The Importance and Benefits of Halal Certification

Cotecna Kenya is accredited for halal slaughterhouse certifications and the issuance of halal shipment certificates. This accreditation involves certifying that the slaughtering process adheres to the requirements of Islamic teachings. Halal slaughterhouse certification is important as it ensures that meat products meet the standards of halal, which is crucial for Muslim consumers.

Halal slaughterhouse regulatory requirements: 

Clients looking to export halal meat must meet specific regulations and criteria.

These requirements include:

1. Slaughterhouse Registration: The slaughterhouse must be registered and recognized by local authorities responsible for food safety and public health.
2. Food Safety Certificate: The client should possess a recognized food safety certificate issued by an accredited certifying body.
3. Halal Slaughterhouse Certificate: The slaughterhouse must hold a halal certificate issued by a reputable halal certifying body, recognized and certified by the relevant Gulf consulate.
4. Importing Country Registration: The slaughterhouse should also be registered with the relevant ministry or body in the importing country. Additionally, a notification from the halal certification body confirming their supervision of the slaughtering process to ensure compliance with Islamic animal slaughtering standards is required.

Different Types of Halal Certifications

There are two main types of halal certifications:

1. Product Certificate: This involves testing and inspecting products, quality management systems, manufacturing processes, and factories to determine compliance with Islamic law. It ensures that the product meets the requirements of Islamic dietary standards and food safety regulations. It is essential to ensure that the product is both halal and safe for consumption.
2. Slaughterhouse Halal Certification: This certification focuses on inspecting the slaughterhouse, assessing quality management, and evaluating the slaughtering process for conformity to Islamic teachings. Slaughtering is a religious process that must align with Islamic guidelines. Additionally, slaughterhouses must meet hygiene requirements in line with international and local food handling standards to produce safe and consumable meat products.

The Halal Certification process

The current halal certification process is as follows:

How Cotecna Assists Clients in Meeting Certification Requirements

Cotecna offers various solutions to help clients meet certification requirements, including:

• Facility Certification: We provide internationally recognized credentials to facilitate quality assurance and consumer confidence.
• Shipment and Product Certification: Our certification process ensures that all products meet the required standards, including the Certificate of Inspection (COI).
• Training on GSO Halal Standards: We offer training to enhance compliance with GSO (GCC Standardization Organization) standards, improve product quality, and enhance service delivery at client factories and slaughterhouses.
• Slaughterhouse Certification: We ensure that registered and certified slaughterhouses adhere to standard requirements, enabling customers to receive high-quality products while ensuring compliance with religious requirements.

Cotecna's Scope and Capabilities:

Cotecna Inspection SA Dubai is currently accredited by GCC Accreditation Center (GAC - HPC 0060), the United Arab Emirates MoIAT (Ministry of Industries and Advance Technology) and SFDA (Saudi Food and Drug Authority) in the following scopes:

• Food manufacturing
• Processing of perishable animal products
• Processing of perishable plant products
• Processing of ambient stable products
• Animal feed production
• Production of feed
• Production of pet food
• Catering
• Production of food packaging and packaging material
• Equipment manufacturing
• Production of (bio) chemicals

Cotecna Kenya Limited is certified for animal slaughtering except poultry.

What sets us apart

Part of Cotecna's unique value proposition is our global network and accredited partner laboratories. This enables us to facilitate product testing, inspections, certification and customs clearance at various points of entry worldwide. We have a highly trained and customer-centric team that guides clients from initial registration to the issuance of shipment and product certificates.

Our global recognition and credentials ensure compliance with government requirements for efficient and swift clearance. Furthermore, our collaboration with governments through various trade programs, such as various Cotecna VOC programmes, allows us to better understand and meet clients' evolving needs.

To learn more about halal slaughterhouse certification or to request for certification, please contact us.