As noted previously there is no single internationally accepted certification for halal food. Instead, there are numerous certifiers in different countries. Nevertheless, producers in many countries are obliged to act responsibly when they acquired halal certification from the certifying body that they use in order to maintain the halal status. The Halal Monitoring Committee United Kingdom has its own halal certification procedures for restaurants and takeaways. A business that is interested in applying for certification has its application reviewed and food practices monitored before an agreement contract is issued on approval. After signing the agreement, halal certification will be issued and it must be placed on display in a place that is clearly visible to the customers in the outlet. Inspections are done regularly to monitor compliance with the terms of the contract (The Halal Monitoring Committee, 2006).
Similar procedures are practiced by the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) which undertakes to certify food and non-food items as well as restaurants, eateries and other premises as halal (FIANZ, 2008). However, Wan Hassan and Hall (2003) raised the important issue that manufacturers and business operators in New Zealand, as in some other countries, can freely claim their products or restaurants to be halal without getting the endorsement or verification from FIANZ.
Within this context, Malaysia has its own stringent certification procedures in issuing halal certificates to food manufacturers, abattoir and restaurants. JAKIM defined food premises as a building or a place for food and beverage business such as restaurant, food court, commercial
77
kitchen, cafeteria, cake and pastry shop, fast food restaurant, canteen, club/hotel, kiosk and other caterers. Application procedures must be undertaken and complied with the following in order to fulfill halal certification requirements:
Table 4.2: General Requirements for Halal Certification Application
Halal Certification General Requirements
Each manufacturer/eatery/slaughterhouse shall apply for halal products. Each company should apply for halal certification and ensure the source
of ingredients for food and selecting suppliers or sub-contractors who supply materials have halal certificates.
Each company should ensure compliance with lawful procedures in areas such as outlined in the Malaysian halal certification procedures manual.
Companies listed in the category of Multinational and Small & Medium Enterprise (SME) is required to establish halal audit committee and appoint an Executive Director of Internal Islamic Affairs for controlling and ensuring compliance with lawful certification procedures.
Minimum requirement is to have two workers who remain Muslim and a Malaysian in the kitchen/handling/food processing.
During the preparation, handling, processing, packaging or transferring, the product has to be clean and contain no ingredients that are
forbidden by Islamic law. The use of equipment or facilities within the premises should be cleaned and free of faecal contamination in
accordance with Islamic law.
Transport used is for halal products only.
Clean equipment, transportation, production areas and the environment is emphasized and the company should adopt good manufacturing practices.
Employees should adopt codes of ethics and practice (Good Hygiene Practices) as follows:
a. All employees need to get some injections from any health centre that is recognized by the government before and after being employed;
78
b. All employees should exercise care and good personal hygiene, especially for those who worked as a production operator;
c. Employees who are unwell or have wounds or injuries that may affect the quality of a product are not allowed to work until recovery;
d. Direct contact with hands and raw materials and semi finished products should be avoided;
e. Smoking, eating, drinking or storing food, beverage, cigarettes, drugs and others should be done in a designated area and not allowed in the production areas or any place that may affect the quality of products; f. All persons who wish to enter into the production area must wear special
clothing to factories and clean (if there is no special clothing) following the procedure of health care and personal hygiene, including regular employees, temporary workers, management staff, visitors and others; g. Employees must always maintain personal hygiene and wear appropriate
cap, mouth, gloves and shoes that fit;
h. Employees should always wash their hands thoroughly with an appropriate detergent;
i. Before starting food handling activities; ii. After using the toilet;
iii. After handling raw materials or contaminated materials and so forth
i. Employees may not wear any jewellery or decorative items, clocks etc, in the food processing area that might cause pollution (contamination) in the food handling process;
j. Employees must always work in a directed checkpoints;
k. Employees should be committed and responsible to the lawful policies established.
Tools of religious worship are not allowed in the premises of the food processing area.
Source: JAKIM (2010)
According to JAKIM (2010), inspection will be carried out upon meeting all requirements as mentioned above and once payment has been received. The service charge rates include all costs involving research or laboratory tests on the status of the product ingredients and the charges are
79
borne by the applicant or the company. Here, laboratory tests should be made at any public or private lab that is recognized by JAKIM. The charge rate, applicable for individual applicant for each living unit (the premise) is RM100 and another RM100 for each unit of kitchen. The fees charged cover a period of two years where delays in payment will affect the halal inspection visit to be carried out on the premise. Fees will be charged for each renewal application. Within this context, two inspecting officers are assigned to perform the inspection - an Islamic Affairs Officer and a Food Technology Officer, who will examine all aspects of the food premise including documentation, processing, handling to storage, display and product serving, checking of equipment and cleanliness, sanitation and food safety.
Halal certification will be issued upon obtaining approval from JAKIM halal certification approval panel that consists of experts in Shariah and scientists on technical matters (JAKIM, 2010). Upon certification the food premise must display the halal logo at visible and appropriate places. Describing the process is significant for the understanding of the concept of halal because it reemphasize that halal is not only limited to the food materials and ingredients used in a restaurant but covers all aspects in the food supply chain as well as personal hygiene, clothing, utensils and working area (Mohd Yusoff, 2004). The process therefore reiterates that, above all else, every Muslim demands that a product complies fully with Islamic religious standards. Halal certification offers such reassurance to Muslim consumers. The next section provides a fuller account of halal certification in Malaysia.