Next Step In Halal Certifications

Halal certification has become increasingly important in the global food industry due to the growing demand for halal products among Muslim consumers. Halal certification ensures that products are produced and processed in accordance with Islamic law, and that they are free from any ingredients or practices that are not permissible under Islamic law. While halal certification has come a long way in recent years, there are still several areas for improvement and innovation. Here are some of the next steps in halal certification:

Standardization: One of the biggest challenges in halal certification is the lack of standardization. There are several halal certification bodies around the world, each with their own standards and guidelines. This can make it difficult for producers and consumers to navigate the halal certification process. The development of international halal standards and guidelines would help to address this challenge.

Transparency: Halal certification bodies need to be more transparent about their certification processes, including the criteria used to determine whether a product is halal or not. This would help to build trust among consumers and producers, and would also help to address concerns about the potential for fraud and misuse of halal certification.

Technology: Technology can play an important role in halal certification, particularly in areas such as traceability and supply chain management. Blockchain technology, for example, could be used to create a secure, transparent, and tamper-proof record of halal certification, making it easier to track products from farm to fork.

Capacity building: There is a need for more capacity building and training in halal certification, particularly in developing countries where the halal industry is still in its early stages. This would help to build local expertise and knowledge, and would also help to ensure that halal certification processes are being implemented effectively and efficiently.

Consumer education: Finally, there is a need for more consumer education and awareness about halal certification. Many consumers are still unaware of what halal certification means and how it is applied. By providing more education and information, consumers can make more informed choices about the products they purchase and consume.

In conclusion, halal certification has come a long way in recent years, but there is still much work to be done. By focusing on standardization, transparency, technology, capacity building, and consumer education, we can continue to improve and innovate in the field of halal certification, and ensure that halal products are produced and consumed in accordance with Islamic law.

Halal Certification Process In Germany

Halal is a term used in Islamic law to refer to anything that is permissible under the guidelines set out by the Quran and the Sunnah. Halal has become an increasingly important issue in Germany due to the growing Muslim population in the country. In this blog post, we will explore the status of Halal in Germany.

Halal food is becoming increasingly popular in Germany. There is a growing demand for halal-certified meat, poultry, and other food products in the country. The German government has recognized the importance of halal food and has taken steps to support its production and certification.

In Germany, the certification of halal products is done by several organizations. One of the most well-known is the Islamic Centre Hamburg (ICH), which is responsible for certifying halal products in accordance with Islamic law. The ICH has developed strict guidelines for halal certification and works closely with food producers and processors to ensure that their products meet these standards.

The German government has also taken steps to support the production and certification of halal products. The government provides funding and support to halal certification organizations, and has worked to promote the development of halal food processing facilities in the country.

In addition to food, the halal industry in Germany includes cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and finance. The demand for halal-certified products in these industries is also growing, and several companies in Germany have started producing halal-certified products.

The growing popularity of halal in Germany has also led to the development of halal tourism. Several hotels and restaurants in the country now offer halal-certified food and other services to cater to Muslim tourists.

However, there have also been some challenges related to the production and certification of halal products in Germany. One of the biggest challenges is the lack of standardization in the halal certification process. There are several organizations that offer halal certification, and the standards and guidelines can vary between them.

In conclusion, halal is becoming an increasingly important issue in Germany, driven by the growing Muslim population in the country. The government and the private sector have recognized the importance of halal and are taking steps to support its production and certification. While there are challenges to be addressed, the future looks promising for halal in Germany.

Halal Logistics

Halal logistics is the process of managing the material flow and information flow throughout the supply chain in accordance to a halal standard. The material flow covers the transport, storage and terminal operations. 

The information flow covers the management of the data in the supply chain, such as product information, demand data, and halal logistics label and code. Halal logistics is a system based on segregation instead of detection.

Halal products are segregated from non-halal products to: 

1. Avoid (cross) contamination 
2. Avoid making mistakes 
3. Ensure consistency with expectations of the Muslim consumer

The new way to control and process the halal logistics is via Internet-of-Things (IoT) and blockchain.

Next Level Halal Certification System - Blockchain.

The disturbing news about systemic and institutional corruption in the halal meat industry by a cartel comprising foreign exporters with the alleged connivance of four government agencies is a provocative reminder of how entrenched such a culture is in Malaysia ("MACC probing 'halal' meat smuggling cartel case").

What’s truly shocking is the corruption not only subverted routine bureaucratic procedures but also the Islamic core injunction of halal food, particularly with regards to the prescribed ritual slaughter of meat for consumption by Muslims according to the fundamental tenets of the faith – and it was enabled by government officers who presumably are themselves Muslims to boot.

Despite a projected increase in the Muslim population to 30% of world population by 2050, which is one of the factors driving the lucrative expansion of the industry, news of this unholy cartel is indeed a setback and does not augur well for the industry in Malaysia.

Apart from the reactive need to fortify the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) with more resources, and to get the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry to increase its governance of the issuance of approval permits for meat importers, given that corruption seems to be a way of life in Malaysia now, there is a pressing and proactive need get ahead of the curve to prevent something like this from happening again. 

One proactive measure that should be implemented immediately is for the issuing authorities – in this case, the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry as the issuer of APs and the Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) as the halal certifier – to go the blockchain route.

Blockchain technology is a disruptive technology that is a part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution that is expected to change the way we work and live. Also known as distributed ledger technology (DLT), it can also disrupt cartel’s cunning strategies to achieve its fraudulent objective.

Through smart contracts, DLT could digitally prescribe processes and requirements according to a halal standard, verify halal compliance, and enforce the performance of halal supply chains.

A smart contract is a computer protocol intended to digitally facilitate, verify or enforce the negotiation or performance of a contract. Smart contracts allow the performance of credible transactions without third parties.

Because blockchain is a decentralized system that exists between permitted parties, there’s no need to pay intermediaries (middlemen) and it saves time and conflict. Although DLT has its problems, it is undeniably faster, cheaper and more secure than traditional systems, which is why banks and governments are turning to it.

This technology could enforce end-to-end halal assurance based on specific halal market requirements, supported by automated smart contracts. A halal blockchain could provide full transparency of all halal supply chain transactions that have ever been executed.

The blockchain has complete information about the addresses and their supply chain path right from the source to the point of consumer purchase, giving the much-needed assurance to Muslims that the “halal-ness” of the food on their table can be traced back through all the locations of the halal supply chains that began with the original farm or livestock farm, including the identity of the farmers or livestock breeders.

Blockchains inject trust into a halal supply chain and value chain of a brand owner who would be better able to guarantee halal integrity. They could also be integrated into wide sustainability and corporate responsibility systems to extend the brand market beyond Muslim consumers.

One of the most significant real-world applications of blockchain technology is data provenance – the documentation of where a piece of data comes from and the processes and methodology by which it was produced. It creates a single, secure chain-of-custody timeline, designed to be tamper-proof. The system can be used to provide customers with a “story” about each product, covering materials, locations, processes, ingredients and suppliers, and enables businesses to substantiate claims about their products using real-time data. With such a system, provenance tracking of where each piece of data comes from and whether it is still up to date becomes a breeze.