Exploring Halal Certification Challenges As The Industry Goes Global

As the halal industry continues to expanding exponentially, regulatory institutions and credible certifying agencies are in high demand. According to the International Trade Centre (ITC), The first organization to catapult the concept of halal certification was the Muslim Judicial Council Halaal Trust(MJCHT) in 1945. Based in Cape Town, the MJC Halalal Trust laid the foundational blocks for halal assurance, service, control, and food development. Moreover, their mission extends beyond South Africa as their aim is “to create an environment whereby everyone is comfortable with the entire chain of the halal (permissible) food supply in South Africa and beyond its borders.”

Despite the long history of the MJC Halaal Trust, their reputation was briefly compromised. In 2011, a video circulated throughout social media of Orion Cold Meat Storage (a company certified by the MCJ Halaal Trust) displaying falsely labeled products as 'halal'. Even though the MJC suspended its certification from Orion Cold Meat Storage with immediate effect, they still remained the victims of slander. Interestingly, it was brought to light that the Orion saga allegedly ensued as a result of rival competitors bribing their employees to falsely relabel products. Corruption happens on multiple levels and it's largely driven by one motive: gaining profit.

Herein lies the challenge that certifying agencies face. Certification is largely a trust between two companies. If one or the other falters, the certification body is nearly always the party that takes the fall. This is why halal certifiers must properly perform their due dilligence with respect to validating the integrity of the requesting agency. This will not only protect the halal certification agencies credibility in the long run, but it also protects the consumer from fraud and consuming non-halal products.

In one incident, a box of chicken was sold with a halal label even though the supplying company was not certified. This is the case with some unscrupulous businesses that do not care whether or not they comply. They remain intent on involving themselves with the halal conscious consumer irrespective of the concern they should have. Halal certification agencies must act as gate keepers to ensure that these particular businesses stay far away from our consumer base. 

The certification process is a rigorous procedure that takes into account auditing the facility, reviewing the listed ingredients, the size and complexity of the location of production, and training personnel. Some businesses, however, attempt to evade these necessary measures in order to dupe the public and cut costs. The modern day mass-production environment only encourages more bad behavior and profiteering. One of the primary challenges that halal certification bodies face is the blame game. Some businesses go to the extent of accusing the certifying body of being ‘untrustworthy’, whilst the guilt of fraudulent practices is a result of their own misdeeds.

When businesses engage in fraudulent acts such as the aforementioned, they not only damage their reputation, but they raise doubts around the integrity of the halal certifying bodies. As a result, the halal concious consumer is negatively affected, and understandibly feels cheated and lied to. In turn, fraud never ends well, as the consumer has a legitimate basis for legal action.

In the case of a Halal Little Caesars in Michigan, a customer ordered pizza but after discovering the pepperoni he ordered was actually pork, he took them to court. On a much larger scale, there are reported incidents where meat was distributed (under the guise of it being halal) to schools and prisons, causing an uproar in the community. In Germany, a meat company came under fire after horse-meat, and traces of pork were found in its lamb products. The situation is further heightened when these companies produce and export meat products on a large scale, hence adversely affecting and misleading consumers on an international level.

The challenges for halal certification agencies are many. This is precicesly the reason that Halal watch world has been working hard to implement systems, standards, and measures that help disuade companies from malpractice and fraudulent actifities. Our efforts are push back on the negatives and replace them with positives. We will continue to transparently share our methods and refine our solutions to present problems.

It should be noted however, no matter how crime proof the methods, we are bound to come into contact with varying degrees of fraudulent activity. Remember, it takes two to tango. Even though halal authorities and certifying agencies are dilligent and rigorous in their regulatory processes, businesses with, or seeking halal certification must be honest, and treat their service provider with respect. To steer clear of potential problems, businesses should take heed and certify with a credible certifying body that takes the process seriously. 

Read more on this topic by checking out our article on  6 Halal Manufacturing Errors to Avoid.