Al-Hisba

The hisba was a system devised during the Islamic Middle Ages to organize and supervise crafts, standardize and control quality of products, and protect consumer interests against fraud. The muhtasib, a government official, was responsible for carrying out such duties, with the help of his aides and written manuals and guides. Foods sold in markets, such as sausages, cured meats, and desserts, were no exception. The food manuals would guide the muhtasib as to how to detect adulterated food by giving means and ways for doing so. For instance, the manual would describe how to make artificial honey, samn (ghee/clarified butter), vinegar, olive oil or sesame oil, and milk (al-Hassan and Hill, 230).