General Requirements for Halal Certification

Each food manufacturer / food premises / abattoir must produce, make or sell only Halal products. Each applicant must ensure raw-material sources are Halal, and deal with suppliers that supply Halal materials or with Halal-certificate holders. Each company must comply with all procedures set out in the procedure manual. Companies classified as multinationals and SMEs must set up an internal Halal audit committee and appoint a Halal affairs officer to handle and ensure compliance with the Halal certification procedures. Where Malaysian citizens are employed in the kitchen/handling/processing of food, there must be at least two full-time Muslim workers. During the preparation, handling, processing, packaging or transport of the product, the product must be clean and free of any non-Halal ingredients. Equipment and facilities on the premises must be clean and not contaminated by substances considered toxic or harmful to health. Transport of Halal products should be separate from non-Halal products. The company must, in accordance with good manufacturing practice, pay attention to the cleanliness of tools, transport, production areas and surrounding areas. All staff must follow the etiquette code and good hygiene practices below: All staff must receive medical injections (i.e., tetanus injection) at a government-approved medical center before and after joining. All workers must maintain good health care and personal hygiene, especially production operators. Any sick or injured worker who may affect product quality must not work until recovered. Workers must not touch any raw materials or semi-finished products with bare hands. Activities that may affect production quality — such as smoking, eating, drinking, and storing food, drink or medicine — must be carried out in designated areas away from the production area. Objects of worship are strictly prohibited from being brought into the premises / food-processing area.