Why does China's Halal certification lack a unified national standard?

China has not yet formed a standardized certification process. Currently, local ethnic affairs committees handle certification according to provincial and regional regulations, so each region has its own laws and marks, which may confuse consumers and raise the question of whether certification is accepted beyond China's borders. The Halal standard developed by the Ningxia region is accepted by only seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Australia and Malaysia - not enough to dominate the world market.

What progress has China made in Halal food legislation?

As of October 2012, China's top legislative body, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, had committed to "urging the State Council to promptly promulgate Halal food regulations," but provided no clear implementation timetable. Experts noted that China needs to authorize a central agency to oversee the development of the Halal industry and certification and resolve standardization and mark issues; otherwise no exporter can catch up with Asian leaders such as Malaysia, which has a world-recognized Halal food standard.

China Aims to Rethink HALAL (Part 3)

Butt said history is on China's side, as China has a history of connecting with the Muslim world through trade and migration dating back to the Prophet Muhammad. This, combined with the rich Muslim history in the development of Chinese civilization, is portrayed as a positive sign for connecting with Muslims today. But first, there are practical issues to address. For starters, China has not yet formed a standardized certification process. Currently, local ethnic affairs committees handle certification matters according to provincial and regional regulations. So each region has its own laws and marks, which may cause confusion for consumers. Radil Abla, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said this also raises the question of whether certification will be accepted beyond China's borders.

"Despite China's great potential in food exports, without a national standard, no exporter can catch up with Asian leaders such as Malaysia, which has a world-recognized Halal food standard." The Halal standard developed by China's Ningxia region is accepted by only seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Australia and Malaysia - far from enough to dominate the world. However, before the certification and mark issues can be resolved, the country must first codify laws to govern the HALAL food industry, a proposal that has been discussed for several years.

As of October 2012, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, had committed to "urging the State Council to promptly promulgate Halal food regulations," but provided no clear implementation timetable. "They need to authorize a central agency to oversee the development of the Halal industry and Halal certification and to resolve these issues," Butt said.

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Why does China's Halal certification lack a unified national standard?: China has not yet formed a standardized certification process. Currently, local ethnic affairs committees handle certification according to provincial and regional regulations, so each region has its own laws and marks, which may confuse consumers and raise the question of whether certification is accepted beyond China's borders. The Halal standard developed by the Ningxia region is accepted by only seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Australia and Malaysia - not enough to dominate the world market.
What progress has China made in Halal food legislation?: As of October 2012, China's top legislative body, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, had committed to "urging the State Council to promptly promulgate Halal food regulations," but provided no clear implementation timetable. Experts noted that China needs to authorize a central agency to oversee the development of the Halal industry and certification and resolve standardization and mark issues; otherwise no exporter can catch up with Asian leaders such as Malaysia, which has a world-recognized Halal food standard.

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