Integrated SQF Certification

American Halal Foundation (AHF), backed by international accreditations and over $1 Billion in certified product growth, now offers integrated Halal + SQF Certification. Our streamlined dual-certification process helps you:

 

  • Save time, cost, and disruption with a single audit
  • Meet retailer and export requirements
  • Gain consumer trust
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How Does a Halal + SQF Certification Integrated Audit Work?

An integrated audit allows your facility to undergo both Halal and SQF certification in a single, coordinated process, reducing costs, saving time, and minimizing operational disruption.Here’s how it works

1

Initial Application & Scope Alignment
You fill out one consolidated application covering both Halal and SQF scopes (product categories, facility details, process flow, etc.). AHF then maps out an audit plan that aligns both standards.

Integrated Audit Benefit: One application, one contact point, no duplicated effort.

2

Pre-Audit Document Review

Our technical team reviews:

 

  • Your Halal Assurance System (HAS)
  • SQF Food Safety Plan
  • Ingredient specifications, supplier approvals, and process flowcharts

Integrated Audit Benefit: Streamlined documentation review to satisfy both compliance schemes simultaneously.

3

On-Site Integrated Audit

A dual-qualified audit team visits your facility. During a single visit, auditors assess:

    • Halal Requirements (ingredient integrity, cross-contamination prevention, employee training)
    • SQF Requirements (HACCP, PRPs, traceability, food safety culture, etc.)

Wherever possible, overlapping requirements (e.g., hygiene, segregation, documentation) are assessed once to avoid repetition.

Integrated Audit Benefit: One audit = two certifications. Less disruption to your operations.

4

Corrective Actions & Technical Review

Post-audit, you receive a combined report. Any non-conformances for either scheme are clearly labeled and only need to be corrected once if they apply to both.

Integrated Audit Benefit: Centralized response process. No chasing multiple auditors or agencies.

5

Certification Issuance

Once all requirements are met and any corrective actions are verified, your facility is issued:

  • A Halal Certificate recognized by global authorities
  • An SQF Certificate valid for supply chain and retail acceptance

Integrated Audit Benefit: Immediate eligibility for both halal-conscious and food safety–driven markets.

SQF + Halal Certification Requirements Overlap

Area SQF Certification Requirements Halal Certification Requirements Overlap / Common Requirements
Food Safety Management System Requires a documented system based on HACCP principles (Codex Alimentarius). Requires a Halal Assurance System (HAS) incorporating halal control points. Both require robust, documented management systems to control food safety and ensure halal compliance.
Ingredient Sourcing Ingredients must meet food safety and quality standards. Ingredients must be halal and comply with Islamic dietary laws (e.g., no pork, alcohol). Both require thorough vetting of suppliers and ingredient specifications for compliance.
Supplier Approval Suppliers must be approved and regularly evaluated for quality and food safety. Suppliers must be halal-certified or verified as compliant with halal standards. Supplier vetting and documentation are essential in both standards to ensure safety and halal compliance.
Traceability Requires full traceability of products from source to finished product. Requires traceability of halal ingredients to ensure no cross-contamination with non-halal materials. Traceability is a shared critical control to ensure food safety and halal integrity.
Cross-Contamination Control Focuses on allergens, physical, chemical, and biological hazard controls. Focuses on preventing najis (impurities) contamination, especially with pork, alcohol, and other haram items. Both emphasize cross-contamination prevention, though halal adds religious impurity concerns.
Employee Training Employees must be trained in food safety practices and responsibilities. Employees must be trained in halal practices, including handling halal and non-halal items. Both require documented training programs tailored to food safety and halal integrity.
Facility Design and Sanitation Facilities must be designed to prevent contamination and allow effective cleaning. Facilities must be segregated or cleaned to remove najis contaminants before halal production. Sanitation and design requirements overlap to maintain hygiene and halal status.
Verification and Monitoring Ongoing verification of food safety procedures and corrective actions. Ongoing monitoring of halal control points, with internal audits and corrective actions. Both require continuous monitoring and verification to maintain system integrity.
Recordkeeping Document control for food safety plans, supplier approvals, corrective actions, etc. Records must include halal compliance documentation, including halal slaughter certificates if applicable. Extensive recordkeeping is crucial for compliance and audit readiness in both schemes.
Audits Third-party audits to verify compliance with SQF standards. Third-party audits to verify compliance with halal standards and religious requirements. Both require third-party audits, though halal audits also consider religious law adherence.

Why Choose AHF for Halal + SQF Certification?

American Halal Foundation (AHF) is a leading globally accredited Halal certification provider—with over $1 Billion + in revenue growth achieved by businesses through its certifications.

Universal Consumer Acceptance

The north star of AHF certification is Universal Consumer Acceptance. AHF uniquely certifies to the highest halal standards acceptable to all 2 billion halal consumers.

Internationally Accredited

AHF is internationally accredited and globally accepted. Learn more here.

Client Service

You will receive dedicated account executives dedicated to your success in achieving halal certification and beyond.

Wide Scope

AHF covers every applicable industry, from yogurt to pharmaceuticals, with our halal certification services. You can learn more here.

Efficient and Dynamic Processes

From the application to adding new products to your program, AHF has designed its processes to save you as much time as possible.

Integrative Approach

You have existing quality systems that may meet some halal program objectives. AHF removes the redundancy and seeks to integrate with your systems where possible.

Our Accreditations

World Halal Food Council (WHFC) logoWorld Halal Food Council (WHFC)

Global Halal Certifiers’ Council World

World Halal Food Council (WHFC) logoThe Assessment Institute for Food, Drug and Cosmetic, The Indonesian Council of Ulama (LPPOM MUI)

Leading Religious Authority of the Republic of Indonesia

The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia logoThe Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM)

Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS)

Testimonials

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AHF has a solid understanding of the chemical industry when it comes to Halal certification. AHF and their leadership made our transition seamless and have been very cost-effective. They visited our facility for an onsite process audit and we've had zero issues when it comes to having new products evaluated for certification.

Emily Rowlette

Plant Manager
DSM logo

Halal certification allows our customers to trust our product. We switched to AHF because they were globally accepted and nice to work with. They take the time to understand our process and are very responsive when we have questions.

Renee Al jassani

Quality Assurance Supervisor
Dnata logo

AHF has allowed us to build trust with the world's top Halal Airline Carriers by allowing us to present program details beyond what they have seen from other certification bodies.

Rishi Hinduja

DNATA
Butcher Packer logo

The efficiency with which AHF works has saved us a substantial amount of time and money. The custom solution that was created for quality controls for halal were logical and made sense in our operational structure and has not created any extreme changes to our process

Stu Blohm

Executive Vice-President
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…American Halal Foundation provided a tailored program around SOPAKCO's very complex military assembly program. Through this effort SOPAKCO was able to prepare a meal configuration that met the US Government's strict standards within the price point required for our contract…

Lonnie Thompson

President

Apply for Halal Certification

The dual advantage of Halal + SQF certification is helping manufacturers save costs, eliminate redundancies, and grow internationally.

To learn more about integrated SQF certification with AHF, reach out to us at +1 (630) 759-4981 or fill out the form below.

FAQ

What is an integrated Halal + SQF audit?

It’s a single, coordinated audit where your facility is assessed for both SQF food safety standards and AHF’s globally recognized halal requirements—saving time and cost.

Can I apply for SQF and Halal certification at the same time?

Yes. AHF specializes in integrated audits that allow you to pursue both certifications together under one streamlined process.

What are the benefits of combining SQF and Halal audits?

You reduce audit fatigue, minimize downtime, and cut overall costs by up to 40%, all while satisfying food safety and halal compliance in one go.

Does my facility need to meet special requirements for an integrated audit?

Your facility must comply with both halal handling procedures (e.g., ingredient review, segregation) and SQF food safety standards. Our team will help you prepare for both.

Is the integrated audit recognized internationally?

Absolutely. AHF is accredited by global halal authorities including BPJPH, WHFC, JAKIM, and MUIS. SQF is recognized by GFSI and accepted by top global retailers.

How do I get started with the integrated certification process?

Call us directly at +1 (630) 759-4981 or email at info@halalfoundation.org. Our team will walk you through the next steps and schedule your audit.

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