The OIC Establishes a Global Halal Food Standard

The OIC represents all Muslim countries in the world, and the international body has taken the initiative to establish a Halal standard for the whole world; this was announced by Asad Sajjad, Secretary-General of the Halal Association of Pakistan (HAP).

The OIC has authorized SMIIC to introduce a Halal standard that will be acceptable to all Muslims and used by Halal certification bodies worldwide. 'SMIIC is responsible for supervising actions and strengthening the regulation of the proper functioning of Halal food certification bodies. Therefore, for Halal food production units, Halal certification bodies and Halal accreditation bodies, it has developed a so-called universal Halal standard, the OIC-SMIIC Halal Food Standard.' He added that what is needed now is a common OIC-SMIIC mark, recognized by all certification bodies, that can serve as a real and credible standard recognized by all manufacturers, certification bodies and consumers.

The OIC-SMIIC mark will accompany the certification body's mark on products and services. OIC-SMIIC noted that the World Halal Congress will be held in Pakistan's capital on June 4, 2014, with the aim of providing a platform for Muslim scholars, science and technology experts from around the world, increasing direct interaction among different industries and policymakers, and exploring the importance of the OIC-SMIIC Halal standard for the whole world. Currently, there are more than 400 known Halal certification bodies and organizations worldwide, but only a small portion are recognized or registered internationally. Some regions have too many certification bodies, more than necessary, while others have none at all. Regions with too many bodies will increase fierce competition, leading to suffering. This is mainly because there is no unified standard and compromise solution.

There are too many Halal food standards in the world. Each country has its own Halal standard, and sometimes different organizations within a country also have their own standards. These standards are similar at most levels, but the differences tend toward some key points. The types are astonishing - for example, the acceptance of mechanical slaughter, the alcohol content of the final product, and so on. These differences lead to unhelpful competition among certification bodies in the development of cross-border certification. It may lead to hostility among some Halal/Islamic organizations, which is prohibited in Halal regulations.

Because there are many different Halal standards in the world, there is some confusion and misunderstanding in the audit and certification process, and the Halal mark is often misused. As a result, the supply chain is disrupted, producing artificial raw material shortages. The loss of Halal status can easily translate into significant losses to the benefit of manufacturers and producers. The current state of Halal certification is thorny and unnecessarily complex. But its continued development is complex, dangerous and sensitive, and no one knows how long it will last. At a certain point, all of this will collapse, and we will have to bear the dreadful consequences, with unpleasantness, discord and competition following.