International Halal Standards, Accreditation and Recognition Institutions

Understand BPJPH, GAC, GSO and SMIIC: who sets halal standards, accredits certification bodies, recognises foreign certificates and decides approvals.

Gloved hands measuring grains into a stainless-steel laboratory container. — Illustrative photograph by Thirdman via Pexels. The image does not establish a facility’s halal status, its country or any authority’s endorsement. Photo source

The four decisions people commonly conflate

A halal logo is meaningful only when its chain of authority is clear. A business may be assessed by a halal certification body (HCB), the HCB may be accredited for a defined activity, and a market regulator or religious authority may separately recognise that HCB or its certificates for imports. Those are different decisions.

An MRA may mean either a mutual-recognition agreement between market-side halal authorities or HCBs, or a multilateral arrangement among accreditation bodies. Its name alone does not identify the object recognised. SMIIC’s quality-infrastructure note separates HCB certification, halal accreditation-body assessment and accreditation-body MLA/MRA arrangements. [1]

Decision	Typical decision-maker	What it establishes	What it does not establish
Standardisation	GSO or OIC/SMIIC	Published requirements or framework	That every country adopted every clause or that a product is certified
Certification	HCB / conformity-assessment body	A product, plant, service or system meets its scheme	That every importing market accepts the certificate
Accreditation	GAC, EIAC, ENAS, HAK, KAN or another accreditation body	HCB competence for a stated standard, location and scope	An import licence, universal halal finding or broader product scope
Recognition / designation	BPJPH, JAKIM, MUIS, Saudi Halal Center or another destination authority	Acceptance under the authority’s stated conditions	Acceptance by all markets or for all categories

GSO and OIC/SMIIC: standards makers

The GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) is the Gulf regional standards maker. Its public catalogue lists GSO 2055-1:2015, Halal Products – Part 1: General Requirements, as the current Gulf Technical Regulation. Its published scope spans receiving, preparation, packaging, labelling, handling, transport, distribution, storage, display and halal food service. [2]

GSO 2055-2:2021, current Edition 3, concerns what halal certification bodies must meet and the procedure for issuing certificates for products, services and systems. [3] GSO 2055-1 concerns the subject being certified; GSO 2055-2 concerns the certifier. The detailed texts are sold through GSO’s catalogue, so unpublished numerical ethanol, voltage, mechanical-slaughter or degree requirements should not be inferred from their public pages. A proposed 2026 update to GSO 2055-1 remained at Initial Draft on the research date. [4]

SMIIC is the OIC standards body in its global halal-quality-infrastructure model, not a global certificate issuer or universal accreditation regulator. It says national standards bodies may adopt OIC/SMIIC standards, including with declared national deviations. Its catalogue distinguishes OIC/SMIIC 1:2019 for halal food, 2:2019 for bodies providing halal certification and 3:2019 for halal accreditation bodies. It also includes supply-chain, gelatine, food-additive, person-certification and halal-inspection standards. [1] [5]

Accreditation is a competence decision, not a border decision

An accreditation body assesses an HCB’s competence against a stated programme. Its certificate should identify the legal entity, standard, sites, activity categories, validity and any suspended or withdrawn scope. It is unsafe to say an HCB is generally approved by a region without its actual scope schedule.

GAC states that it accredits halal certification bodies to GSO 2055-2:2021 alongside its own AC/TN requirements and IHAF requirements. A published GAC scope schedule illustrates why the schedule matters: it can list food-manufacturing categories and poultry slaughter while excluding other animal slaughtering. [6] [7]

EIAC accredits halal certification bodies to UAE.S/GSO 2055-2:2021, GSO 2055-2:2021 and OIC/SMIIC 2:2019. Its programme lists food, pharmaceutical/cosmetic, food-service and slaughterhouse/meat-production sectors with assessment, decision, surveillance and reassessment steps. [8] This is HCB competence accreditation, not product certification or import clearance.

ENAS, HAK and KAN: national accreditation functions differ

ENAS is the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology’s national accreditation programme. It lists halal certification-body accreditation to UAE.S 2055-2 among its schemes. [9] The official sources reviewed identify ENAS and EIAC as different public bodies or programmes; they do not support treating their certificates as interchangeable or assuming a succession relationship.

Türkiye’s HAK says it accredits halal conformity-assessment bodies, does not issue halal certificates and does not decide fatwas. It uses OIC/SMIIC standards and says Law No. 7060 makes it the only body authorised to accredit HCBs in Türkiye. [10] HAK describes domestic-market accreditation as mandatory after a transition, while purely export-market activity performed to a foreign state’s technical regulation is exempt if it does not supply the Turkish domestic market. [11]

KAN is Indonesia’s national accreditation body. Its public programmes cover laboratories, inspection, management systems, persons and product/process/service certification to ISO/IEC 17065. [12] That general national-accreditation role is not BPJPH’s foreign-HCB recognition mechanism or halal certificate issuance.

BPJPH: regulator, issuer, foreign-certificate registrar and recognition partner

Under Indonesia’s Law No. 33 of 2014, BPJPH formulates JPH policy, issues and revokes halal certificates and labels, registers foreign halal certificates, accredits LPHs, certifies halal auditors and cooperates with domestic and foreign institutions. The law describes the certificate as issued by BPJPH on the basis of a written halal fatwa, while an LPH performs examination and/or testing. [13]

BPJPH Regulation No. 3 of 2023 means BPJPH is more than an MOU signer. It makes recognition/acceptance of a foreign HCB a combined route of accreditation and/or conformity assessment, inspection and MRA signing. It expects ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation from a recognised local body where available, but permits assessment by an Indonesian LPH accreditation team where no local accreditation body exists. [14] This statutory/cooperation process should not be confused with a separate GAC, KAN or EIAC accreditation certificate.

A foreign certificate recognised through this route still needs registration before products circulate in Indonesia. Under BPJPH Decree No. 221 of 2025, the importer or official representative applies through SIHALAL by product category and provides certificate, HS-code product list, warehouse and other documents. Registration validity follows the foreign certificate and can be inactivated if MRA or relevant accreditation/conformity-assessment validity expires. [15]

Indonesia’s staged obligation and legal decision path

BPJPH stated on 9 October 2026 that implementation of Wajib Halal would begin on 18 October 2026, while special provisions for particular circumstances, including UMK, raw materials, consumer goods and imports, were still being prepared. [16] This does not show that every product is already subject to one identical certificate or label requirement. Product category, staged timetable, exclusions and non-halal disclosure rules must be checked in the current underlying Indonesian rule.

For a domestic certification decision, technical evidence and religious determination have distinct roles. LPH conducts examination/testing. BPJPH issues the legal certificate on the written halal determination/fatwa. The processed-food guidance identifies MUI, applicable regional bodies, Aceh’s council and the Halal Product Fatwa Committee in the determination path. [13] [26]

JAKIM and MUIS: destination recognition of foreign certifiers

JAKIM’s gazetted list of recognised foreign halal certification bodies is effective 21 August 2026. Its appendix says recognition is based on capacity to comply with Malaysian procedures and guidelines, lasts three years, requires annual reporting and is followed by review audit. [17] Imported food and goods marketed as halal must comply or be certified by a JAKIM-recognised FHCB, and the recognised certifier’s name must be marked on the product. Meat and poultry also require the stated plant approval by JAKIM and Malaysia’s Department of Veterinary Services. [17]

MUIS says it does not certify overseas-manufactured food. It recognises foreign HCBs able to implement standards aligned with Singapore MUIS Halal Standards. [18] Its enhanced framework uses risk-based assessment and monitoring. Its April 2026 guide describes assessment of designated management-committee, sharia-committee and technical/sharia-auditor personnel; a risk tier; a three-year recognition certificate; public listing; and annual reporting. [18] [19]

JAKIM or MUIS recognition is a destination-market decision. A foreign accreditation alone is not a substitute for checking their current recognised-body list and the precise product, facility and label conditions.

Saudi Halal Center and SFDA: designation versus a cooperation announcement

Saudi Halal Center distinguishes internal-factory certificates, external-factory certificates issued by an external awarding body on its behalf, shipment certificates and designation of conformity bodies. [20] Its designated-CB directory separately presents mutual-recognition bodies and conformity bodies. At retrieval it listed JAKIM, IMANOR, MUIS and BPJPH as mutual-recognition bodies, each with all categories in that directory. [21]

An MOU supplies background but is not itself live HCB designation. The October 2023 SFDA–BPJPH MOU aimed to develop procedures, standards and technical regulations for mutual recognition. [22] The Saudi–Malaysia memorandum concerned local products exported between the two countries and cooperation on procedures and technical measures. [23] Verify the current Saudi directory and shipment/product conditions rather than relying on an old announcement.

Why the legal entity and accreditation scope must match

An accreditation belongs to the legal entity named on the certificate and only to its listed activity categories, sites and standards. A chemicals, additives or cosmetics scope is not proof of a food-manufacturing or animal-slaughter scope. A certificate held by a related certification body likewise does not accredit a separate standards organisation. Read the official scope schedule before making either claim. [24]

For businesses using a privately developed standard, three identities should remain clear: the organisation that writes the standard, the body that certifies the operation, and the institution that accredits or recognises the certifier. A shared standard or working relationship does not merge their legal roles or transfer an accreditation.

Slaughter and stunning: national adoption is decisive

No source reviewed establishes one global rule that all GSO- or SMIIC-related systems accept the same slaughter method. Indonesia’s BPJPH ruminant/poultry slaughterhouse guidance is a national example: it permits only non-penetrative mechanical or electric stunning for ruminants, and water-bath electrical stunning for poultry. Stunning must be temporary and must not cause death; the animal must be alive at slaughter. [25]

The same guidance requires intention and tasmiyah, a quick single cut, severing the oesophagus, trachea and two blood vessels to drain blood, and death caused by the slaughter act. It requires segregation of products that fail the requirements. [25] An animal’s being alive and recoverable is not a substitute for method, species, equipment-control, personnel, cut or destination requirements.

The accessible GSO and SMIIC catalogue records do not provide enough clause text to state a global mechanical-slaughter rule, electrical parameter or blood-drainage time. Use the destination regulator’s adopted rule and the certifier’s current scope.

Ingredients, alcohol, gelatine and supply-chain controls

A practical halal review distinguishes intentionally added alcoholic beverages, alcohol or ethanol used as an ingredient or solvent, and naturally occurring fermentation in a finished food. It also distinguishes the ethanol origin, an ingredient from the finished product, and the applicable analytical unit. The official material reviewed does not establish a universal numerical ethanol limit or analytical method. No number is therefore stated.

Indonesia’s processed-food guidance provides a control architecture rather than a universal laboratory threshold. Its SJPH covers raw, additional, auxiliary and processed ingredients; it requires separation of facilities and equipment from non-halal processing; and it extends separation to storage, packaging, distribution, sale and presentation. Ingredient/process changes require reporting and may require renewal. Testing is case-specific where criteria remain doubtful. [26]

Gelatin, enzymes, flavourings and processing aids need traceable source and process evidence. SMIIC’s catalogue has entries for edible gelatine, food additives/other added chemicals and supply-chain stages, but catalogue inclusion does not prove every member state adopted those requirements. [5] Useful evidence includes ingredient specifications, origin/process flow, supplier documentation, change control, cleaning/segregation procedures and logistics traceability.

Personnel, religious expertise and final decision authority

There is no verified universal rule that every halal auditor or committee member needs a degree. Indonesia’s original Law No. 33/2014 text sets a minimum bachelor degree in listed technical disciplines for an Indonesian halal auditor. It separately requires a halal supervisor to be Muslim and have broad sharia understanding. [13]

BPJPH’s foreign-HCB rule is different. It requires at least three competent halal auditors backed by training and/or competency certificates, and a sharia/fatwa council or ulama body of at least three people with authority to determine halal status. It separately requests education and experience information for sharia personnel and competence evidence for auditors. [14] MUIS assesses named management, sharia and technical/sharia personnel but its public guide does not give a universal academic-degree rule. [18]

Technical audit, religious determination and legal issuance must not be merged. An auditor evaluates evidence; a religious committee or fatwa authority makes the determination where the scheme assigns that role; and a regulator issues a legal certificate or controls recognition. National religious tradition, a person’s name or demographic inference is not proof of an individual’s qualification, religion or authority.

How to verify a certificate before relying on it

Keep accreditation, recognition and product/shipment coverage as separate checks. A current certificate can still fail to cover the actual plant, ingredient, slaughterhouse, product name, route or destination requirement.

Identify the HCB’s exact legal entity, address, certificate number and mark; do not rely on a similar name.
Read the accreditation scope for the standard, product/service category, site, dates and any suspended or withdrawn scope.
Check current destination recognition: BPJPH cooperation/registration route, JAKIM gazetted list, MUIS recognised list or Saudi Halal Center directory, as applicable.
Confirm that the certificate covers the product name, formula, manufacturer/site and, when relevant, slaughter establishment.
Check labels, registration numbers, certifier-name marking, plant approval and segregation/traceability documents required by the destination.
Keep separate evidence for: HCB accreditation, destination recognition, and this product/shipment’s certificate coverage.

Practical comparison of the institutions covered

The table is a role map, not a ranking. A positive record in one column should not be used as proof of the other functions.

Institution / system	Primary verified role	Positive record shows	Key limit
GSO	Gulf standards/technical-regulation publisher	Current named GSO edition and public scope	No automatic national adoption or import acceptance
OIC/SMIIC	OIC standards body and quality-infrastructure framework	Published OIC/SMIIC standard family and model	Not a global certificate issuer or automatic national law
GAC	GCC regional accreditation body	HCB competence to GSO 2055-2 within a schedule	Not blanket GCC market recognition
EIAC	UAE accreditation body	HCB competence to listed criteria and scope	Not product certification or import clearance
ENAS	UAE MoIAT national accreditation programme	Accreditation to listed schemes	Separate from EIAC in reviewed sources
HAK	Türkiye halal accreditation agency	HCB competence and domestic-market controls described by HAK	Does not issue certificates or fatwas
KAN	Indonesia national accreditation body	General CAB/laboratory/person/product-certification programmes	Not BPJPH recognition or certificate issuance
BPJPH	Indonesia regulator and certificate issuer	Indonesian certificates, LPH accreditation, foreign registration and FHCB cooperation route	MRA does not replace SIHALAL registration
JAKIM	Malaysia FHCB recogniser	Current FHCB recognition and import-label rules	Foreign accreditation alone is insufficient
MUIS	Singapore FHCB recogniser	Recognised import-source HCB status	MUIS does not certify overseas-manufactured food itself
Saudi Halal Center / SFDA	Saudi designation and halal-service system	Current directory designation or mutual-recognition record	MOU is not itself HCB designation or shipment clearance

Source and material limits

The detailed GSO and OIC/SMIIC standards discussed here are commercially available rather than fully accessible in the official catalogues. This guide therefore relies on official titles and scopes and public regulator material; it does not reproduce or claim inaccessible clause-level requirements.

BPJPH translations cited here state that the Bahasa Indonesia original prevails if there is a discrepancy. [14] [15] [25] [26]

Frequently asked questions

Does GAC accreditation mean a certificate is accepted everywhere in the GCC?

No. GAC accreditation is a competence decision to GSO 2055-2:2021 within the HCB’s stated scope. Destination-market recognition, product scope and import documents must still be checked. [6] [7]

Are GSO and SMIIC the same institution?

No. GSO is the Gulf standards organisation. SMIIC develops OIC/SMIIC standards in the OIC quality-infrastructure model. [1] [2] [5]

Does a BPJPH MRA let an exporter ship to Indonesia immediately?

Not by itself. A recognised foreign halal certificate must still be registered by the importer or official representative in BPJPH’s SIHALAL system before products circulate in Indonesia. [15]

Does an HCB need both accreditation and destination recognition?

Often yes. Accreditation supports competence; destination recognition or designation governs acceptance in that market. BPJPH, JAKIM and MUIS each have their own foreign-body processes. [14] [17] [18]

Is there one global rule allowing electric stunning or mechanical slaughter?

No. National adoption and destination scheme requirements apply. Indonesia’s published ruminant/poultry guidance allows defined reversible stunning methods, but that cannot be treated as a universal GSO, SMIIC or global rule. [25]

Is 0% alcohol always required for halal certification?

Do not assume so. The relevant analysis can differ between an intentionally added alcoholic drink, an alcohol-based solvent or processing ingredient, and natural fermentation. The official sources reviewed did not establish a universal numerical threshold or analytical method.

Does everyone on a halal committee need an academic degree?

No universal rule was verified. Indonesia’s PP 42/2024 has a relevant bachelor-degree requirement for domestic halal auditors, whereas its slaughter personnel and BPJPH’s foreign-HCB route use different qualifications. MUIS assesses designated management, sharia and technical/sharia personnel without a public universal degree rule for them. [27] [14] [18]

References

Halal certification rules by country

Compare certification, alcohol, slaughter, personnel and recognition requirements, then read the country guide and its official sources. This first edition covers 16 countries, not every jurisdiction.

Compare countries · Understand BPJPH, GAC, GSO, SMIIC and recognition

Related halal standards guidance

Browse all USDHS Guidance