Halal and kosher certification in the food industry: what you need to know

What exactly do halal and kosher certification involve?

Halal certification demonstrates that a product, and the entire production process surrounding it, complies with Islamic dietary requirements. A recognised certification body checks raw materials, additives, processing aids and the way a product is produced, transported and stored, to ensure there is no contact with prohibited substances (haram) such as pork derivatives or alcohol.

Kosher certification (kashrut) follows Jewish dietary laws and is assessed by a rabbinical supervisor. The rules partly overlap with halal, such as the ban on pork and certain slaughter methods, but the systems are not interchangeable: a kosher certificate does not prove halal compliance, and vice versa. Kashrut, for example, also prohibits combining meat and dairy, a rule that does not exist in halal requirements.

For both, certification is voluntary and market-driven: there is no European quality mark comparable to the EU organic logo. Each certification body applies its own standards, and which body is relevant depends on your target market.

The legal context in Belgium and the EU

Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing permits religious slaughter without prior stunning, but explicitly allows Member States to prohibit or restrict it at national level. Belgium has made use of that option: since 2019, ritual slaughter without stunning has been prohibited in Flanders and Wallonia, where reversible stunning is mandatory. Only the Brussels-Capital Region still permits religious slaughter without stunning.

This ban has since been tested in court twice: in December 2020 the Court of Justice of the European Union confirmed that the Flemish and Walloon rules are compatible with EU law, and in February 2024 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the ban is proportionate to the aim of protecting animal welfare. For food businesses processing halal or kosher meat, this means in practice that the origin of raw materials and the slaughter process must be carefully documented, especially when exporting to countries with stricter or, conversely, more flexible requirements.

In addition, general food labelling legislation (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011) continues to apply in full: a halal or kosher claim does not replace any mandatory particulars on ingredients, allergens or origin.

How does this fit into your existing quality management system?

Halal or kosher certification does not replace your BRCGS, IFS or FSSC 22000 certificate; it comes on top of it. In practice, this requires:

• Segregation: separate storage, production lines or thoroughly validated cleaning procedures between halal/kosher and non-certified production.
• Traceability: a robust system that demonstrates that raw materials, processing aids and packaging materials can be traced to an approved source at any time.
• Allergen and raw material management: many control points overlap with your existing allergen programme, such as cross-contamination and the verification of supplier declarations.
• External audits: in addition to your regular food safety audit, there is a specific audit by a religiously recognised halal certification body or a rabbinical supervisor, often on a regular basis and sometimes unannounced.

Practical steps in the certification process

First, choose a certification body that matches your target market. The Gulf States, Malaysia and Indonesia each apply their own recognised halal standards, and not every certificate is accepted everywhere.

For kosher, similar differences exist between the major international agencies such as OU, OK, Kof-K and Star-K, each with its own recognition among specific Jewish communities and retailers.

Then draw up a realistic plan: certification is not a one-off project but a recurring process with periodic audits and reassessments. Budget for any adjustments to production lines or cleaning validation, and involve your quality team from the outset so that halal or kosher requirements are embedded in your existing HACCP system rather than existing alongside it.

Want to embed halal or kosher requirements in your existing BRCGS, IFS or FSSC 22000 system? Read more about our support with the implementation of standards.