Wilfrid Laurier University Students' Union has issued an apology after it says non-halal chicken was likely marketed and sold as halal in two campus restaurants.
It is not immediately clear how long the non-halal chicken may have been served to students who thought it was halal.
In a news release Sunday, the student union called the mistake, which impacted grilled chicken served at Wilf’s Restaurant and The Turret, “a serious breach of trust” and said it has taken deliberate steps to deliver accountability.
“The students’ union unreservedly apologizes to the Muslim community and all those impacted for the egregious error and harm caused by the likely serving of non-Halal grilled chicken as Halal in Wilf’s Restaurant and the Turret,” the release reads.
The students’ union said it has commenced an immediate review of its food service and preparation procedures.
In the meantime, the students' union has stopped serving items advertised as Halal.
“We have confirmed that the inventory we receive comes with a seal from the Halal Monitoring Authority, and each product has a Halal certification,” the student union said.
The student union said it has rectified the supply issue.
“Moving forward we will be developing a separate Halal menu for Wilf’s that provides detailed information about our suppliers and our kitchen preparation procedures,” the union said.
The union said it will also be pursuing additional training for hospitality teams on the preparation and serving of food that adheres to faith-based traditions.
In reponse to the incident, a spokesperson for Wilfrid Laurier University said in an email to CTV News: "We are here to support our Muslim students who have been impacted and to support the student union in taking the best next steps forward."
