Halal Assurance Process 101:
Getting Familiar with Processes That Govern Halal Products
As Halal consumers increase demand, and more Halal products are being introduced into the market, so does the interest in knowing what it all involves. As a consumer, have you ever wondered what the real difference is between Halal deodorant and regular deodorant, or what the key difference is between organic vitamins and Halal vitamins?
Do you own a grocery store and ever wondered if obtaining Halal certification is truly necessary for your business? Well let's examine a few intricate details that make Halal certified products what they are.
The Process
The Halal assurance process is a prerequisite for every Halal business investor. It is a process that ensures the status of Halal products while protecting Halal consumers. More importantly, it is an attestation by manufacturers and their shareholders of their commitment to uphold Halal standards. This includes internal staff awareness and training, the maintenance and traceability of all Halal ingredient and product inventory and Halal facility maintenance. Depending on the types of products or business, the quickest and most simple certifications can be completed in a matter of weeks if all required documentation is in order and the audit process can be scheduled and completed in a timely manner. Every client and process is a case by case scenario, The Halal assurance process goes hand in hand with Halal auditing. Halal auditing is the procedure that products must go through in order to be compliant and attain certification.
The Halal Assurance System
In order to meet the legal requirements of Halal certification, the Halal assurance system is a process that commits to and achieves safety, quality and cleanliness at each step of production. This system aids in the elimination of any potential food-borne or production-related hazards that would offset the Halal definition of the process. More specifically, cross contamination during processing or storage with non-Halal ingredients like pork and alcohol that are traceable through DNA testing will immediately compromise a product’s Halal status. The always desired result is high-quality products that are Halal-compliant.
An internal company Halal QA committee should exist to regularly review and audit their record keeping for the ordering, receipt and identification of Halal ingredients, production equipment sanitization steps, product packaging, labeling and segregated storage areas.
It is the role of the company’s Halal committee to demonstrate the ability to account for potential Halal CTQ (critical to quality) points in their internal supply chain and maintain the overall Halal integrity of their facility processes. This process minimizes the need for post Halal audit inspection corrective action reports.
The Halal Audit
As stated earlier, the auditing and assurance process go hand in hand. There is no Halal assurance without a Halal audit by the Halal certification body and ongoing internal company process audits. The Halal audit process mandates a detailed evaluation of products, ingredients and processes to ensure they meet the stated Halal requirements. After a thorough and successfully conducted audit process, the final step is to receive the certificate issued by an established, credible and widely recognized Halal certifier listing the specific approved products.
The Halal Certification
Halal certification confirms that Halal products being sold or bought are devoid of ingredients such as alcohol, pork and other non-Halal animal. Certification means that the products are credible and acceptable to Halal conscious consumers. The final layer is for the Halal products to reflect their Halal certifier’s Halal logo mark on inside and outside packaging for proper visual identification in a company’s production and storage facility, while in transit for sale and once received by further processors, buyers and distributors and ultimately on retail shelves for consumers to clearly see for themselves.
Halal certification is a strategic and innovative strategy for boosting and diversifying business growth which protects all consumers, even the non Halal conscious ones.
Islamic Services of American (ISA) is a leading USA based Halal certification and auditing organization serving companies, the community, and the Halal industry for over 45 years. Contact ISA at isa@isahalal.com or visit the ISA website for more information at www.isahalal.com
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