Every industry exists to meet the needs of a broad, diverse consumer audience and with its own demands and cultural characteristics. That is why initiatives such as the Halal Certificate, granted to companies that adopt practices and processes that respect Shari’ah, a set of Islamic laws that regulate aspects of the daily life of Muslims, are so important.
The Shari’ah is based on the writings of the Quran, the holy book of Islam. However, far beyond an attitude of respect for such a relevant religion in the world, the Halal Certificate is a demonstration of attention to about 22% of the world’s population, according to data from the Integrated Foreign Trade System (SISCOMEX). Hence the importance of Bel Mag being recognized with this seal of good practice.
The countries in which Shari’ah is the law
Shari’ah is important to all Muslims, but some specific countries adopt these laws as official regulations, i.e., they are not only religious definitions, but legal ones. This is the case of the League of Arab States, composed of 22 countries located mainly in the Middle East and North Africa, with a total population of more than 380 million people.
In addition to these, in Indonesia, which has at least 250 million inhabitants, 90% are Muslims, as well as the majority of the population of Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran and Egypt. In Europe, Islamists reach approximately 5% of the population of Germany, France and the United Kingdom.
What is the Halal Certificate
Knowing that the Halal Certificate is a safety mechanism for this population so expressive that we have just checked, it is important to understand what this document means. At the beginning of this article, we have already explained briefly, but it is worth sticking more closely to how it works.
In practice, it is a faithful guarantee document issued by a Halal certification institution recognized by Islamic countries. This institution is responsible for verifying that a company, its processes and products follow the legal requirements and criteria established by Islamic jurisprudence.
The first step in obtaining certification is to formally request it from the body responsible for issuing it. The initial evaluation, then, is carried out at a distance through a series of documents that need to be presented, containing the list of raw materials, inputs and additives used in the manufacture of the product. At this stage, it is possible that laboratory tests are requested to, among other issues, detect residues of products prohibited for consumption by Muslims.
From the results obtained, the first audit phase ends with the sharing, by the evaluating institution, of any non-conformities found. The company that requested recognition must adjust these pending issues so that the opinion on the certification is issued.
Before the final decision, a religious committee visits the company to know the reality on site. The objective is to verify the transparency of the company in relation to the information previously provided, in addition to its commercial conduct, that is, if it is fair in the negotiations.
It is this committee that decides to grant the certificate. The document is valid for three years, with annual monitoring to make sure that all procedures presented throughout the process continue to respect Shari’ah.
Bel Mag is certified as Halal
Knowing the importance of deepening the good relationship with widely Islamic nations, particularly those that already have a historical foreign trade relationship with Brazil ― such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Algeria ―, Bel Mag sought the Halal Certificate and was recognized with this seal of good practice.
In this way, our products can be quietly used by food, pharmaceutical and industry companies in general that want to expand their business and reach as large an audience as the Muslim population around the world, even in Islamic minority countries.
In an increasingly demanding commercial reality of strategic actions, which place themselves as true competitive differentiators to meet the demand of the various consumer audiences, relying on the partnership of a supplier with Halal certification is a certainty of more business opportunities and more acceptance of products in any market!
Want to learn more about our products, processes and everything that sets us apart for the benefit of our own processes? So leave your comment in the space below or contact us! We are always available to talk!
Leave your comment