The Halal standard comprises a set of rules and guidelines for the production and preparation of food in accordance with Islamic religious customs. The requirements of Halal originate from the Quran and Sharia law, which prescribe what is halal, or permissible, and what is haram, or forbidden.

When it is said to be "permissible," it refers to food that is prepared according to Sharia law, and the majority of Muslims worldwide adhere to this dietary practice.

Halal prohibits the use of, among other things: pork, blood, alcohol, meat from dead animals, carnivorous animals, donkeys, dogs, birds of prey; food prepared with wine, cakes with any type of alcohol, food containing emulsifiers based on pork or animal fats, etc.

Most of the requirements of the Halal standard are identical to the HACCP system and the ISO 9001 standard, which significantly facilitates preparation for certification for organizations that have implemented either of these two systems.

Halal is applicable to various types of products and services: food, cosmetics, medicines, clothing, footwear, furniture, tourism and hospitality, shipping, banking and stock trading, and it is most commonly applied in the food and pharmaceutical industries, as well as in cosmetics production.

The requirements that Halal imposes on producers are most stringent in the meat industry. In order for meat to be Halal, the slaughter of permissible animals must comply with the following requirements: the animal to be slaughtered must be treated carefully, healthy, and alive, and the person performing the slaughter must be mentally sound and qualified for that activity. It is forbidden for someone under the influence of alcohol to perform the slaughter, and it is also forbidden for someone who is not a Muslim, Christian, or Jew to perform it, because only they understand the significance of mentioning the name of God during slaughter. Methods of restraint during slaughter are also prescribed.

 

Certification Process

In order for a production process to obtain a Halal certificate, a series of controlled procedures in accordance with Islamic regulations must be applied to make the product or service acceptable to Muslims for consumption or use.

Unlike other standards and HACCP systems, Halal certification is not in the classic certification and accreditation system. Certificates for this system are awarded by organizations authorized by the Islamic religious community. A company interested in implementing this standard must apply to the Islamic Community Agency. On that occasion, the interested company declares that it is aware of all the laws related to the Halal standard, as well as all the prohibitions arising from it.

After that, a procedure is carried out to determine whether the raw materials used in production are permitted according to Muslim law. After fulfilling the prescribed conditions, a Halal certificate is issued, confirming the Halal status of the product, and the use of the Halal mark on the product packaging is approved.

The certificate is valid for one year, and during its validity, regular inspections are carried out by Halal inspectors, as well as sampling of products from the market. This ensures that there will be no desecration of the product at any stage of production.

The Halal mark contributes to the recognition of Halal products in the market. In the event of any deviation from the standard, the Agency withdraws the certificate, products are withdrawn from the market, and appropriate procedures are initiated. The Halal mark can be used by the Agency, manufacturers who have successfully met the basic Halal standard, sellers and distributors of Halal products, as well as other users with the approval of the Agency.

Hazards in Implementing Halal Standards

In addition to the obvious, there are also "hidden" haram ingredients that cause Halal ingredients in the final product to be "incorrect". For example, fish cooked with wine, various cakes and ice creams containing rum, liqueur, or any type of alcohol. Many foods contain so-called emulsifiers that serve to extend the shelf life or provide certain properties to food, such as color, taste, etc. Many of them are of animal origin – pork, which makes them unacceptable from the perspective of Halal standards. A typical example is gelatinous masses that are often used in food preparation, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry.

In addition to using Halal ingredients, special attention should be paid to so-called cross-contamination, or the risk of Halal ingredients coming into contact with forbidden – Haram ingredients during food production or preparation processes, which would nullify the "correctness" of the overall product. This specifically means that the same utensils or dishes should not be used for preparing Halal and non-Halal food, care must be taken with the ingredients of cleaning agents (to ensure they do not contain alcohol), and production lines (processing techniques, production lines, conveyors, etc.) for producing Halal food must be completely separate from the rest of the process that may be "desecrated".

 

A prominent global halal website is the Halal International Authority (HIA). It is recognized for providing comprehensive information and certification services for halal products and services worldwide. You can visit their website for more details.

Also, for more detailed information, you can visit the official Halal certification organizations in almost every country in the world, like: The Halal Certification Authority Australia https://halalauthority.org/, The Halal Food Authority UK https://halalfoodauthority.com/, or visit some of these organizations:

1. JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia): https://www.halal.gov.my/
2. IFANCA (Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America): https://www.ifanca.org/
3. Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI): https://halalmui.org/
4. GIMDES (The Association for the Inspection and Certification of Food and Supplies - Turkey): https://www.gimdes.org/
5. ESMA (Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology): https://www.esma.gov.ae/


 

These organizations are known for their extensive work in halal certification and are recognized globally.