Global Halal Standards

All major importing countries of Halal products have their own Halal product import regulations. The most popular and recognized Halal standards worldwide are:

a) Malaysia's JAKIM standard

b) The Singapore Halal standard developed by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS)

c) The Indonesian Halal standard developed by the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI)

d) The Halal standard of the Standards and Metrology Institute for the Islamic Countries (SMIIC).

Countries around the world, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, the UAE and Pakistan, all have their own national or local Halal standards; however, so far there is no global Halal standard.

Among all the standards, SMIIC is the only initiative that ensures the participation and contribution of multiple OIC member states and the IIFA, aiming to establish a globally recognized, unified Halal standard. Other countries on different continents such as Europe and the United States use these existing standards as references for Halal certification, which is done by Halal certification bodies (HCBs) accredited by one or more international Halal standard accreditation bodies.

Because each country has its own standard, a product may have already obtained a Halal certificate in one country, but in the export destination country it may be declared a non-Halal-certified food. This is because there is no global Halal standard to regulate it.

Brief details of the Halal standards of various countries are as follows:

Malaysia Halal standard:

The Malaysia Halal standard is administered by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM). The Malaysian standard, named 'Halal Food: Production, Preparation, Handling and Storage - General Guidelines' (MS 1500:2009), was developed under the Malaysian standards development system with the support of the Department of Standards Malaysia (DSM) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. This standard contains practical guidelines for the food industry on the preparation and handling of Halal food. Currently, JAKIM is the only authorized entity allowed to issue Halal certification for the domestic food industry. The Malaysian standard defines all key terms related to Halal matters, such as Halal, haram, najs, Halal slaughter, Halal competent authority, premises, handling area, etc. The general requirements of the standard outline eight main aspects of Halal compliance.

Gulf GSO Halal standard:

GSO standard: The Gulf Cooperation Council region, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, is one of the largest Halal food markets, importing US$33.8 billion of Halal food in 2019. The main Halal standard-setting body in the GCC is the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO), and these Halal standards are adopted by all relevant standard-setting bodies in the GCC countries.

Singapore Halal standard

In Singapore, Muslim affairs, including Halal food, fall under the jurisdiction of Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS). In Singapore, Halal certification is not mandatory but is a voluntary certification for all enterprises. Therefore, generally, if merchants intend to target Muslim consumers, they will apply for a Halal certificate.

In Singapore, the Halal certification body (Majlis Ugama Islam / MUIS) serves the country's minority Muslim population. MUIS Halal services began in 1973, and MUIS established a Halal certification standards unit to regulate the Halal sector. To continuously improve the credibility of MUIS Halal certification, MUIS has implemented several initiatives, including the MUIS electronic Halal system (2007) and the Halal Quality Management System (HalMQ; MUIS Halal audits/inspections (2009-2012)).

Warees Halal is the international certification arm of Singapore's MUIS Halal certification, mainly responsible for the application acceptance, audit and verification of Halal certification in overseas countries beyond Singapore.

Indonesia Halal standard

(MUI) (Majelis Ulama Indonesia). The Halal standard of the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) is called HAS-23000 and applies to business owners, manufacturers and producers. The standard consists of two parts: the first part (HAS 23000-1) is the standard and general guidelines of the Halal Assurance System (HAS), and the second part (HAS 23000-2) is the policy and policy.

Halal certification procedures. The role of the Indonesian Council of Ulema or Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) is to issue fatwas (legal decisions) during the certification process.

The MUI standard is flexible for companies without Muslim personnel, who can be appointed as IHU coordinators. These companies can, according to MUI, appoint an employee who understands Halal regulations and standards.

EU Halal standard

The Halal standards of EU countries are similar to those of other non-Muslim-majority countries; the EU does not have any Halal standard.

The Halal standards of European countries are similar to those of other non-Muslim-majority countries; the EU does not have any Halal standard and mainly depends on the standards developed by Muslim-majority countries. Halal Certification Europe (Germany) and Halal Certification Services (Switzerland) are Halal bodies in Europe. Halal Certification Europe (HCE) is an independent non-profit organization. It was established to formalize the investigation and Halal certification of food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. HCE has a Halal certification program comprising two different Halal certification schemes: a 1-year non-GSO scheme and a 3-year GSO scheme.

US Halal standard

Similar to other non-Muslim countries, the US does not have any Halal standard; the country follows standards developed by Muslim-majority countries such as Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, the GCC countries and SMIIC as reference standards. Certification in these countries is carried out by Halal certification bodies accredited by one or more international Halal standard accreditation bodies.

The US Halal certification market is completely free-growing, except that New Jersey, Minnesota, Illinois, California, Michigan, Texas and Virginia have Halal food regulations. In these states, slaughter carried out according to Halal standard procedures under state government-approved conditions is labeled as Halal. There are also differences in enforcement between states.

The US Halal certification process is mainly led by three major Halal certification bodies, all of which issue certificates according to different Halal standards. These three certification bodies are:

i. The Islamic Society of the Washington Area (ISWA)

2. The Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA)

3. The Islamic Services of America (ISA)

All the above certification bodies grant certification according to different Halal standards; for example, ISWA according to GSO 2055-2:2015, and ISA according to MUIS-HC-S001 & S002 & HAS 23000.

UK Halal standard

Similar to other non-Muslim countries, the UK does not have any Halal standard, and the country also follows standards chosen by major Muslim countries as reference standards. A 2012 UK House of Commons standard note showed that the UK has no legislation requiring products to be labeled as Halal. This means there is no effort to collect data on Halal products, the extent to which Halal products are sold without a Halal label, and the quality of products labeled as Halal.

The absence of a UK legislative obligation requires another strong means to ensure the integrity and quality of Halal food. All Halal certification bodies must comply with UK food production law and Halal dietary norms. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is an independent government agency that, together with local authority enforcement officers, ensures that food law applies to the food chain throughout the UK, including Halal products. It has a Halal working group that provides advice on Halal practices and policies. Certificates for Halal meat slaughterhouses are issued by the FSA, not by independent Halal certification and accreditation bodies.

Russia Halal standard

According to the law of the Russian Federation, Halal certification is a voluntary certification used to confirm that products and services meet the requirements of the Council of Muftis of Russia. In Russia, there is no application of any mandatory standard in the Halal field; the standard named 'Halal - PPT - SMR' developed by the Council of Muftis of Russia is the only standard in the country.