How to Get Halal Certification in India

Halal Certificate is obtained majorly food and food-related products, Which is needed in Islamic countries. Halal is a term from the Quran that means "permitted" or "lawful." Therefore, Halal is used for food and other consumables that are permissible for consumption and used by Muslims, based on Islamic law, the Shariah. Halal promotes cleanliness in all aspects of a person, and halal foods ensure that food consumed by a person in their daily lives is clean, hygienic, and not detrimental to their health or well-being. A halal certification ensures that the food product is safe for consumption. With rising awareness about Halal foods, more and more businesses are seeking Halal Certification for their products, premises, restaurants, etc. This article looks at the procedure for obtaining Halal Certification in India.

Halal Certification

Halal Certification Bodies in India provide halal Certification. There are various Halal Bodies, and a few of the Halal Bodies in India are listed below:

Halal India Private Limited
Halal Certification Services India Private Limited
Jamiat Ulama-E-Maharashtra - a State unit of Jamiat Ulama-E-Hind
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Halal Trust

Businesses wishing to obtain Halal Certification in India can approach any of the above Certification Bodies for obtaining Halal Certification. While providing Halal Certification, a competent authority audits and ensures that the business:

Neither is nor consists of or contains any part or matter of an animal that Shariah prohibits a Muslim from consuming or that has not been slaughtered following Shariah.
It does not contain anything which is considered to be impure according to Shariah.
Has not been prepared, processed, or manufactured using an instrument that was not free from anything impure according to Shariah; and
Has not in the course of preparation, processing, or storage been in contact with or proximity to any food that fails to satisfy paragraph (a) (b) or (c) or anything that is considered to be impure according to Hukum Shariah.

Types of Halal Certification

Based on the business's nature, the Halal Certification type varies. Most frequently, Halal Certification is obtained for places like restaurants, hotels, slaughtering houses, and packaging and labeling materials to ensure they are suitable to be visited/used by Muslim consumers. However, Halal Certification is not limited to only food production. Non-alcohol beverages, raw materials needed in food processing, pharmaceutical, health care products, traditional herbal products, cosmetics, personal care products, cleaning products, and daily consumable products can also obtain a Halal Certificate. Therefore, obtain Halal Certification from Halal Certification Bodies - broadly under the following schemes:

Food, Beverage, and Catering Scheme
Restaurant Scheme
Industrial Scheme
Abattoir Scheme
Warehouse or Storage Scheme
Product Endorsement Scheme

Halal Certification Procedure

Step 1: Application

The business wishing to obtain Halal Certification must apply to one of the Certification Bodies. The company needs to be aware of Halal Certification requirements at this stage and ensure that it complies with Halal requirements, systems requirements, and staffing requirements.

Step 2: Audit

Once the application information is verified, Auditors (usually one Shariah Auditor and one Technical Auditor) will visit the business for inspection. The Auditors will confirm the following areas are acceptable for Halal Certification:

Documentation
Processing, handling, and product distribution
Storage, display, and product serving
Cleanliness, sanitary, and food safety
The overall aspects of the premises
Tools, apparatus, and machines
Packaging and labeling

During the audit, the business might have to provide criteria for acceptance of raw materials (ingredients), a certificate of analysis, and a Halal certificate of individual components. Once the audit is completed, both parties will prepare and sign an audit report.

Step 3: Certification

Once the Halal audit is complete, a Technical Committee will review the documents submitted by the business and the audit report submitted by the Auditors. If the audit report is satisfactory and the company and products satisfy the Halal certification criteria, then the Halal Certification Body issues the Halal Certificate.

Benefits of Halal Certification

Obtaining Halal Certification has various advantages and could provide an edge for business amongst competitors. The following are some of the major significant benefits of obtaining Halal Certification for a business: