Halal claims on label
Hi all,
I have a question and hope I could get some help.
So my company import some meats from a halal-certified slaughterhouse. And we use those meats as ingredients for our products. Is it possible if we make label with a claim "made from halal meat/ingredient"?
Thanks
To do that, you should be Halal certified (similar to Kosher certification). Halal certifying body sends you an auditor, and after successful audit you can put a Halal logo on your products. We've been Halal certified for many years. It is also acceptable to certify only certain products, not the whole plant. Our certifying body is HMA, pretty decent guys to deal with - however, AFAIK it's quite costly affair.
To do that, you should be Halal certified (similar to Kosher certification). Halal certifying body sends you an auditor, and after successful audit you can put a Halal logo on your products. We've been Halal certified for many years. It is also acceptable to certify only certain products, not the whole plant. Our certifying body is HMA, pretty decent guys to deal with - however, AFAIK it's quite costly affair.
Thank you for your quick response. If we chose to pursue halal certification for certain products, what documents/procedure is required for audit? Thanks
I can tell you from personnel experience that you won't be successful in the end (different certifying company then Olenzah mentioned)
A) CFIA could interrupt that statement as misleading as consumers could mistake it for being Halal certified product when it is not
B) If a halal certifying company finds this out, you will never become certified Halal if you chose that road--- you may be blackballed
C) i would also be careful with imported meat----unless you've double checked the certification yourself (eg reached out to their CB etc)
I would disagree with Olenzah on the certifying product by product--as my back ground is in slaughter, it may be very different for meat that other finished goods. We had to have the entire plant certified and then by default all products
To do that, you should be Halal certified (similar to Kosher certification). Halal certifying body sends you an auditor, and after successful audit you can put a Halal logo on your products. We've been Halal certified for many years. It is also acceptable to certify only certain products, not the whole plant. Our certifying body is HMA, pretty decent guys to deal with - however, AFAIK it's quite costly affair.
I agree with Olenazh on the certification claim. Like any claim, you have to have the documentation and with Halal, you need 3rd Party certification. You can't claim that on your own.
Even if I made a hamburger with Halal BEEF and topped it with bacon, the Halal designation would be confusing.
I wouldn't...and agree with what the others have said above. You could set yourself up for a serious issue by making such a claim, so it is not worth it.
I can tell you from personnel experience that you won't be successful in the end (different certifying company then Olenzah mentioned)
A) CFIA could interrupt that statement as misleading as consumers could mistake it for being Halal certified product when it is not
B) If a halal certifying company finds this out, you will never become certified Halal if you chose that road--- you may be blackballed
C) i would also be careful with imported meat----unless you've double checked the certification yourself (eg reached out to their CB etc)
I would disagree with Olenzah on the certifying product by product--as my back ground is in slaughter, it may be very different for meat that other finished goods. We had to have the entire plant certified and then by default all products
I'd agree with most of those points, except the last. Shelf stable meat products here, and we get Halal certified annually for just a handful of items. Not much different than organic from the perspective of segregation programs being of key importance.
I'd agree with most of those points, except the last. Shelf stable meat products here, and we get Halal certified annually for just a handful of items. Not much different than organic from the perspective of segregation programs being of key importance.
That's my thinking as well. I've worked in plants that produced organic and non-organic on shared production lines, with scheduling/cleaning used to maintain organic integrity, and our organic certifiers and customers found it acceptable.
I'm not versed in Halal, but if they offer the ability to certify select products you make, obtaining that certification prior to labeling your finished good as anything related to Halal would be a necessary step in my mind. This would be for the same reason a non-organic maker shouldn't state "made from organic ingredients" on their non-organic labeling, as it's an attempt to take credit for a process you are not certified in.
In the labelling, packaging or advertising of a food, the FDR prohibit the use of the word "halal" or any letters of the Arabic alphabet, or any other word, expression, depiction, sign, symbol, mark, device or other representation that indicates or that is likely to create an impression that the food is halal, unless the name of the person or body that has certified the food as halal is indicated on the label, package, or in the advertisement for that food [B.01.050, FDR].
The name of the certifying body or person is required where the claim is being made, whether that is on the label or the package or in the advertisement. Having the name of the certifying body or person on one of these elements does not preclude it from being required to appear on the other elements when a halal claim is made.
Acronyms and some company logos may not be easily recognizable to all consumers. Therefore, the complete name of the person or body that certified the food as halal must be present.
There are no specific requirements on the proximity of a halal claim and the name of the person or body that certified the food to one another.
The intent of the requirement is to provide additional information to consumers so as to enable them to make informed decisions about the food they purchase. Like all claims, halal claims must be truthful and not misleading.
Thank you for your quick response. If we chose to pursue halal certification for certain products, what documents/procedure is required for audit? Thanks
You would need to get that information directly from the certifying body
This would be for the same reason a non-organic maker shouldn't state "made from organic ingredients" on their non-organic labeling, as it's an attempt to take credit for a process you are not certified in.
You are correct in that you cannot state "made from organic ingredients" without being organic certified, but you are able to label ingredients as organic in the ingredient list. But you won't be able to state on the principal display panel that the product has organic ingredients and you won't be able to use an organic certified seal.
But as Scampi cited above, this is not the same situation for Halal.