What HMS can tell you
Does HMS certify Walmart?
Not at present. Walmart is not an HMS certified source, and HMS has not examined how the animals behind the meat sold at Walmart were raised, slaughtered or processed. HMS cannot call it Zabiha Halal.
Why HMS cannot vouch for it
HMS certifies only what it checks, and the check is specific: a permissible species, hand Zabiha slaughter while the animal is alive, Bismillah pronounced for each animal, and approved handling all the way to the point of sale. Neither the word Halal on a label nor a familiar chain name replaces that work; what HMS certified really means and what a Halal label proves go into it further.
Because certification can apply to selected products only, verify the exact item in the HMS certified directory and look for the HMS mark on the package.
Asking questions is not rude, and staff are used to them. Ask who certifies the meat and which supplier is used, then confirm the answer independently, because a sincere answer at the counter is still not the same thing as verification.
Protect your deen: look for HMS Certified only
Do not gamble with your deen. If it is not verified, leave it on the shelf. That is the Prophetic guidance:
“Leave that which causes you doubt for that which does not cause you doubt.”
Until HMS can confirm this product, the safe path for a Muslim is to avoid it and buy HMS Certified only, where the meat is traced from the slaughterhouse to the counter. Find an HMS Certified place near you.
Answers in the Halal Knowledge Center reflect the standards followed by Halal Monitoring Services (HMS), which operates as part of the Shariah Board of America. HMS certifies only what it checks.