How does Halal Certification work? How does Halal Certification impact companies in India?

 The Halal certification in India confirms that the food or products are permissible for Muslims and that no haram products were used in their manufacture or processing.

Halal refers to permissible or lawful behavior according to Islam. The term Halal is associated with Islam and its dietary laws, and specifically with meat that has been processed and prepared according to the laws. 

What is the purpose of Halal law? 

The Quran mentions the following Halal practices:

1- An animal can only be slaughtered by a Muslim man. Depending on the Islamic dietary laws, the meat of Jews and Christians slaughtered following Halal procedures is also halal.

2- It is necessary to slaughter the animal with a sharp knife by cutting the jugular vein, the carotid artery, and the windpipe.

3- It is known as Tasmiya or Shahada that the Quranic verse is to be read when slaughtering the animal.

4- The animal must be healthy and alive at the time of slaughter.  In order to ensure full blood removal from the carcass, as much blood as possible must be drained.

5- In Islam, eating the meat of a dead animal or eating meat not produced through the halal procedure is prohibited.

Halal Certification

Halal certification is issued by the government of many Islamic countries. Almost all processed foods in India are certified by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), but this authority does not grant Halal certifications.  In India, many private businesses offer Halal certification to identify foods and products that are permissible for Muslims.

What are the benefits of halal certification for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals?

Cosmetics and pharmaceuticals need halal certification as these companies use animal by-products. For instance, alcohol is present in perfumes, pig fat is present in lipsticks and lip balms, and cosmetic products use by-products of pigs, chickens, goats, etc., and these are termed as haram as per the Islamic laws. Therefore, the cosmetics and pharmaceuticals which are halal certified simply mean that they do not contain anything which is prohibited for the followers of Islam.

Why do companies get their products halal certified?

It is becoming more common for companies to get Halal-certified products so that their products can be exported to Islamic countries. There are 1.8 billion Muslims in the world, which translates into 24.1% of the world's population. Many Islamic countries allow only halal-certified foods in addition to this.

It has been reported that the halal food market accounts for about 19% of the global food market. As a result, many companies are achieving halal certification in order to meet the demands of their customers and supply chains.

Halal tourism refers to everything from Halal foods to Halal cosmetics. They do not serve alcohol in their hotels or restaurants and only serve halal-certified food in their restaurants. Some hotels have separate facilities for women and men in their spas and swimming pools.

What issues have been raised by Halal certification?

● Since the process of halal certification is not free, the cost of halal-certified products increases. Additionally, several modifications must be made during the manufacturing process in order to get halal certification.

●      In several sectors, employment opportunities are not available to non-Muslims, including in Halal slaughterhouses.

●      Especially in the halal meat sector, halal certification is viewed as discriminatory towards non-muslims.

Final Words

Halal certification does not yet have a standard process. Therefore, products certified as halal in one country may not be considered halal in another country. As an example, in the UAE, products certified as halal in India are not considered halal.

It is interesting that halal-certified products or foods are not prohibited for other communities either. They can be consumed by anyone regardless of faith.