USA: The Changing Paradigm in Halal Certification

Decades ago, halal certification was provided by individuals on a part-time basis and by marketers/exporters actually certifying themselves (self-certification). Over the years, importing countries demanded more control and began approving specific plants (meat, poultry, egg, dairy) and recognizing specific halal certification bodies (HCBs). Only product from those approved plants would be allowed to enter the country and only halal certificates from those recognized HCBs would be accepted. This led to the development of organized halal certification bodies around the world.

Recently, accreditation bodies began forming to further qualify the HCBs by requiring them to have clear written procedures for how they perform the halal certification. The accreditation bodies would audit the HCBs to assess compliance with the written procedures. HCBs would be required to document what they do, how they do it, and how they address noncompliance with the procedures. The accreditation bodies followed the methodology developed by the International Standards Organization. We are now witnessing the combination of accreditation and recognition based on competence and credibility.

The audience
This conference will bring the accreditation organizations and the recognition bodies together along with the industry to discuss how best to implement both schemes. Industry is well versed in quality management and can easily adapt halal into existing quality management systems. As this implementation evolves, the next step will be to develop a system of checking compliance so the HCBs perform according to the schemes they were accredited.

The goal
Come join in the conversation that will develop a robust halal certification and compliance system so you will be prepared for the future of the halal economy.

Who should attend?
You will want to attend this conference if you are a manufacturer, marketer, distributor, importer, exporter, regulator, or educator, and are currently a part of the halal economy or are evaluating the benefits of the halal economy for your business.