HARMONISING HALAL

There are many issues that need to be addressed in turning Malaysia into the world’s main Halal hub. Dr. Ahamd Robin Whab shares his thoughts and ideas on the important process of Halal auditing for the global market.

A Halal certification process involves inspection of products and manufacturing premises by a specific ‘Halal Authority’. Each authority has its own guidelines or ‘standard’ criteria. Also the frequency of inspection varies between authorities, normally annually or every 2 years. In some cases inspection is done on consignment basis, meaning on every production day. However, this is not considered transparent enough to give complete assurance to Muslim consumers who are very particular about what they eat, especially when the producer or the owner of the manufacturing establishment is not a Muslim. The presence of various Halal Authorities sometimes creates confusion to producers who might not know which authority to consult in order to get their product certified for the right market. This confusion not only exists between countries but also within a country as recognition between authorities does not exist. In some countries issuing of Halal certification is done by local government authorities, and others by Islamic centres or organisations.

There is a need to harmonise and develop a workable, flexible system that can be adopted by any Halal certification authority. The system will emphasise the role of the manufacturer in establishing the Halal system and will meet demands by both manufacturers and consumers.  Creating a Controlled Halal Inspection Protocol would then facilitate the auditing process between auditors and manufacturers locally and worldwide. This protocol would establish a common platform in auditing systems for international exchange and Halal trading. The existence of such a protocol would enhance the development of The Global Halal Hub as the focal point for Halal trade and services.

Global trend

Commercial slaughtering and food production requires a more formalised certification system for Halal inspection and certification than food which is going to be prepared and consumed for home use. In non-Muslim countries, there are various certification agencies that issue Halal certification, particularly when the products are for wider export distribution to Muslim countries. However, there is an increasing trend for local government departments to take charge of Halal certification in view of the increasing demand of export of Halal goods. The governments of Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and even the Philippines are now establishing institutions specifically for Halal certification. The major issue arising is that there is no standard certification system for these bodies, resulting in doubt about Halal claims made on the label of products.

Current Issues

The existence of several ‘Halal authorities’ complicates trying to standardise Halal certification. Different authorities are seen on product labels of the increasing number of Halal products in the market. The authorities might differ on a particular brand as a result of globalisation and manufacturing contracts in different parts of the world.

The issue of multiple authorities is not only common between countries but also within a particular country. In Malaysia religion is a state matter with the king of each state the religious head. Thus each state prefers that Halal certification is under their individual Religious Affairs Dept. in countries like Australia, where the majority are non-Muslim, certification is done by various Islamic groups and associations. Some do not recognise other’s certification because each follow their own guidelines and interpretation of the holy Qur’an and the Hadith, further complicating matters. However what is common among them is the basic exercise of site visits performed for certification, even though each use their own methods. What is missing is a common implementation procedure for auditing.

Harmonising Halal Audit

For the benefit of all Muslim consumers the Halal Auditing procedure should be common to all certification authorities in order to develop a global standard. The protocol involved in the auditing process should be universal, while the local interpretation and ‘fatwa’ could still be incorporated provided that the integrity of the Halal status is maintained and the interpretation is not in self-interest. The acceptance of a common auditing protocol should be regarded as a common language and a starting point for a formalised Muslim Standard for Halal trade agreed by all parties. It will form the basis of a standard auditing practice, whereby the auditors will have, or be able to develop, a common checklist and auditing plan in their routine certification duties. There is great difference between inspection and auditing. While inspection validates a specific Halal process during inspection, auditing looks at evidence of compliance operating outside inspection times. This approach will reduce auditing time and avoid unnecessary delays in issuing certificates, making it more ‘industry friendly’ to meet the ever changing and increasing needs of the manufacturing sectors. In developing a ‘system of implementation’ for a harmonised auditing system we are not reinventing Halal, but how to implement it.

System of Implementation

Harmonising Halal auditing requires the development of a specific inspection protocol to cover all aspects of product manufacturing. It is not just a mere inspection of the ingredients to be incorporated into the manufactured product but also emphasis on the entire handling process right from the point of procurement of raw materials to the final delivery of product to the right consumer. This is the rationale of employing the right auditor with knowledge of sciences in food production as well as religion. This is more critical in modern day food production that involves packaging, novelty foods, GMOs and newly developed additives for food preservatives, emulsifiers, conditioners and stabilizers.

With sufficient understanding of food and goods production we are able to identify specific elements in the entire production cycle to formulate a system for implementation of Halal auditing protocol. Only then will the system be able to establish a monitoring plan to validate and verify Halal status of a product or system.

The major elements that effect Halal status include:

• Ingredients used in the product formulation. These include not only the main or major ingredients of the product but also supporting ingredients such as preservatives, flavouring, colouring materials, etc. that affect quality and safety of the final product

• Trained manpower. This element, which is often overlooked, is significant in the Halal system, otherwise the consumer will loose faith in the system particularly in non-Muslim owned businesses. The knowledge of Halal is an integral part of the process and the right personnel will need to be a trained Muslim as his involvement will assure transparency in the Halal management system.

• Machinery and equipment are normally taken for granted as a non-issue in Halal operation, as are materials other than food ingredients used in the processing. By definition, any materials of non-Halal origin that are in direct contact with Halal food are considered a contamination to Halal food and thus the food is unacceptable. A good example being the use of brushes made of pig hairs and bristles for the glazing or brushing of food, making it important to verify processing equipment ensuring it is made of permitted material.

• The operation and handling process is the next element to be monitored. Understanding the process flow and operational stages will assure where to monitor or validate the incorporation of specific ingredients. It will form the control point for monitoring or checking for possible contaminant.

• Surrounding environment is another point for consideration in controlled monitoring. Unclean surroundings encourage propagation of pests and insects which carry potential contaminants and diseases. Thus one must understand that an effective Halal compliance program also takes into consideration factors beyond religious requirement, including food safety and hygiene, and in this way should meet similar standard as HACCP, if not better.

With the knowledge of these critical elements being monitored by Halal auditing, we could provide documented evidence of Halal compliance in manufacturing to be used for auditing by various authorities. In this way the manufacturer will be in line with the auditor and be well prepared before auditing is done. It is thus a show of commitment to the Halal program by the manufacturer and at the same provides assurance and transparency to the consumers. A proposed step for developing a Controlled Halal Inspection Protocol thus includes:

• Establishment of an in-house trained Halal team
• Declaration of all ingredients and materials used
• Determine the process flow
• Analysis and identification of controlled inspection points
• Establish monitoring procedures and corrective action
• Records and documentation
• Verification and monitoring schedule

Conclusion

The establishment of harmonisation auditing system provides a platform for international Halal trading. It forms a transparent system of Halal auditing giving assurance to consumers worldwide. In Malaysia a common and formalised auditing system will create a better understanding among state Halal authorities and willingness to subscribe to a uniform standard and logo for export. The present confusion on multiple Halal logos issued by various state authorities will be streamlined and at the same time maintain their individual rights to carry out auditing within their respective states. With this common system JAKIM will also be able to reduce their present workload and assign state auditors accordingly for issuance of a standard Halal logo. State auditors could be trained to adopt a systematic auditing procedure and also provide reciprocal services to other state when needed. A registry of trained auditors will form an auditors pool which be easily mobilised locally or even internationally under the Global Halal Hub management concept.

It is a starting point for a new revolution in development of world class Halal Standards fuelling a new growth engine for Muslim world trade. Products with consistent Halal quality will be emerging from all corners of the world to provide quality food not only for the Muslim but also to the rest of the population.

A harmonised Halal auditing system initiated by Malaysia could form a model for other Halal auditing bodies and indirectly position Malaysia as the Global Halal Hub where it will be the management hub for all Halal activities. It will become the trade centre for Halal businesses and provide assistance for development of inter-regional trade and a sourcing centre for Halal raw materials. The spin-off from the Halal Management will be the services provided to other Halal hubs in terms of training, monitoring and certification. The importance of a practical auditing system, which is acceptable worldwide, should not be under-estimated. The introduction is considered timely with Malaysia actively involved in the OIC, making this an opportune moment to get the endorsement for implementation in member countries.

**This article was first published in The Halal Journal Pilot Issue (August 2004), and was written by Dr. Ahamd Robin Whab.