Industries
Halal food processing certification
Halal certification of a processing plant looks at how products move through the site, how equipment is cleaned, and how halal and non-halal materials are kept apart.
What we assess
- Layout and flow: halal and non-halal materials kept apart at every stage
- Cleaning methods and checks for shared equipment, including how equipment is made fit for halal use again
- Cleaning chemicals, lubricants and packaging, which must be free of non-halal ingredients
- Hygiene and food safety, on top of halal requirements
- Storage and transport segregation
- Internal audits, training and management review
Cleaning after contact with pork or dog-derived material follows the method required by the standard applied and by your destination market.
Where authorities differ
Cleaning after contact with the most serious category of impurity is described differently by different schools and authorities. The Shafi'i procedure is seven washes, one of them with soil. Other schools hold that fewer washes are enough. Certification bodies therefore set their own procedure, and TGHA will confirm the one that applies to you.
Common issues
Shared equipment and storage; weak cleaning between runs; alcohol-based cleaners or flavours; transport and packaging without separation; weak records; no regular internal audit.
Documents we usually ask for
Cleaning logs showing date, area, person and cleaning agent; checks that cleaning worked; plans for changing over shared equipment; halal certificates for cleaning agents; process flow charts; your internal audit schedule and reports.
Frequently asked questions
Does a plant need dedicated lines?
Not necessarily. The Codex guideline allows shared lines if contact is prevented and equipment is cleaned properly, but some certifiers or product types require dedication. We will tell you what applies to your scope.
What happens if non-halal material touches a halal line?
Production should stop, the equipment should be cleaned by the certifier's required method, and the event should be recorded. Tell your certification officer.
Do cleaning chemicals need to be halal?
Yes. Cleaning products, lubricants and greases that touch food or equipment should be free of non-halal ingredients.
Ready to certify with confidence?
Tell us your product, site, and target market — we'll come back with a costed proposal and an indicative timeline.