So as we know by now, halal does not just apply to the food and beverage (F&B) industry. However, since this is an F&B blog, let’s focus on just this aspect.

We can’t just call our products “halal” on a whim, even if you follow the halal methods of preparing food and drinks.

In fact in Malaysia, your business needs to be certified by Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM).

The certificate is the Malaysia Halal Certificate, which is an official document stating the halal status of products and/ or services according to the Malaysia Halal Certification scheme issued by the competent authority.

You would need to follow the Malaysian Standard called ‘Halal Food: Production, Preparation, Handling, and Storage – General Guide (MS 1500:2009) – related MS for Food & Beverage

It was developed under the Malaysian Standard Development System, under the wing of the Department of Standardization Malaysia (DSM), Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation.

Applicants who are eligible to apply for the Halal Confirmation Certificate are categorized as follows:

• Food Product/ Beverages/ Food Supplement
• Food Premise
• Consumer Good
• Cosmetic and Personal Care
• Pharmaceuticals
• Logistics
• Slaughterhouse

Application for the certificate for national and international markets should be submitted to the JAKIM Halal Hub via an online application.

For local markets, however, the application must be submitted directly to JAIN/MAIN (whichever is relevant).

Three forms need to be filled in Products / Consumer Goods, Food Premise, and Slaughter House forms.

• Company profile;
• Company / business registration;
• Name and description of product/menu for certification;
• Ingredients used;
• Name and address of manufacturer/ingredient supplier;
• Halal status for ingredients with the halal certificate or product specification for critical ingredients (if relevant);
• Type of packaging material;
• Manufacturing process and procedure;
• Other documents such as HACCP, ISO, GHP, GMP, TQM, etc. (If any); and
• Location map of premise/factory.

The applicant must create a “Halal Confirmation Certificate” file to store all relevant documents for reference during premise inspection. Applications will be unsuccessful for the following reasons:

• The company is producing and distributing halal and non-halal products;
• Product is not halal;
• A natural substance that does not involve any processing;
• Drugs or products that are categorized as pharmaceutical products by the Ministry of Health Malaysia ;
• Hair color/hair dye;
• Processed products which were manufactured overseas;
• Products that are labeled with names synonymous to confusing terminologies such as ‘bak kut teh’ and so on;
• Fertilizers and animal feed;

The average application takes between six to 24 months to be vetted by an internal auditor.

The app is available on a subscription basis starting at RM99 a month, though more subscriptions are required for companies with multiple premises or products.