Requirement for Food Production A recognised Islamic institutional authority should take all responsibilities for halal certification services. The institution itself nominates competent persons, who supervise and conduct audit of the factory, the production sites, and production lines as well as monitoring all incoming raw materials periodically, as required. The product, the production line and/or factory must be supervised, audited and a rapport is furnished by the competent auditors of the institutional authority certifying (i.e. the Islamic Centre, a mosque). The certifying authority issues the requested “halal certificate,” after studying and discussing the rapport of Auditor, when all necessary halal requirements are fulfilled. Halal Certificate is a religious verdict (Fatwa). A Halal certificate must always accompany all animal raw materials. This halal certificate should be issued to slaughterhouse, at the spot, on the request of a responsible for such a product by a local Islamic institutional authority (an Islamic Centre or a mosque), which is authorized and legalized accordingly. For the production of pure and halal food products (for new production factory) a Halal conforming production line should be installed accordingly. A complete separation of the Halal line or a separation of some parts of the factory is necessary to cope with the requirements depending on the situation. The line should be audited and certified periodically through a competent person from an authorized Islamic institutional office. The quality, safety and hygiene conditions of production processes should be kept strictly controlled. Any cross-contamination should be strictly avoided. Halal production possibilities: The summary of the above, allows the following conclusion: The entire factory can be changed to halal production; A part of the factory can be changed for halal production (the inspection and control in both situations should be executed by a qualified and authorised person); Halal production is abandoned totally.

Halal food products are the products which are:

Produced using clearly verified Halal raw materials and equipment. Derived from permitted animals and those which have been slaughtered in accordance with the Islamic codes and are declared “pure.” Produced from and with sea animals (sea animals, most of them are considered principally Halal in Islam and they do not need to be slaughtered). Neither products of alcohol, nor contain any alcoholic component. Vegetable foods, as long as the production strictly follows the Halal rules and no fermentation has started yet. Produced on dedicated halal production lines (Production of Halal and non Halal food on the same line is not permissible and regular transferring from Halal production to non Halal production and vice versa on the same production line is not permitted. The same applies to the cooking utensils.) Produced with the clear intention to produce halal and the intent must be clearly visible and should be followed as long as a change in the production policy is decided. (The certification body must be informed, in case of any change in production policy or discontinuance of Halal production, whatsoever the reason may be).

Animal raw materials are only halal, as long as it is derived from permitted animals and those have been slaughtered according to Islamic jurisdiction. Sea animals are an exception. The following animal raw materials are Non Halal (not permitted, and prohibited): Meat from dead animals, blood, meat from pig, the meat from permitted animals, which have not been slaughtered in the prescribed manner and the name of Allah (s.t.) is not provoked before or during the process of slaughtering. The meat of wild and carnivorous animals as well as wild birds with claws is also prohibited. Vegetable raw materials are considered halal as long as no fermentation has taken place and no suspicious additives are used before and/or during the production process. The requirements should be observed strictly. Alcohol, in any form or concentration, is haram and absolutely forbidden. All animal raw materials used in the production of food should have been derived from halal animals and those must have also been slaughtered according to Islamic law and are accompanied by a halal certificate. Slaughtering process according to Islamic law: The aim of the Islamic rules for slaughtering is to end the life of an animal in a sympathetic, quick and possibly in a painless manner. The slaughter must take place in the name of Allah (s.w.t.). During the slaughtering process, the neck arteries, veins and the trachea of the animal must be cut through. Whole Blood must flow out. The neck (spinal cord) should not be cut through before removing the skin and opening the bally. Every sane practising Muslim whoever understands Islamic law and follows it, can perform the slaughtering; is trained for the process, and is able to execute it in the proper manner, is free to do so. The Islamic slaughtering is a purification process, by which only animals permitted by the Islamic law can be purified in the name of Allah (s.w.t.). Sea animals are pure and Halal, from Islamic point of view. A slaughtering of these animals is not necessary.