based food. Some of these enhancers may have been derived from a non-Halal animal. In addition some vegetable fats is processed in the same machinery which has been used to process non-Halal animal fats. Further, some packaging may contain animal grease such as pork fats. If these packaging materials have been in contact with the Halal vegetable-based products in anyway, it will render those products Haram and unfit for Muslim consumption.