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CONDITIONS AND PROCEDURE OF HALAL CERTIFICATION

Halal Certification of Dairy and other Food Products

A Halal certificate issued by the Islamic Foundation of Ireland is an assurance that a particular product has been investigated and found to conform to the Islamic dietary regulations and is therefore, suitable for Muslims to consume. 

As part of the investigation process all the ingredients, additives, colours, processing aids and catalysts are examined to ensure that the product is not derived and does not contain any non-Halal substance. 

The certification will be done to the standards approved by the certifying authorities in Europe, Middle and the Far East. According to this standard:

• All food ingredients and additives produced from animals which were not slaughtered according to Islamic rite or from the pig are Haram and not suitable for Halal consumption/use.
• Any food product, ingredient or additive containing alcohol or produced with the use of alcohol is Haram and unsuitable for Halal /consumption use. 

All production/processing sites are visited by two officials of the Islamic Foundation of Ireland to carry out the necessary inspection to ensure that all certified products conform to the Islamic dietary regulations. 

During the visit the officials will check:

• The components used in the processing. 
• Source of components. 
• The manufacturing/processing of the product. 
• Packing of the product. 
• Storage and despatch of the product. 

The company will be asked to provide information such as specification sheets, flow charts etc. All the ingredients, additives, colours, processing aids and catalysts used are examined to ensure that the product is not derived and does not contain any non-Halal substance. The inspection will be done in complete confidence and no information will be passed to any third party. 

If the Islamic Foundation of Ireland is satisfied that the product meets the Islamic dietary regulations then a Halal certificate is issued which is normally valid for one year and renewable on a yearly basis. The Halal certificate issued by the Islamic Foundation of Ireland is widely accepted. 

The cost of the Halal certification for diary and food products consists of the following: 

• An initial fee of €1500-00 for site inspection to cover the travel, the administration and other expenses involved.
• An annual certification fee. This is currently charged at €300 per year for each product. 

A proper record system of all the plants accredited and the certified products manufactured by these plants is kept on file for reference. 

It is intended that once a product is Halal certified, the company and product are listed on our website, http://www.islaminireland.com. Anyone interested in Halal products can check the website and find the details.

There is an increasing demand for Halal certified products. A Halal certificate is a guarantee that products comply with the Islamic dietary requirements. Halal certification can enhance the marketability of your products. If you are exporting or planning to export to Muslim countries then the Halal certificate will allow you to meet one of the important requirements by the importing countries. 
If your product is used as an ingredient by your customer then it will help your customer obtain Halal certification and therefore, maintain your customers and may also increase your sales.