How can a Singapore Restaurant obtain Halal Certification?

Being a country with different races, eateries in Singapore are required to know and abide by the rules and regulations in the food and beverage industry. This is important especially for Muslim food which is necessitated to be Halal for their consumption.

To understand the importance and implications of being Halal Certified, you need to know the concept of Halal. This article will equip you with the necessary information on what Halal is, Halal application process and how to make your restaurant Halal-certified.

What does it mean to be Halal-Certified?

Halal is an Arabic word which means “allowable” or “lawful”. Muslims are not allowed to eat certain foods or take certain drinks. These class of consumables are called Haram or Non-Halal, while foods and drinks that can be taken are classified as Halal. A Halal certificate gives the assurance that a product or food is made in compliance with the dietary requirement of Islam. Hence, Muslims are more confident to use products or pay for a service that is Halal-certified.

The following things are considered to Haram and prohibited:

• The meat of an animal that died before it was slaughtered.
• The blood of an animal
• Dogs
• Pigs
• Drugs that are intoxicating
• Alcohol
• Ingredients from Haram animals or products
• Any animal sacrificed without invoking the name of God

That you are Halal-certified does not mean that only ingredients should be Halal, utensils and other things used for preparing food should also be Halal. The major reason for Halal Certification is to serve both the national and international Muslim communities and ensure that they comply with their religion demands. Muslims must slaughter only the Halal animals and also say a short prayer. A sharp knife should be used to slaughter the animals and their blood must be drained quickly to hasten their death.

Aquatic animals like fish die shortly after being out of the water and they do not have blood like animals, therefore, they don’t need to be slaughtered like animals. Also, raw ingredients like gelatine should be Halal because they may have bones or skin extracts of animals that are Haram.

Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) or an appointed agent from the body must perform some rituals to cleanse any utensils that have come in contact with Haram ingredients like dog or pig. Such utensil must not be used to prepare Halal food unless appropriately cleansed.

Furthermore, for your restaurant to be Halal-certified, there are some requirements that must be met. Below are some necessary information that will guide on how to make your eatery Halal-certified

Who you should apply to for Halal Certification?

The MUIS which is also the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore is responsible for awarding Halal certification. There are 7 different schemes for various types of food establishments. However, retail food establishments in Singapore including restaurants are classified under the Eating Establishment Scheme (EE Scheme).

The scope of certification of the EE Scheme includes:

• Transportation, receipt, storing and handling processes of raw materials;
• Storage and preparation of processes;
• Processes of collection, handling, washing and storing equipment and utensils;
• Delivering cooked food
• Dining areas for Halal

What are the conditions for Halal Certification?

Every applicant must abide by the conditions stated in the EE Scheme for MUIS Halal Certification. Every prospective applicant is strongly advised to go through the conditions for MUIS Halal Certification properly before applying for the certification.

Though there are other conditions, some of the conditions to be complied with are addressed here:

1. Halal certification applications are made via the MUIS eHalal System. It must be declared on the MUIS eHalal System that every raw material, processing aid and additive to be used are Halal. Each applicant’s Halal status must be validated with necessary documents.

1. Scope of certification must be clearly defined by each applicant by labelling and submitting a floor plan to MUIS. Haram or items in the same category should not be brought in to the scope of certification.

1. Each applicant must clearly define their production lines, kitchen areas, storage areas, crockery, utensils and dishwashing facilities where Halal materials and products will be processed and handled. Any object that has previously had contact with Haram items must be declared and ritually cleansed by MUIS

1. Each applicant must employ a minimum of two Muslims and one of them shall be the “Muslim Representative” in the Halal Team

1. The Singapore MUIS Halal Quality Management System (HalMQ) has 10 principles that all applicants follow.  One of the principles states that a Halal Team should be established to ensure the conditions for MUIS Halal Certification are complied with.

Halal Team

• The Halal Team shall consist the Halal Team leader, the Muslim Representative (the two must have undergone the Halal Training programmed under a MUIS-appointed training provider) and other members.

• The Halal Team leader is to ensure the conditions for MUIS Halal Certification are complied with and correct any non-compliance.

• The Muslim Representative is to advise the eatery on Halal food matters and religious sensitivities. He/she is to ensure that every product and raw materials are Halal and approved by MUIS by endorsing invoices and delivery orders
• It should be noted that chain outlets or franchise food stationsmust only have a single team Halal Team unless otherwise advised by MUIS.

Where to submit your application?

Halal certification should be applied for online via the MUIS eHalal System.

What happens after your application?

After submitting your application via the MUIS eHalal System, you will be audited before you are giving the certificate.

1. Desktop Audit: A MUIS- appointed auditor will assess your online application. The auditor will check to ensure that all the necessary documents and relevant information has been provided.

1. Shortcoming(s) Cycle: Every applicant must rectify any missing information or condition not complied with detected by the auditor before the deadline given on the MUIS eHalal system.

1. Site Audit: The auditor will inspect the premises and if the conditions for MUIS Halal Certification are complied with, he will recommend the application to MUIS. Any noticed shortcomings must be rectified before the given deadline. Another audit inspection will be done to confirm that the shortcomings have been rectified.

How long is the Application Process?

The application process takes an average of 7 days for renewal of Halal certificate while new applications may to up to 14 days starting from the day you make payment.

The time taken to process the application for certification depends on how fast the applicant responds to the audit outcome. The applicant must rectify every shortcoming before the application process for the certification can start.

It is therefore recommended that you should regularly check the MUIS eHalal System for any updates on your application status, a notice of any shortcoming and reports from the auditor.

Fees

Application fees for Halal certification

For restaurant owners, their scheme is EE RESTAURANT. The application fee must be paid within 7 days of submitting the application. MUIS will reject any application fee not paid within the 7 days.

Stages	For New Application	For Amend Application	For Renewal Application
Stage 1`	100% Application fee + 40% Certification fee	No fee payable as yet	40% Certification fee
Stage 2	60% of Certification fee	100% payable if applicable	60% Certification fee

All fees are payable online via Nets, Credit, Debit, PayPal, interbank transfers and Giro.

All payments must be made online now. Cash and cheques are no longer accepted at the MUIS office

Note:  Only new applicants are to pay the application fee.

Scheme	Description	Application Fee	GST 7%	Total Payable	Remarks
EE Restaurant	Issue of a Halal certificate for a period of one year for any restaurant with a total floor area not exceeding 186 square metres	$775.00	$54.25	$829.25	Applicable to food shop with self-managed dining area
EE Restaurant	Issue of a Halal certificate for a period of one year for any restaurant with a total floor area exceeding 186 square metres	$1,140.00	$79.80	$1,219.80	Applicable to food shop with self-managed dining area

Halal training fee

Halal Foundation Programme Level 1

Halal Foundation Programme Level 1 is compulsory for 1 Muslim staff and one other employee of the premise that is to be certified. It is a 2-day programme of seven hours per day.  It aims at training participants the essential knowledge of basic Halal concepts. After completing the course, each participant will know how to apply the knowledge gained into their daily business operations in compliance with the Singapore Muis Halal Quality Management System (HalMQ). The training fee for level 1 is $214 per person.

Halal Foundation (Operational Level) – English

Halal Foundation (Operational Level) – English is a 2-day programme that will equip foodservice industry operations-level staff to confirm food products are of Halal status, know their roles and responsibilities within Halal team, ensure documentation is in accordance with Halal Certification requirements and accept any corrective actions taken for breaching Halal conditions.  The course is in English Language and each participant must know how to read and write in English. The training fee for this course is $417.30 per person.

Halal Foundation (Operational Level) – Malay

It is a 2-day programme that will equip foodservice industry staff at the operational level to confirm food products are of Halal status, know their roles and responsibilities within Halal team, ensure documentation is in accordance with Halal Certification requirements and accept any corrective actions taken for breaching Halal conditions.  The course is in Malay Language and each participant must know how to read and write in Malay. The training fee for this course is $417.30 per person

Halal Foundation Programme Level 2

There is also a level 2 Halal Foundation Programme where participants will be trained on how to develop and implement HalMQ. It is a 2-day programme that aims to assist trainees to have an understanding of the concepts and requirements of the 10 principles of the HalMQ. At the end of the course, each participant will know how to prepare and document the procedures of HalMQ.

This level is not compulsory for Halal Team leader and members within the Halal-certified premises but it is strongly recommended for them. The training fee for this level is $535 per person.

There are limited spaces available. Interested applicants should apply as soon as possible as applications will be treated on first come first serve.

Programme	Training fee
Halal Foundation Programme Level 1	$214
Halal Foundation (Operational Level) – English	$417.30
Halal Foundation (Operational Level) – Malay	$417.30
Halal Foundation Programme Level 2	$535

What happens after you have been awarded the Halal Certificate?

You will receive an email that your certificate is ready for collection if your application is approved. You must have paid every certification fee before you can collect it. You must display only the original Halal certificate within your restaurant where people can easily view it.

However, you do not have the permission to display the Certificate of Attendance / Achievement for public viewing because it is not equivalent to MUIS Halal Certificates and for people not to mistake it to be the Halal Certificate.

Must the certificate be renewed?

The Halal certificate is renewable and it is only valid for the period stated on the certificate which may be a year or two. Renewing the certificate depends on the condition stated by MUIS for Halal Certificate during that period.

It is free if you are renewing your certificate within 90 days to its expiration date. However, certificates to be renewed with less than 30 days to the expiration date will be treated as a fresh application with the application fee.

What happens if you breached the conditions after being certified?

There will be a continuous inspection to ensure certified promises abide by the conditions for MUIS Halal certification. Where a certification holder defaults, he/she must rectify the issue before the given deadline.

MUIS reserves the right to suspend or revoke the certification of any holder found to have breached any of the conditions for MUIS Halal certification after written notice.

Where can I collect the Certificate of Achievement?

The Certificate of Achievement is issued by MUIS Academy. The certificate can be collected at Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), 273 Braddell Rd Singapore 579702, Reception, Level 1. You should also note that the certificate must be collected within 1 month that you received a mail that your certificate is ready for collection.

Can the Certificate of Achievement be mailed out to participants once it’s ready?

We do not mail the certificate out. You can only collect the certificate at Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), 273 Braddell Rd Singapore 579702, Reception, Level 1. You may arrange for your own courier to collect the certificate. You need to fill the Authorisation Form before you can collect the certificate.

To be Halal certified in Singapore is not that an easy. The entire process can overwhelm you, especially if you do not know how to go about it. Ihcas is a Halal certification consultant in Singapore. We help companies that operate according to Halal requirements to secure MUIS Halal Certification for their products or services.

Also, if you want your product on the international market, we will help you to secure the right Halal certification that meets the requirements of your countries of interest. Some of our services are:

Consulting and applying for Halal Certification

Ihcas consultants will provide you with requisite info towards ensuring that your products or services meet every requirement for Halal Certification. We will assist with selecting the appropriate scheme for your business, reviewing your business operations to ensure you comply with Halal requirements, facilitating HALMQ principles, preparing Halal documentation, rectifying shortcomings on applications, meeting with Halal team and your company and reviewing your company’s Halal process before getting certified.

Implementing and documenting Halal Principles

We can help your business with the implementation of the ten HALMQ Principles to secure Halal certification. The principles are:

• Forming the Halal Team and Job Scope
• Defining the nature of business and product
• Constructing and verifying flow charts
• Identifying Halal threats and control measures
• Identifying Halal Assurance Points (HAPs)
• Establishing a monitoring system for HAPs
• Establishing a corrective system for HAPs
• Creating a Halal File and Record-Keeping System
• Verifying the Halal system
• Reviewing the Halal system

Halal Certification Maintenance and Renewing

After you are certified, we can also help with maintaining and renewing your certification when it is the right time.

Assisting with International Halal Certification

We help local companies that want to go international to secure Halal certification of other countries like Indonesia and Malaysia.

On a general note, our processes for applying Halal certification in Singapore include:

• Making inquiries
• Consulting with Halal team for the company
• Pre-application process, Applying for Halal certification
• Processing the application
• Securing Halal certification
• Maintaining Halal certification
• Renewing Halal certification.

Our consultants will guide you through each stage to ensure you get certified.

You can contact us if you want to obtain Halal certification for your business or you want your business on the international market. Our consultants are always ready to serve and help you with everything you need. We will make your certification an easy process.