Halal means “permissible” in Arabic. A Halal certificate confirms that a product, and all its ingredients, meet Islamic law requirements in origin, processing and handling. For a company it is much more than a label: it opens a market of more than 1.8 billion consumers.
What a Halal product cannot contain
The following are considered haram (not permitted), among others:
- Pork and its derivatives.
- Meat from animals not slaughtered according to Islamic rites.
- Meat from scavengers and predators.
- Blood.
- Alcohol as an ingredient.
Why certification depends on your suppliers
A product can only be Halal if every ingredient is. Common problems are:
- Suppliers without a certificate, or with an expired one.
- Raw materials that were never validated.
- Generic statements not backed by a certifying body.
Which sectors need it
Food and beverages, meat, food supplements, animal feed, packaging, hospitality, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, cleaning products, fashion and hospitals. In flavours, fragrances and cosmetic ingredients, customers exporting to the Middle East and South-East Asia ask for it more and more.
Who certifies
Each market has national and private bodies, for example HMC in the UK, the Grande Mosquée de Paris in France, Halal Control in Germany, HCS in Spain and Latin America, MUI in Indonesia, JAKIM in Malaysia or MUIS in Singapore. Each customer may require a specific body.
How to manage certificates without losing control
- Keep one valid certificate per ingredient and supplier, with its expiry date.
- Request renewal before it expires.
- Store the document linked to the raw material, not in a loose folder.
With Kemchain Suppliers you request Halal and Kosher certificates from suppliers in one click, track their validity and get alerts before they expire. Soon, with Kemchain Formulations, you will issue your product’s certificate once the whole chain complies.
Updated: 11 November 2026
