The word ‘halal’ means permissible, lawful or permitted. Muslims who abide strictly to the guidelines under the Qu’ran will only use goods and services that follow halal standards. This applies not only to food and beverages but also to beauty, pharmaceutical and personal care products.

For goods and services to be halal, they need to be compliant with the procedures and processes as stated in the Islamic Law (Sharia). They need to be free from ingredients that are prohibited under this law.

For instance, goods and services that contain the following ingredients are not considered as halal:-

• Pork or products containing pork
• Animals that are not slaughtered according to the Islamic Law
• Blood or products containing blood
• Alcohol
• Animals on land without external ears
• Non-halal gelatine
• Carnivorous animals
• Birds of prey
• Lard
• Unspecified meat broth

Halal is also known as a system of morals that are being observed by Muslims to guide their actions and behaviours. It should not be confused as being a codified system of sharia law.

There are three ways you can obtain halal certification.

The first way is by having all your individual products certified as halal. This includes having your production ingredients and processes of a particular product certified as halal.

You can also choose to get your production or plant facilities certified as halal. By doing this, your products will be certified as halal when produced using your current facilities.

Another way you can get the halal certification is by having your retail premises certified. By having this certification, it will show that the food or products that you sell are prepared according to the halal way.

Many businesses are still unaware of the requirements needed to produce goods and services that are halal.

The halal certification will ensure that the goods and services offered comply with the halal process so that they are suitable for Muslim consumers.

When a particular product or service is certified as halal, Muslim consumers will be assured that it has been made according to the strict requirements that are according to their Islamic practice and way of life.

This will increase the credibility of that particular product or service. And in return, more Muslim consumers will be willing to buy it because it is suitable for their consumption.

There are five simple steps that you need to go through before getting your halal certification.

The steps are below:

• Application process of your halal certification
• Evaluation of your application
• Agreement on the type of halal certification and fees to be paid
• On-site audit to see if you meet the halal requirements
• Certification decision

If you are a US company and wish to export your products to Muslim countries overseas, you may be required to have a halal certification for your goods and services – depending on the countries you wish to export to.

And this includes exporting to countries with lucrative export opportunities like Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

If you are a company dealing with the goods and services that are prepared the halal way, you will have the opportunity to tap into an ever-increasing Muslim community market both locally and overseas by getting a halal certification for what you produce.

This is especially the case if you are producing meat, poultry, beef, lamb and poultry products as you will need your facilities to be approved and halal certified. Without certification, potential Muslim customers will be hesitant to buy or import goods from you.

If you are a producer of pharmaceutical, beauty and personal care products, you can also get your halal certification to get your products exported to Muslim countries and increase your customer base. A halal certificate will assure your potential customers that your ingredients, as well as manufacturing and handling procedures, meet the requirements of observant Muslims.

The halal certificate can be used as proof that the goods and services that you produce meet the requirements of Islamic law and suitable for Muslim consumers. When you get your halal certificate, you can mark your products with the halal symbol or the letter ‘M’.

When Muslim consumers see this halal symbol or the letter ‘M’, they will know straight-away that your goods and services are halal. So they can support your business by buying from you.