Halal Certification Requirements

AHF Name and Logo Policy.
The labeling requirements for halal certification are as follows:

1. 
   Generic halal logos should be avoided.
   
2. 
   The ingredients information section should disclose the ingredients of the products in accordance with Federal labeling guidelines.
   
3. 
   Certified companies should not utilize the halal logo in a way that misconstrues the context of the certification.
   
4. 
   Companies certified by AHF maintain the right but are not required to apply the AHF halal logo with prior authorization.
   
5. 
   Mention of non-halal ingredients in a manner that may mislead consumers is not allowed.
   
6. 
   For poultry products, if the bird has been slaughtered by hand, an indication should be provided by mention of “individually harvested by hand” or “hand slaughtered.” If the bird has been slaughtered/harvested by a machine, the verbiage “machine slaughtered” should be included.
   
7. 
   For meat and poultry products, the production date must be mentioned.
   
8. 
   For meat and poultry products, unless otherwise stated, the halal logo may only be applied to batches/lots that are accompanied with a halal certificate.`
   
9. 
   When granted to a contract manufacturer, the license for a halal logo is not extended to the private label brands that source their products from the certified manufacturer.
   

Halal Critical Control Points (HCCPs)
Halal critical control points are steps in the production process that are critical to eliminating the risk to the integrity of the halal identity of the product. Understanding them is instructive in terms of adhering to the halal certification standards.
There are two key elements in understanding HCCPs:

1. 
   Contaminant HCCPs
   
2. 
   Decision trees
   

Haram (Contaminant) HCCPs:
The following ingredients/items pose a critical risk to the halal integrity of a product:

1. 
   Intoxicants (Khamr)
   
   1. 
      Anything consumable and intoxicating is considered Khamr.
      
   2. 
      Drinks containing a minimum of 1% ethanol are categorized as Khamr
      
   3. 
      Drinks classified as Khamr are najis (filth) and thus contaminants
      
   4. 
      Drinks produced through fermentation containing less than 1% ethanol are not classified as Khamr but are haram for consumption.
      
2. 
   Ethanol
   
   1. 
      The use of pure ethanol produced by the non-Khamr industry is permissible (Mubah) if it is not detected in the finished product.
      
   2. 
      Prohibited if it is detected in the finished product above 5000 PPM
      
   3. 
      The use of ethanol produced by Khamr industry in food production is haram.
      
3. 
   By-Products of Khamr industry
   
   1. 
      Fusel oil, as a by-product of the Khamr industry, is haram and najis.
      
   2. 
      Fusel oil, which is not a by-product of the Khamr industry, is not najis and halal.
      
   3. 
      Components that are physically separated from fusel oil as a by-product of the Khamr industry and then chemically reacted to be a new compound are halal.
      
   4. 
      Vinegar is halal when no additional alcohol is added after the completion of the manufacturing process.
      
4. 
   Flavor Imitating Haram Product
   
   1. 
      Flavor using the name and having the sensory profile of a haram product, like rum flavor, pork flavor, etc., could not be halal certified, although ingredients used may be technically halal.
      
5. 
   Microbial Product
   
   1. 
      Microbes that grow on halal growth media are halal, and those that grow on haram growth media are haram.
      
   2. 
      Microbial consumer products that use haram and najis materials on their growth media in any production steps (refreshing scale, pilot plant scale, and production stage) are haram.
      
   3. 
      Products containing microbial products that grow on non-halal media are haram.
      
   4. 
      Products containing microbial products must be traced back to the initial growth media of the microbes.
      
6. 
   Several Examples of Critical Materials
   
   1. 
      The meat of halal animals is haram if the animal is not slaughtered according to Islamic law. Critical points in the slaughtering process are as follows:
      
      1. 
         The individual making the initial incision must be Muslim (male/female.
         
      2. 
         The stunning process should not cause the death of the animal before slaughter.
         
      3. 
         The knife must be sharp.
         
      4. 
         The slaughtering must be carried out from the front of the neck, cutting the throat (esophagus), windpipe (trachea), and the two jugular veins in the neck without cutting the spinal cord.
         
      5. 
         Name of Allah and His Greatness – Bismillah, Allah u Akbar, must be invoked by the slaughter man before slaughtering.
         
      6. 
         The animal should be thoroughly bled.
         
   2. 
      The following documents or conditions should support imported meat:
      
      1. 
         Halal certificate from a halal certifying agency approved by AHF.
         
      2. 
         Shipment and other supporting documents such as shipping documents, health documents, etc.
         
      3. 
         The halal certificate should conform to other documents. 
         
      4. 
         The documents should conform to physical conditions, such as packaging and labeling.
         
      5. 
         Documents must have the correct lot number, plant number, date of slaughtering, etc.
         
7. 
   Animal Derivatives
   
   1. 
      According to Islamic law, animal derivatives are halal when derived from halal animals slaughtered. It should not be derived from blood or contaminated by haram (prohibited) and najis (filthy) materials. Following is a partial listing of animal derivatives or materials:
      
      1. 
         Fat
         
      2. 
         Protein
         
      3. 
         Gelatin
         
      4. 
         Collagen
         
      5. 
         Di / Tri Calcium Phosphate
         
      6. 
         Fatty Acid and its derivatives (E 430 – E 436)
         
      7. 
         Salts or Esters of Fatty Acid (E 470 – E 495)
         
      8. 
         Glycerol / Glycerin (E 422)
         
      9. 
         Amino Acids (Ex: Cysteine, Phenylalanine, etc.)
         
      10. 
          Edible bone phosphates (E 521)
          
      11. 
          Blood Plasma
          
      12. 
          Globulin concentrate
          
      13. 
          Fibrinogen
          
      14. 
          Microbe growth media (Ex: blood agar)
          
      15. 
          Hormone (Ex: Insulin, growth hormones)
          
      16. 
          Enzymes from pig/cow pancreas (amylase, lipase, pepsin, trypsin, etc.)
          
      17. 
          Taurine
          
      18. 
          Placenta
          
      19. 
          Milk products and their derivatives and by-products when processed by enzymes (Ex: cheese, whey, lactose, casein/caseinate, etc.)
          
      20. 
          Several Vitamins (Ex: Vitamin A, B6, D, E, etc.)
          
      21. 
          Activated carbon
          
      22. 
          Bristle
          
   2. 
      Honey is an animal derivative that is halal.
      
   3. 
      Milk, when sourced from halal animals, is halal.
      
   4. 
      Fish and its derivatives are halal.
      
8. 
   Vegetable Products
   
   1. 
      Materials derived from vegetables meet halal certification requirements, but if they are processed with additives or processing aids, or other ingredients that are not halal, they become non-halal. Therefore, it is necessary to know the production process, the additives, and the processing aid materials used in the production of vegetable products. Following are examples of vegetable materials that might have critical points:
      
      1. 
         Wheat flour could be enriched with vitamins B1, B2, and Folic acid.
         
      2. 
         Oleoresin (Chili, spices, etc.) may contain emulsifiers (Ex, Polysorbate/ tween & monooleate glycerol that might be derived from animals.
         
      3. 
         Soybean lecithin could be pmprove its function.
         
      4. 
         Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) could be produced using enzymes in the hydrolysis process.
         
9. 
   By-Products of the Alcoholic Industry and its Derivatives
   
   1. 
      By-products of the alcoholic drink industry and their derivatives are haram if they are only physically separated from the product. But if they are chemically reacted to be a new compound, they are considered halal. Examples of the by-products of the alcoholic drink industry and their derivatives are:
      
      1. 
         Cognac oil (a by-product of Cognac/Brandy distillation)
         
      2. 
         Fusel oil (By-product of distilled beverages and their derivatives, such as isoamyl, isobutyl, propyl alcohol, acetaldehyde, 2.3 butanediols, acetone, diacetyl, etc.)
         
      3. 
         Brewer yeast (a by-product of the beer industry)
         
      4. 
         Tartaric acid (a by-product of the wine industry)
         
10. 
    Microbial Products
    
    1. 
       Microbial products intrinsically are considered acceptable for halal certification.
       
    2. 
       The status of microbial products could be haram if it belongs to the following categories:
       
       1. 
          Microbial products grown on media containing haram materials such as blood and peptone from haram sources or produced by utilizing an enzyme from haram sources.
          
       2. 
          Microbial products using enzymes of haram materials in their production process.
          
       3. 
          Microbial products using haram additives or processing aid in their production process, such as antifoams derived from lard, glycerol, or other similar substances.
          
       4. 
          Microbial recombinant genes derived from haram materials. Examples are as follows:
          
       5. 
          Alpha-amylase enzymes and protease resulting from Saccharomyces cerevisiae recombinants with genes from animal tissues.
          
       6. 
          Insulin hormones resulting from E.coli recombinants and genes from pig pancreas tissues.
          
       7. 
          Human growth hormones resulting from E.coli recombinants.
          
11. 
    Other Critical Ingredients:
    
    1. 
       The following are examples of other additives that often become critical points:
       
       1. 
          Aspartame (made from the amino acid Phenylalanine and Aspartic acid)
          
       2. 
          Natural colorings
          
       3. 
          Flavors
          
       4. 
          Seasonings
          
       5. 
          Vitamin coating
          
       6. 
          Emulsifiers and Stabilizers
          
       7. 
          Antifoams 
          
12. 
    Packaging: 
    
    1. 
       The company must identify the material composition of the packaging
       
    2. 
       The company must determine if there is any leaching of packaging material into the product 
       
    3. 
       Packaging suppliers should complete the halal suitability statement
       
    4. 
       Packaging materials but be free from non-halal animal derivates
       
    5. 
       The sizes of the packaging should corroborate with the data listed on the halal certificate
       

HCCP Decision Trees
When encountering practical situations, it helps to have a visual to guide your course of action. Below is a list of decision trees to guide your course of action when encountering Halal Critical Control Points.
Identification of Critical Control Points in Plant Products

Identification of Critical Control Points in Animal Derived Products

Identification of Critical Points of Warehousing and Production Lines