Halal certification is a process of having a qualified independent third party organization supervise the production of consumables, attesting that they were produced in conformity with the preparation and ingredient standards of the halal lifestyle. After successful adoption and performance of halal productivity procedures, the supervisory third party then issues halal certification to the producer attesting to halal conformity on a per product basis. Halal requires foods to be wholesome and pure.

Halal certification is required to produce acceptable food and consumable products for halal consumers. That includes over 1.6 billion Muslims in the world and the many millions of others who choose to eat halal products because of the positive health benefits associated with the cleanliness and purity of food and drug preparation within the halal guidelines

Halal-certified ingredients can be found in many places. When producing halal-certified products, it is best to use halal-certified ingredients. HFCE can help you find sources of acceptable halal-certified ingredients.

The market for halal-certified products is huge and growing rapidly with over 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide and many millions of health-conscious non-Muslims who chose to eat halal-certified products because these products are clean and manufactured in a compassionate manner with respect to the treatment of slaughtered animals. (When animals are slaughtered in a less compassionate manner, hormones and toxins from fear and shock are released into the respective bloodstreams of the animals; these hormones and toxins find their way into the musculature and taint the consumed meat with unnecessary ingredients.)

There are over 45 million Muslims in Europe, 330 million in Africa, 220 million in the Middle East, and 1 billion in Asia.

In Islam, halal means ‘lawful’ or ‘permissible’.

When it comes to meat and poultry, Muslims use the term zabiha (dhabiha) to refer to meat from a halal animal slaughtered by a Muslim in the prescribed Islamic way. (Meat from haram animals does not become halal, even if it is slaughtered in the prescribed Islamic way and a Muslim would never slaughter a haram animal.)

Conversely, kosher is a term similar to the meaning as halal, but there are many differences. Some of the differences are listed below:

• Islam prohibits all intoxicants, including alcohols, liquors, and wines, whereas Judaism regards alcohol and wines as kosher. Hence kosher foods may contain alcohol. If they do, they are considered haram in Islam.
• Gelatin is considered kosher by many Jews regardless of its source of origin. For Muslims, if gelatin is prepared from swine it is haram. Even if gelatin is prepared from cows that are not zabiha, many scholars consider it haram.
• Kosher practice does not require Jews to pronounce the name of God on the animals while slaughtering, but Muslims must pronounce the name of ALLAH on all animals while in the act of slaughtering.

There are other differences between halal and kosher that make some kosher products haram or questionable with respect to Muslim consumption.

These differences may seem minor to some. However, indulging in acts that are haram is a very serious offense against ALLAH. Consuming alcohol or pork is a clear violation of ALLAH’s commandments and should not be taken lightly. The pronouncement of the name of ALLAH at the time of slaughter is an act of worship and obedience in its own right. Not only is this pronouncement an act of worship of the most high unto itself, it also is the key to many blessings and bounties.

Halal and haram lists came into being because Muslims expressed a concern about the foods available in the marketplace. Concerned and educated Muslims decided to investigate various products and ingredients to provide guidance to other Muslims. The lists served the purpose of educating Muslim consumers about food ingredients and food products. Lists that discuss ingredients are useful in understanding product labels and making informed halal choices.

On the other hand, lists of specific products are not as useful because the status of the products can change at any time and this could lead to consuming haram products. That is why the Halal Food Council Of Europe (HFCE) offers halal certification services to food providers. HFCE supervises the production facilities, provides Muslim slaughter men, and examines and approves ingredients to ensure that a product is halal. When a product is approved, HFCE issues a halal certificate to the food company and allows the product to bear the HFCE Halal symbol on its packaging. This is the surest way to know the product in question is halal.

• Source of meat and poultry.
• Use of haram and/or questionable ingredients.
• Use of common grills/ovens for pork and other products.
• Presence of alcohol within the establishment.
• Contamination by servers/cooks touching haram and halal foods at the same time.

There are various factors taken into consideration when calculating the fees for Halal certification, especially for SMIIC and UAE/GSO. They are:

• Number of HACCP plans
• Number of full-time employees
• Product category and number of product types
• Number of shifts
• Number of production lines
• Product development
• Number of operational PRPs
• Plant / facility size and Infrastructure
• Inhouse laboratory testing
• Need for a translator

The typical fee ranges are as follows:

• Registration fee for a plant: $2,000-$2,500
• Audit fee for a plant: $1,000-$1,500
• Registration fee for a product: $350-$750

Sure! We would be happy to provide this upon request. Simply email us at halal@hfce.eu and we will assist you with this request