Analysis of Frequently Asked Questions About Halal Certification

If you have any questions or doubts, please call us. The following are several questions frequently asked by enterprises applying for Halal certification.

1. Are Halal certification bodies globally recognized? Where are the main markets?

Recognition is an enduring issue in the certification field. Due to its unique specificity, the degree of recognition of Halal certification is constrained by different target markets. We very sincerely inform you that, based on our years of experience, there is no absolutely universal Halal certification body worldwide. This main limitation is caused by the different policies of different target markets around the world. So how should you choose a relatively universal Halal certification? First, you need to determine your target market.

Indonesia's top three import sources are China, Singapore and Japan; in 2018, Indonesia's imports from the three countries accounted for 24.1%, 11.4% and 9.5% of Indonesia's total imports respectively. Indonesia has the largest number of Halal consumers in the world. As the consumption level of Indonesians continues to rise, China-Indonesia trade has reached trillions of yuan, so the Halal market policy in the Indonesian region influences the Halal certification strategy of China's food enterprises. According to the list of recognized Halal certification bodies officially published by Indonesia, Singapore's MUIS-Halal and China's APHC-Halal certification bodies are two Halal certification bodies recognized by the state of Indonesia. There is no doubt that for Chinese enterprises, choosing MUIS-Halal or APHC-Halal certification applicable to the Indonesian market is the best choice.

Malaysia, as the first ASEAN country to establish diplomatic relations with China, has now replaced Singapore as China's largest trading partner in ASEAN, and China has become Malaysia's largest import source and second-largest export market. In 2018, the bilateral goods import and export volume between Malaysia and China was US$77.77 billion, a year-on-year increase of 14.8%, with the growth rate remaining high. Based on the deep foundation of China-Malaysia relations and Malaysia's determination to continue supporting and actively participating in the 'Belt and Road' construction, China-Malaysia bilateral trade cooperation is expected to be continuously promoted. As Southeast Asia's most active economy holding a core position in the global Halal economy, Halal certification, as an essential certification for entering the Malaysian market, drives China's food enterprises to seek Halal certification to clear customs into the Malaysian market. China's HFC-Halal certification has been recognized by Malaysia's standardization accreditation body, the International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHIA); this recognition signifies that enterprises can choose HFC-Halal certification to enter the Malaysian market. The advantage of HFC-Halal certification lies in an efficient Halal certification team and a global traceability system pursuing transparency.

The Middle East region connects the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe and is located at the junction of the 'Belt and Road,' making it an important participant in 'Belt and Road' construction. In recent years, with the steady advancement of 'Belt and Road' construction, the economic and trade relations between China and Middle Eastern countries have continued to deepen. The Middle East, known as the 'world's oil depot,' provides an important guarantee for China's energy security and has become a market with huge potential for China's foreign trade. In recent years, with the development of China's all-round diplomacy and the continuous advancement of the 'Belt and Road' initiative, economic and trade exchanges between China and Middle Eastern countries have become increasingly close, with multiple agreements signed in the fields of economy, infrastructure construction, science and technology, and cultural exchange, making bilateral trade grow rapidly. According to statistics, China's import and export trade with the Middle East increased from less than US$6 billion in 1995 to nearly US$170 billion in 2008, and rose further to more than US$270 billion in 2018. From January to September 2019, bilateral trade was close to US$210 billion, and the full-year bilateral import and export trade was expected to exceed US$280 billion. The Gulf Cooperation Council is the main organization recognized for Halal certification in the Middle East region, and Singapore's MUIS-Halal certification body is the only designated Halal certification body in the free trade agreement (technical clauses) signed between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Singapore. This official recognition indicates that enterprises certified by MUIS-Halal are recognized by the Halal markets of the Gulf countries.

2. How much does Halal certification cost?

Halal certification fees depend on the number of products you apply for or the complexity of the applied products, as well as the Halal certification policy of the Halal certification body. To learn the Halal certification fee, please contact our national unified certification hotline directly (400-001-7706).

But please remember that an important principle of ours is that we do not link our Halal certification fees to product sales volume. Our fixed-fee pricing is designed to help customers grow, with no strings attached.

3. How long is the Halal certificate valid?

Usually the certificates we issue are valid for 2 or 3 years.

4. How long does the Halal certification process take?

As fast as 15 working days.

5. Can Halal-certified products have the Halal mark affixed?

Yes, but it depends on the Halal policy of the target market.

Please note that before affixing the Halal mark, please first send the designed outer packaging label to us for confirmation before printing.

6. Can our products apply for a Halal certificate?

It depends on the ingredients added during your product's production process. The quickest way is to contact us directly through our national unified service hotline, and we will confirm whether you meet the prerequisites for Halal certification based on the product ingredient information and processing technology you provide.

7. Does Halal certification come with a 'guaranteed pass'?

No authoritative body can give you a 'guaranteed pass.' If a body tells you 'guaranteed pass,' then this body is irresponsible. What we can guarantee is that, through our professionalism and rich experience, we can greatly avoid the possibility of failure, but this depends on the truthfulness and accuracy of the data you provide. We have more than 15 years of experience, and our expert team has also developed an intelligent data analysis system. This intelligent and standardized working mode and our big data platform can avoid irreparable errors caused by human factors.