Halal Food Certification

1). Management System:

A Management System is the framework of an organization’s policies, processes, and procedures to ensure that it can fulfill all the tasks required to achieve its objectives.

2). GMPs:

Good Management Practices (GMPs) ensure that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. It is designed to minimize the risks involved in any organization that cannot eliminate through testing the final product.

3). Source Traceability:

Traceability is the capability to trace something in some cases. It is interpreted as verifying an item’s history, location, or application using documented recorded identification.

Halal Certification Bodies Accreditation Scheme

PS:5241-2013 General Requirements for the Accreditation Body Accrediting Halal Certification Bodies.

Halal Certification Bodies

PS:4992-2016 Conformity Assessment Requirements for bodies providing Halal Certification (R)

Any Organization in the Food Chain

PS:3733-2019 Halal Management Systems: Requirements for any organization in the food chain (R)

 

These are the following Halal Standards in Pakistan are as follows

1) Scope.

2) Normative References.

3) Terms & Definitions.

4) General Requirements.

• Sources of Halal Foods and Drinks.
• Requirements of Slaughtering.
• Meat and Meat by Products.
• Milk and Dairy Products.
• Eggs and Eggs Products.
• Cereals.
• Honey, and it’s by Products.
• Dietary Supplements.
• Enzymes.
• Packaging Material.
• Food Service and Facilities.

5) Food Processing.

6) Machinery, Utensils, and Production Lines.

7) Storage, Display and service lines.

8) Hygiene, Sanitation, and Food Safety.

9) Documentation Requirements.

• Human Resource.
• Halal Control Points.
• Emergency Preparedness and response.
• Internal Audit.
• Management Review.

10) Validation and Verification.

11) Identification and Traceability.

12) Presentation for the Market.

13) Packaging and Labeling.

The Halal food market now makes up about 19% of the global food market, from food to health care and everything in between. It is becoming a lifestyle choice in many nations.

The Global Halal industry is estimated to be worth around USD 2.3 trillion (and growing quickly).

• 90% of Raw materials related to foods are imported.
• Sometimes the meat is also imported. In Pakistan, 60% population is considered illiterate and does not understand the label.
• Mostly, the items are imported from the foods and other related things like cosmetics, leather, pharmaceuticals, etc.
• Gelatin is mainly used in imported items that are declared Pig/Fat. However, it is a protein that is obtained by the process.

All consumables should be prepared, processed, packed, transported, and stored by Islamic principles. According to Islamic dietary standards, food must not contain forbidden substances and ingredients such as pork meat, blood, alcohol, and other intoxicants.

According to Islamic law, experienced food auditors conduct food audits from the DAS Pakistan ensuring all food safety and hygiene protocols are followed.

1). Application

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

2). Audit

Once the application information is verified, Auditors will visit the business for inspection. The Auditors will confirm if 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.

3). Certification

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

• Increased costs for Certification and maintaining processes deemed necessary to keep the standards.
• Another challenge faced by companies and countries in the Halal industry is the lack of standardization in the Halal certification process.
• Halal Certification from one country may not be recognized in another.

Halal Certification, which DAS Pakistan follows, has been developed in Pakistan to ensure full compliance to Islamic dietary laws, i.e., PS 3733:2016. It covers the issues related to Slaughtering  and considers the issues related to ingredients & GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices). DAS Pakistan is the go-to brand name in the Pakistan food industry regarding food safety standards and accreditations.

Because of its work ethic, industry experience, and highly trained and experienced team of food experts, the food certification from DAS Pakistan is the most sought-after in Pakistan.