Blockchain Technology Safeguards the Halal Industry: Malaysia HBN and QR Code Traceability

Blockchain Technology Safeguards the Halal Industry Ecosystem Development

Recently, blockchain technology has quietly become popular in the overseas Halal market. Malaysian consumers can now track Halal food supply chain information through the Halal Blockchain Network (HBN). HBN is a network technology developed by the Malaysian local Marakat Ecosystem. HBN founder and Marakat Group CEO Mohd Fadzil Hashim stated that with HBN QR code facilities, consumers simply scan the QR code on food packaging to learn detailed food origin information and track food supply chain data, including JAKIM-certified Halal food in Malaysia.

On March 5, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Industries Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Naw officially launched HBN.

HBN cannot replace JAKIM Halal certification, but it adds value in ensuring food sold is truly Halal, he told media, after Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Industries Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi officially launched HBN here today.

He explained that with this blockchain technology, food supply data from producer level to retailer level is stored in linked blocks, distributed via the internet to millions of computers worldwide for storage and authentication purposes.

He said that adopting the latest blockchain technology ensures the Halal food supply chain is protected from mixing with non-Halal food, and consumers will not be deceived by counterfeit Halal logos.

Mohd Fadzil stated that to ensure the authenticity of data and information stored in HBN, all relevant data is not entered by importers but by Marakat Ecosystem staff themselves. If the importer is from Pakistan, our staff will go there to collect all necessary data. This will provide assurance to consumers.

Meanwhile, Che Abdullah stated that after concerns and reports about manipulation of Halal meat product certificates were raised, the Marakat Ecosystem effort to develop HBN also received support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries.

In this situation, HBN will help ensure food supply meets religious needs because the food production process can be traced directly to the slaughterhouse, thereby eliminating consumer doubts about the Halal authenticity of products, especially imported meat, he said.

Similarly, the world-first QR Code Full Traceability System jointly developed by SINOQUAL and Halal Food Council (HFC) provides enterprises and their clients with 24-hour mobile self-service inquiry. Users scan the unique QR code on certificates to access certified product information, enterprise basic information, and images of key Halal production system stages including raw material warehouse, production workshop, finished goods warehouse, Halal internal auditor training, and factory audit reports.

SINOQUAL firmly believes that only transparency and openness can help consumers better identify Halal authenticity, prevent economic losses caused by subjective judgment and ambiguous rules leading to pre-audit assessment errors. It also greatly reduces trust costs between enterprises and markets, fundamentally eliminates the opportunistic mindset of individual enterprises forging certificates, enhances enterprise credibility and reputation among consumers, and builds a healthy, sustainable, mutually-trusting, win-win market ecosystem for the Halal industry.