Due to the nature of the religion, would it be reasonable to conclude that Chinese Muslims practice better hygiene and food sanitation than the general population. I try to avoid eating street food and at restaurants, but I wanted to know if I can depend on Muslim cooking in order to avoid becoming ill. They don't use gutter oil, right?

Any assumption about food hygiene in China, or anywhere for that matter, is foolish. Ascribing cleanliness to a cultural, or ethnic, group defies common sense. Humans tend to act as individuals, especially when no one is looking, so saving a bit of money is usually the motivating factor.

Halal (the word means "legal") dietary laws generally refer the way animals are slaughtered and exclude certain animals.

Confusing Halal, or Kosher, with hygiene and sanitation will not protect you from getting terribly sick. Gutter oil use is some thing good Chinese do to save money.

Honestly, if concerns about food safety really bother you, China would be a very uncomfortable place to live. China's population didn't get to 1.3 billion people on gutter oil and fake eggs.

I agree with Geezer. Muslim food is often very unhygienic!

Well, so much for that theory.

I guess I'll just stick to imported food, and cooking from scratch.

Yes. The food is China is a big gamble especially if you buy things from the street. They will use anything to save a few bucks and make a profit. Buy from places you know and even then, beware!

You can really eat anything you want with the following precaution:
Drink plenty of whiskey before, during and after eating and you should be OK.

That idea could work, provided you can be certain that your whiskey isn't the fake kind made with industrial alcohol.

industrial alcohol.... works even better!!! :-)

well, if there are choices to be made between a REAL muslim hosted eatery and a non muslim one when i am really hungery, i would go for the REAL muslim hosted one. i would order only real hot food, really piping hot. muslin bread and muslim noodles are generally safe, so are bbq meat. at least, the muslim are less 'sophisticated' in industrial chemistry as the han chinese. :-)

I support what rejected_goods said.

The only time I have ever been ill after eating Muslim food was the niurou gan (dried beef).

The staff will also wash their hands at least 5 times a day. And after using the can.

BBQ from street vendors of any kind is not safe. The meat is often prepared in insanitary conditions. Even if they do operate a cold chain (ice boxes and frozen meat).