Halal Registration
Step 1
Eligibility Consultation
Step 2
Document Preparation
Step 3
Application Drafting & Filing
About Halal Registration
Halal is a term from Quran that means “permitted” or “lawful”. Therefore, in relation to food, Halal is used for food and other consumables that are permissible for consumption and used by Muslims, based on the 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 are clean, hygienic and not detrimental to their health or well-being. Having a halal certification ensures that the food product is deemed safe for consumption and with rising awareness about Halal foods, more and more businesses are seeking Halal Certification for their products, premises, restaurants, etc., In this article, we look at the procedure for obtaining Halal Certification in India.
Halal Certification is provided by Halal Certification Bodies in India. 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 consist of or contains any part or matter of an animal that a Muslim is prohibited by Shariah to consume or that has not been slaughtered in accordance with Shariah.
- Does not contain anything which is considered to be impure according to Shariah.
- Has not been prepared, processed or manufactured using 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 close 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.
Based on the nature of the business, the type of Halal certification varies. Most frequently, Halal certification is obtained for places like restaurants, hotels, slaughtering houses, packaging and labeling materials to ensure they are suitable to be visited / used by Muslim consumers. However, Halal is not limited to only food produce. Non-alcohol beverage, raw materials needed in food processing, pharmaceutical and health care products, traditional herbal products, cosmetics and personal care products, cleaning products and daily consumable products can also obtain Halal Certificate. Therefore, Halal Certification can usually be obtained from Halal Certificate Bodies – broadly under the following schemes:
- Food, Beverage and Catering Scheme
- Restaurant Scheme
- Industrial Scheme
- Abattoir Scheme
- Warehouse or Storage Scheme
- Product Endorsement Scheme
Obtaining Halal Certification has various advantages and could provide an edge for a business amongst competitors. The following are some of the major benefits of obtaining Halal Certificate for a business or product:
- Make the business or product marketable to over 2 billion people across the world.
- Use of the Halal logo
- Enhance the marketability of the product in Muslim countries
- Improve the quality of the food or product or hygienic systems
- Improve the quality of the food or product
The following are the documents that are required for obtaining an FFMC License.
- A copy of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Entity.
- The Memorandum and Articles of Association comprising of a provision for undertaking money changing businesses or an appropriate amendment with the same effect.
- A copy of the latest audited accounts of the Entity with a certificate from Statutory Auditors certifying the Net-Owned Funds as on the Date of Application for the License.
- Several copies of the audited Balance Sheet and, Profit and Loss Account of the Entity for the immediate three years prior to the Date of Application for the License, wherever applicable.
- A Confidential Report from the banker of the Applicant in a sealed manner.
- Information concerning the sister or associated concerns operating in the financial sector such as NBFCs.
- A certified copy of Board Resolution to undertake money changing business.
Step 1: Application
The business wishing to obtain Halal Certification must apply to one of the Certification Bodies. It is important for the business to be aware of Halal Certification requirements at this stage and ensure that it is compliant with Halal requirements, Halal systems requirements and Halal 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 verify 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
During the audit, the business might has to provide criteria of acceptance of raw materials (ingredients), certificate of analysis and Halal certificate of individual ingredient. Once, the audit is completed, an audit report will be prepared and signed by both parties.
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 business and/or products satisfy the Halal certification criteria’s, Halal Certificate is issued by the Halal Certification Body.
Halal Certification on average costs a total of about Rs.50,000 in India. However, the fee vary amongst the Halal Certification Bodies. Hence, it is best to check with the relevant Halal Certification Body.