10 Key Halal Certification Questions Answered

What you need to know before getting Halal certified.

With more than 1.9 billion Muslim consumers worldwide, the market for Halal products is growing rapidly. Suppliers are responding to this increased demand at an ever-faster pace, adjusting their production lines to comply with requirements and accommodate Halal products.

For Halal-conscious consumers, identifying Halal products is essential. This is only possible by establishing a transparent, clear traceability plan for each product and its raw materials.

Below are some of the most important questions about Halal certification, and what to expect before your organization undergoes it.

1. What does it mean to be Halal-certified?

The term "Halal" comes from the Arabic "halal" (halal), meaning "permitted." Food and goods are divided into categories such as "Halal" (permitted) or "Haram" (forbidden). For a Halal-certified product, this means it has no disallowed ingredients and has been processed in a facility conducive to maintaining the integrity of its Halal status. Ingredients such as alcohol, pork and other animal derivatives are the main red flags.

Obtaining a Halal certificate provides credibility for your organization, which in turn gives Halal-conscious consumers confidence.

2. What does a Halal certification body do, and what does it cost?

A Halal certification body reviews the organization seeking certification to determine whether its products meet Halal standards. Raw materials, suppliers and production facilities are the main concerns. The production facility must be able to maintain the integrity of the product's Halal status from the feed inlet to finished-product packaging. Once all Halal-status issues within the facility are resolved, the certification body provides the Halal certification seal. Without passing this detailed and thorough Halal-status review, a product cannot obtain Halal certification.

The cost of Halal certification depends on the products you apply for, the audit fees and your target market, which may be determined by various factors. So if you need the cost of obtaining Halal certification for your target market, feel free to call our national unified customer service hotline: 400-001-7706.

3. What are the requirements for Halal certification?

A Halal certification body focuses on 4 core principles when providing its services:

Environmental hygiene

Traceability

Integrity

Ingredients

These 4 core principles apply to all of the following Halal environments:

Manufacturers

Restaurants

Livestock-handling workshops

Kitchens

Distributors

Grocery stores

If you own, manage or operate one of the above Halal environments, our strong support can help bring you closer to being ready for a Halal certification audit. Ensuring your compliance is an important aspect of obtaining a Halal certificate. Here are some preliminary questions to consider:

Environmental hygiene:

Are any tools or equipment used for both Halal and non-Halal products? All traces of smell, taste and color must be removed from equipment used for Halal and non-Halal products. These measures must be documented and recorded through Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures. These measures must prevent any form of cross-contamination.

Traceability:

"Do I have a system to track products within the factory?" A Halal production facility must include tracking measures to ensure Halal products are recorded from start to finish. Facilities may use color-coded labels or leverage computer software to support and strengthen this effort.

"Do the raw materials or ingredients of my Halal product come from companies with a Halal certificate or a Halal compliance declaration?" Each supplier must disclose all relevant information about its ingredients and production practices to the certification body.

Integrity:

"Is my factory suitable for producing clean (taahir) products?" Government and industry standards such as GMP, HACCP, ISO and SQF are positive additions to a company's portfolio, even though none of these are required for Halal certification. "Has my factory developed an HIP program?" An HIP program is developed under the guidelines of a Halal certification body. The program outlines the locations within the facility for Halal Area Risk Management (HARM), considered by the auditor as potential issues.

Ingredients:

"Does the factory use any prohibited ingredients?" Animal-derived ingredients used in Halal products must come from Halal-certified suppliers, or be completely separated from Halal products. See our complete list of prohibited items to ensure there are no prohibited items in your products.

4. What are Halal consumers' concerns?

For Halal consumers, it is essential to confirm that the products they buy in retail stores are produced according to Halal dietary restrictions. Halal consumers do not know whether ingredient names are masked or deemed "proprietary" and not disclosed. Consumers do not know whether the factory produces other products considered contaminants that cannot come into contact with Halal products. Halal consumers rely on the certification body's insight, knowledge base and expertise to do the required intensive work. This ensures the product can be consumed without doubt. Halal certification relieves the heavy burden of determining whether a product can be used. So when a Halal certification seal is found on a product, consumers find confidence through trust in the organization that backs the product.

5. What things are prohibited from contact with Halal products?

1. Human-derived ingredients

2. Pork

3. Donkeys (excluding gelded donkeys)

4. Animals with fangs or claws (carnivores) (excluding hyenas and, per some schools of thought, foxes)

5. Animals not slaughtered according to Islamic rites

6. Carrion

7. Various forms of filth (Najis) (*see below)

8. Insects (except locusts)

9. Any of the above animals fed on more than 50% feed, not fed pure feed for the prescribed number of days (Al-Jallalah)

10. Any narcotic

11. Any item poisonous or harmful to the body (such as cigarettes)

12. Any item processed, manufactured, produced and/or stored using utensils, equipment and/or machinery that came into contact with any of the above substances and was not cleaned according to the standard for removing contaminants.

*Filth (Najasa): Only pure items can come into contact with Halal products. Unclean items cause contamination, which is prohibited in the Halal system. Unclean items (contaminants) are as follows:

Pigs (all parts, including skin and bones), whether alive or dead

Dogs (all parts, including saliva), whether alive or dead

Animals not slaughtered according to Islamic rites (dead animals / maytah - all parts)

Urine

Feces

Vomit

Blood

Pus

Untanned animal hides (unprocessed leather)

Land animals whose diet is more than 50% of the above foods (including milk, sweat and other excretions)

Any part shed from or cut off a land animal while it was alive (except hair).

6. How is animal processing made Halal-compliant?

Animals not on the prohibited list are made Halal through the process of dhabiha. This process is the most humane method of slaughter, causing the least suffering to the animal. The animal should be handled with care, fed appropriately, and free of any disease or illness.

Kindness and good treatment of animals are an important part of the Halal method.

7. If a factory also produces prohibited ingredients, can Halal products still be produced there?

In Muslim-minority societies, manufacturers produce both Halal and non-Halal products in the same facility. If this is the case, then the certification body must ensure that either of two conditions is met. Either the equipment that comes into contact with Halal items is not used for any other non-Halal purpose, or the facility has instilled a cleaning method (Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures) that removes all residual traces of taste, smell and color from that location. A well-trained auditor will investigate the entire production process to determine its viability as a Halal production facility. Facilities considered high-risk for product contamination may require ATP swab tests (detecting residual protein) or residual solvent tests (detecting residual alcohol). To determine whether your organization needs to perform any of these, contact a representative at our office for further guidance.

8. Can a company without Halal certification use the Halal mark on its products?

Countries such as the US, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Gulf states stipulate that if a manufacturer intends to add the word "Halal" to product packaging, the product and facility must be certified by a third-party Halal certification body. If the word "Halal" is used without the word "certified," then LPDS approval of the label is not required; however, this does not waive the requirement for certification by a Halal body.

9. How long does it take to get certified?

Usually, the entire certification process takes 1 to 4 weeks from the date of audit. Many factors play into the completion time, including but not limited to the number of products, ingredients, suppliers, facility size and the complexity of the production process.

(However, this process does not include the applicant's earlier preparation process.)

A major factor determining how long it takes for your organization to gain approval and have the certificate delivered is submitting documents for review. Each organization needs to submit a checklist of documents, for example, Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures, the raw-material manufacturer's Halal disclosure declaration, and so on.

10. Why do I need Halal certification?

Over the past 10 years, Halal-certified products and services have been in high demand and on the rise. According to the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2018/19 published by Reuters, the Halal industry is a USD 2.4 trillion industry, expected to exceed USD 3 trillion by 2023.

With a quarter of the world's population as a consumer base and Halal cuisine's broad appeal, it is a wonder that this industry was not explored long before now.

Third-party Halal certification on your side adds to your credibility and confidence in the industry, prompting your consumers to buy your products. Having a Halal-certified product tells consumers: "My product is safe to buy."

In addition, if you are interested in learning about Halal certification, check out our articles or give us a call.