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Halal certification is highly relevant to food businesses in Malaysia due to religious, market, and regulatory factors. It enables businesses to cater to Muslim consumers, gain market access, enhance consumer trust, and participate in the growing global Halal market. This article will cover the basics on how to apply for a halal certificate in Malaysia from JAKIM.
The Importance Of Halal In Malaysia
Here are some key points highlighting the importance of Halal certification in the Malaysian food industry:
Meeting Religious Requirements: Malaysia has a predominantly Muslim population, and Muslims adhere to dietary laws that require the consumption of Halal food. Halal certification ensures that the food products meet the religious requirements and expectations of Muslim consumers.
Building Consumer Trust: Halal certification serves as a trust mark for Muslim consumers. It assures them that the food they are purchasing and consuming has been produced, processed, and handled in accordance with strict Halal guidelines and is free from any non-Halal elements.
Market Access and Expansion: Obtaining a Halal certificate opens doors to a broader market both domestically and internationally. In Malaysia, Halal certification is often a prerequisite for supplying food products to government institutions, hotels, restaurants, and other establishments catering to Muslim consumers.
Export Opportunities: Malaysia is known for its Halal expertise and is a global hub for Halal products and services. Having a Halal certificate can facilitate export opportunities, as it provides assurance to consumers and regulatory bodies in other countries that the products comply with Halal standards.
Compliance with Halal Assurance System: The Malaysian government has implemented the MS1500:2019 Halal Food Management System, which outlines the requirements for the certification and audit process. Halal certification ensures that food businesses in Malaysia comply with these regulatory standards, enhancing their credibility and compliance with local regulations.
Consumer Awareness and Preference: Halal certification has gained prominence among consumers beyond the Muslim population. Many non-Muslim consumers also seek Halal-certified products due to perceived quality, hygiene, and ethical considerations associated with Halal standards.
Consumer Education and Transparency: The Halal certification process promotes transparency and consumer education. It requires businesses to maintain proper documentation, traceability, and ingredient labeling, enabling consumers to make informed choices about the products they purchase.
How To Apply For Halal Certificate
Frankly we say that applying for halal is not an easy thing. Especially when the Malaysian Halal Certification Application Manual 2020 is enforced. However, it is not impossible for you to do it yourself if you are equipped with sufficient guidance and resources. But it is highly recommended to have Halal Gap Analysis done for you before proceed to application. It may incur minimum charges but it really helps a lot.
The way to make sure you have enough resources is to read and study.
Although this guide on “how to apply for a halal certificate” is not 100% complete, it can give you an idea of the process you will face when you want to start applying for halal certification. For more detail instruction specifically on Restaurant, caterer and products scheme application please refer to this article – How To Get Halal Certificate For Restaurant / Caterer / Products
Time needed: 120 days
Follow these general steps on how to apply for a halal certificate (JAKIM):
- Identify Halal Certification Bodies
Even though the halal certificate is issued by JAKIM in Putrajaya, but you must know that dealing in halal application, applicant must go through State Islamic Religious Department or Jabatan Agama Islam Negeri.
- Open MyeHalal Account
Visit MyEhalal web app, choose ‘Domestic’ application and register for new account. Only 1 account is permitted for 1 company (SSM).
- Gather Required Documentation
Prepare the necessary documentation as per the certification body’s requirements. This typically includes information about your company, product details, ingredient lists, manufacturing processes, and any existing certifications or quality control measures you may have. The checklist published may not be complete. if your are in food business and is applying halal for food scheme, please follow our complete checklist. It can be downloaded here for FREE.
- Complete the Application Form
Fill out the MyeHalal application form provided by the certification body. Provide accurate and detailed information about your business and products to facilitate the evaluation process. A piece of advice here. Only key in the information of your company first. After you have completed compiling the necessary documents, then only you key it in one by one or you will get stress during this phase.
- Submit the Application
Send the completed application form along with the required documentation to the certification body. Ensure that you meet any specified deadlines for submission. You have 5 working days to submit your supporting documents. Our best practice is to prepare all the documents before hitting the “Submit’ button.
- Application Review
The certification body will review your application and supporting documents to assess your compliance with Halal standards. They may contact you for additional information or clarification during the review process. If somehow they find that your supporting document is incomplete, they will issue a letter “Semakan Dokumen: Tidak Lengkap“.
Things to note here. Please respond to the letter or your application will be rejected and you have to go through the same process all over again. Do understand that they have hundreds of application to review everyday! - On-site Audit
Depending on the certification body’s procedures, an on-site audit may be conducted at your premises within 1-2 month. This audit is conducted to verify that your operations and processes align with Halal requirements. The certification body will schedule the inspection in advance. They maybe notify you through letter or by phone call. Good luck!
- Corrective Actions (if necessary)
If any non-compliance issues are identified during the inspection or application review, the certification body will provide you with a report highlighting the necessary corrective actions. Address these issues promptly and make the required adjustments to ensure compliance.
- Certification Decision
Once the application review and audit are completed, the certification body will make a decision regarding the issuance of the Halal certificate. If your application is approved and you have fulfilled all the requirements, you will be granted the Halal certificate.
- Certification Issuance
If your application is successful, the certification body will issue the Halal certificate. The certificate issuance is by JAKIM even though you are dealing with the Johor state Islamic department for an example. The certificate will state that your products or services comply with Halal standards and may include details such as certification number, validity period, and any specific conditions or restrictions.
Remember that the specific requirements and procedures may vary depending on the certification scheme and the industry you operate in. It is recommended to directly contact the state Islamic Department or JAKIM for accurate and detailed information tailored to your specific circumstances.
That is all the basics on how to apply for a halal certificate in Malaysia. If you are serious on applying for halal certificate and you are in tight budget to hire a Halal Consultant, then we highly recommend that you get this Halal Mastery eBook written by Halal Coach himself.
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