The (Detailed) Halal Certification Process

There are three major steps in the halal certification process:

1. Application Phase
2. Auditing Phase
3. Certification

Although Halal certification is one of the most rapidly growing certifications in the world, many North American-based food and beverage industry professionals are yet to interact with the halal certification process.

They may need clarification about the certification process. At the American Halal Foundation (AHF), we receive many questions like:

• “Is it similar to Kosher certification?”
• “Does it require supervised sanitation?”
• “How many audits are required?”
• “How long does the certification process take?”

This AHF Insight will dive into the details of the certification process, expected timelines, and frequently asked questions.

Check Out: Halal Certification Requirements

Stage 1- Application Phase

The objective of the application phase is to determine the suitability of the company and its products for halal certification. This can preliminarily be done by completing this application. The online application takes approximately 4-7 minutes to complete.

Once received, a member of the AHF team will review the application to determine if the company and its products are suitable for certification. Fundamentally, at this preliminary, the reviewer is seeking to determine whether or not there is alcohol or non-halal animal derivatives in the product.

Once preliminarily qualified, a halal agreement is prepared. The agreement contains details about the halal program, confidentiality agreements, cost structure, and terms. Once a signed agreement is in place, a certification specialist will next guide you to a Product Application Form and an Ingredient Sheet.

Alongside these forms and sheet, applicants must submit documents such as company details, product lists, ingredient specifications, and process flow diagrams. The more detailed and accurate this information, the smoother the certification process will be.

Stage 2- Preliminary Assessment & Documentation Review

The AHF technical team will assess the submitted documents, which includes:

• Product Information: A complete list of all products you wish to certify, including product names, descriptions, and packaging details.
• Ingredient Details: An in-depth list of all ingredients used in the production, along with their sources, halal certificates (if available), and specifications. This includes additives, preservatives, flavorings, colorants, and any processing aids.
• Process Flow Diagrams: A detailed flowchart showing each step of the production process, from raw material handling to the finished product. This includes steps like mixing, cooking, packaging, and storage, highlighting any potential points for contamination.
• Facility Layout: A map of your manufacturing facility, showing the placement of machinery, production lines, storage areas, and zones where cross-contamination might occur.

2.1 Documentation Review by AHF Experts

Once your documents are submitted, AHF’s technical experts carry out a thorough review to ensure everything aligns with halal requirements:

• Ingredient Assessment: Every ingredient is carefully examined to ensure they are halal-compliant. This includes checking for:
  • Animal-derived ingredients: Ensuring they come from halal sources and are slaughtered according to Islamic requirements.
  • Alcohol or alcohol-derived ingredients: AHF evaluates whether any alcohol is used in flavorings, extracts, or as a processing aid, as its presence can compromise halal status.
  • Processing Aids & Additives: These often have sources that need to be verified as halal.
• Cross-Contamination Risk Analysis: AHF reviews your facility layout and process flow to identify any potential cross-contamination risks with non-halal products. This is especially crucial if you manufacture both halal and non-halal products in the same facility.
• Halal Critical Control Points (HCCP) Evaluation: This involves identifying points where contamination could occur. Examples include:
  • Raw Material Handling: Ensuring separate handling and storage of halal-certified ingredients to avoid contact with non-halal items.
  • Production Equipment: Evaluating whether the equipment is shared with non-halal products and assessing the cleaning protocols to prevent contamination.
  • Packaging & Storage: Checking that halal products are stored and packaged in designated areas, away from non-halal products.

2.2 Review of Halal Product Assurance System (HPAS)

The next stage of the halal certification process requires applicants to implement a Halal Product Assurance System (HPAS) that outlines internal policies and procedures to maintain halal integrity. This also includes a declaration from senior management on the company’s commitment to halal production, demonstrating a top-down approach to halal compliance.

Check Out: Halal Assurance System Objective, Template & Checklist

2.3 Initial Feedback & Recommendations

After the comprehensive review, AHF’s technical review team provides feedback and may suggest adjustments:

• Clarifications & Additional Information: If any documents are incomplete or need further explanation, AHF will request clarifications. This might involve providing more details about certain ingredients, suppliers, or processes.
• Requesting Additional Documents: If the technical team identifies any ingredient to have potential risks, they will request a halal certificate or suitability documentation from the ingredient’s supplier or manufacturer to verify its compliance with halal standards. This ensures that all sources are fully traceable and meet the necessary requirements.

2.4 Preparation for On-Site Audit

Once your documents are approved and any necessary changes are made, AHF confirms that your facility is ready for the on-site audit (Stage 4). AHF will guide you through any final preparations, ensuring you understand what will be checked and verified during the audit.

This stage ensures that all aspects of your production process, from raw materials to the final product, are aligned with halal standards, setting a strong foundation for the rest of the certification journey.

Stage 4- Auditing Phase

The next stage of the halal certification process is the auditing phase, where the core complete halal program is established. This stage can be broken up into two parts:

1. Documentation Audit
2. Facility Audit

The auditing phase makes up the bulk of the certification process and can take 1-3 weeks, depending on the complexity of the products and the number of facilities.

4.1 Documentation Audit

The key objectives of the documentation are to:

1. Assess in detail the compliance of the products and every single one of their ingredients with international halal standards.
2. Assess the facility’s ability to produce halal products while maintaining the integrity of the product’s halal identity.
3. Create an internal halal committee responsible for overseeing the halal program.

By achieving the above objectives through documentation, the amalgamation of the set of information, processes, protocols, and documentation becomes the core of the halal program.

Examples of documentation and information that are gathered are:

1. Specification sheets for raw materials
2. Sanitation SOPs
3. Flow Charts
4. Contaminant identification
5. Validated sanitation results (where applicable)
6. Halal certificates of vendors (where applicable)
7. Internal Halal Commitee formation document
8. Cross-contamination prevention plans

4.2 Facility Audit

The key objectives of the facility audit are:

1. Train staff on halal standards and principles
2. Verification of documents
3. Identification of any Halal Critical Control Points

The facility audit lasts generally lasts between 3-5 hours.

The facility audit generally consists of the following:

1. The auditor will train members of the internal halal committee on the principles of halal and how to run a halal program successfully.
2. The auditor conducts a facility tour identifying unmitigated risk factors and discussing the Halal Critical Control Points.
3. The auditor will then discuss any concerns at the closeout meeting and share the key findings.
4. The auditor will notify the AHF certification committee if there are non-critical non-conformances.
5. The audit report is then reviewed by AHF’s certification committee, who will decide whether your facility and products meet the necessary halal standards and can proceed to Stage 5.

Stage 5- Certification

This will generally occur within 48 hours of the successful completion and notification of the audit to the certification committee.

Companies will receive the following certification documents in most cases:

1. Halal Production Facility Registration: This certifies that the facility has the ability to produce halal products in accordance with international halal standards.
2. Halal Product Certificate: This certificate includes specific halal-certified products.

In addition to that, the license to use the halal logo is also granted and the company can also subsequently add products to its certification program at any time. The validity of the certificate is usually for one, two, or three years.

AHF Certification Timeline

Talk to an AHF Expert!

The halal certification process is pretty straightforward once you are aware of the specific requirements you need to meet for halal compliance.

At AHF, we’re here to guide you through every stage of the process, helping you navigate documentation, facility audits, and everything in between.

If you have questions or want more clarity on any part of the certification process, reach out to us for a free consultation and halal application processing!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: From start to finish, how long does it take to complete the certification?
A: Generally, the halal certification process is completed within 4-7 weeks.

Q: How many audits are required?
A: Depending on the risk factors, an audit can be required either annually or bi-annually.

Q: What happens if the company fails the audit?
A: AHF will furnish any non-conformances and give the company time to correct the non-conformities

Q: Does AHF require the blessing of equipment or production lines?
A: No, AHF does not require equipment to be blessed.

Q: What are the halal certification requirements?
A: For a complete list of requirements, please read: Halal Certification Requirements – AHF.

Q: Can a product be certified without the facility?
A: It is required that the facility receive halal approval/registration to produce a halal product.