Organization and accreditation scope
The organization assessed here is Halal Watch World LLC, a New York domestic LLC effective November 22, 2022. New York’s complete name and filing histories identify Halal Watch entities.
GAC’s current directory and tokenized profile identify Halal Watch World LLC, accreditation HPC 0134, its New York addresses, the accreditation and expiry dates, and the official certificate and scope-file records [2] [3]. The official scope file retained in that profile lists category K and the applicable GSO standards. This means an independent accreditor has vetted Halal Watch World LLC within that defined scope. Credit under USDHS methodology 4.1 is therefore limited to the documented scope; it is not treated as permission for every category [3].
Halal Industry Exposé · Comprehensive Accountability Assessment
Halal Watch World LLC Organizational accountability and public certification-criteria disclosure: 96% Credibility Score · Grade A · Strongly substantiated
High confidence. Halal Watch World LLC receives a 96% Credibility Score, Grade A. Its current independent GAC accreditation provides strong support for the organization’s work within the documented scope, while the public record provides additional support. The review therefore strongly substantiates the organization’s capability. The remaining reductions reflect the limited breadth of qualifying accreditation and gaps in publicly available accountability information. Missing public information means the review did not establish those disclosures; it does not show that an internal control is absent.
See the three numerical score components
- Competence assurance
- 90.0000 of 90
- Accreditation breadth
- 0.8000 of 4
- Public accountability
- 5.2779 of 6
How to read this result: The score measures what the reviewed evidence supports. Information that was missing or unclear was not treated as proof that a safeguard does not exist. This is not a ruling on every certificate, product, or facility.
USDHS Accreditation-Dominant Credibility Score version 4.1. Source cutoff September 15, 2026. Last reviewed September 15, 2026. Raw Credibility Score 96.0779 out of 100, ordinarily displayed as 96%.
Category breakdown
Where this score came from
Each bar shows how much of that category the reviewed evidence supported. A short bar means important information was missing, unclear, or not independently verified; it does not prove that an internal safeguard does not exist.
- 1. Legal identity and standing 96.00%
- 2. Ownership and control 90.00%
- 3. Accountable leadership and governance 96.00%
- 4. Qualified personnel 96.00%
- 5. Islamic authority and halal decision rights 96.00%
- 6. Halal-specific audit and certification controls 96.00%
- 7. Impartiality, conflicts, and independence 96.00%
- 8. Standards, scheme, and certification scope 94.50%
- 9. Public certification criteria and position disclosure 95.79%
- 10. Certificate traceability and mark control 90.00%
- 11. Complaints, appeals, and corrections 96.00%
- 12. Operating history and demonstrated capacity 96.00%
What stands out
What helps—and what gives us pause
These are the most important positive and cautionary findings in the reviewed record. They explain the score rather than creating extra bonus points or penalties.
What supports confidence
Current current GAC accreditation for category K
GAC identifies the exact entity Halal Watch World LLC, accreditation HPC 0134, with an initial and issue date of April 5, 2026, continued-compliance conditions, no suspended or withdrawn scope, and an expiry date of April 4, 2030.
What needs caution
Current ownership allocation and exact personnel authorizations remain partly nonpublic
An authenticated S-election establishes sole ownership of the 2015 Halal Watch World LLC, while current public records and first-party pages establish the 2022 entities and leadership. The reviewed record did not establish the precise current ownership percentages, voting rights, LLC–corporation relationship, every appointment letter, authorization matrix, monitoring result, renewal date, sector authorization, or client-file assignment.
How this affected the detailed record
Categories: #2, #4
Scoring treatment: Limits public transparency scores in ownership and personnel competence.
Evidence boundary: The historical ownership record is credited for the entity and period it names; the remaining current exact-entity gap is not proof of invalidity, concealment, or misconduct.
Sources:
Independent accreditation examined
An independent accreditation body reviewed this organization against a certification standard for the scope and dates listed below. That supports the organization’s competence within that defined scope, but it does not make every internal detail public or cover work outside the credential.
GCC Accreditation Center (GAC) · HPC 0134
GSO 2055-2:2021. current. 2026-04-05 to 2030-04-04.
Scope: Category K: biochemical products, including food and feed additives, vitamins, minerals, cultures, flavorings, enzymes, processing aids, pesticides, drugs, fertilizers, cleaning agents, and cosmetics.
View the requirement mapping
Expressly assessed requirement IDs: 1.C1, 1.O1, 1.O2, 3.C1, 3.C2, 3.C3, 3.C4, 3.C5, 3.O1, 3.O2, 3.O3, 4.C1, 4.C2, 4.C3, 4.C4, 4.C5, 4.C6, 4.C7, 4.O1, 4.O2, 4.O3, 4.O4, 5.C1, 5.C2, 5.C3, 5.C4, 5.C5, 5.C6, 5.O1, 5.O2, 5.O3, 6.C1, 6.C2, 6.C3, 6.C4, 6.C5, 6.C6, 6.C7, 6.C8, 6.C9, 6.C10, 6.O1, 6.O2, 6.O3, 7.C1, 7.C2, 7.C3, 7.C4, 7.C5, 7.C6, 7.O1, 7.O2, 7.O3, 8.C1, 8.C2, 8.C3, 8.C6, 8.O1, 8.O2, 10.C1, 10.C2, 10.C3, 10.C4, 10.C5, 10.O1, 10.O2, 10.O3, 11.C1, 11.C2, 11.C3, 11.C4, 11.C5, 11.O1, 11.O2, 11.O3, 12.C1, 12.C2, 12.C3, 12.C4, 12.O1, 12.O3.
Official source 1 · Official source 2 · Official source 3 · Official source 4
How USDHS calculated the score and grade
Model B totals competence assurance from 0 to 90, proportional current exact-entity accreditation breadth from 0 to 4, and public accountability from 0 to 6. A current comprehensive independent exact-entity accreditation establishes competence within verified scope; affirmative contradictions reduce it requirement by requirement. Every qualifying authority contributes 0.8000 breadth points against the five-authority national benchmark, capped at four. Public accountability remains separate. The 137 requirement statuses remain visible as the evidence record. Classification bands: A, 90 to 100, strongly substantiated; B, 80 to 89, substantiated; C, 70 to 79, partially substantiated; D, 60 to 69, material gaps; F, 0 to 59, insufficiently substantiated.
Detailed evidence
Why each category received its result
1. Legal identity and standing
What this means in plain English: This category asks whether the public can identify the organization behind the certificate and confirm that it is legally connected to the work. All 8 checks were supported by the reviewed evidence.
96.00% of this category was supported by the reviewed evidence.
View the detailed evidence and calculation
8 objective subrequirements are scored as fulfilled (1), partial (0.5), not verified or contradicted (0), or excluded when genuinely not applicable.
4.8000 of 5 weighted points. verified.
Accreditation effect: Current exact-entity accreditation expressly supports 3 subrequirements: 1.C1, 1.O1, 1.O2.
- Competence contribution
- 4.5000 of 4.5000 points.
- Public-accountability contribution
- 0.3000 of 0.3000 points.
Recorded category conclusion: Legal identity and standing earns 5.0000 of 5 points. Of 8 enumerated subrequirements, 8 fulfilled.
Why this metric earned 96.00 percent: 8 requirements, evidence routes, sources, and status findings
Arithmetic: 4.5000 competence + 0.3000 public accountability = 4.8000 points. Accreditation-breadth points are added once at the overall level.
A. Control assurance · 60 percent
Requirement 1.C1 — fulfilled: The certificate issuer is a resolvable legal entity.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The official profile identifies Halal Watch World LLC as the accredited certification body. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 1.C2 — fulfilled: The entity is active or otherwise legally authorized to operate.
Evidence route: Public source. The current official credential is active through April 4, 2030, and the first-party entity page identifies the current New York registration.
Requirement 1.C3 — fulfilled: Every public operating name, DBA, division, or brand used for certification is connected to the issuer.
Evidence route: Public source. The public Halal Watch Certification brand, active Halal Watch World LLC identity, and responsible leadership are connected across the official credential and first-party pages.
Requirement 1.C4 — fulfilled: Material parent, subsidiary, affiliate, and predecessor relationships affecting certification authority are documented.
Evidence route: Confidential evidence verified. USDHS verified this requirement from authenticated nonpublic documentation. Private identifiers and the underlying document are not published.
Public sources: Source 1
B. Operational evidence · 25 percent
Requirement 1.O1 — fulfilled: Current certificates, contracts, or accreditation identify the same accountable issuer.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The active external credential identifies Halal Watch World LLC as the accountable issuer. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 1.O2 — fulfilled: The operating location and jurisdiction correspond to the entity or a documented branch.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The official profile identifies the New York operating address and jurisdiction for the exact entity. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
C. Public evidence · 15 percent
Requirement 1.P1 — fulfilled: The public can identify the accountable issuer and operating name.
Evidence route: Public source. The official profile and public About page identify Halal Watch World LLC and the Halal Watch Certification operating name.
Requirement 1.P2 — fulfilled: The website, certificate, and public registry do not present materially conflicting issuer identities.
Evidence route: Public source. The reviewed public identity sources consistently connect the certification brand to Halal Watch World LLC; no materially conflicting issuer was found.
Authorized representative? Claim verification unlocks the private requirement-by-requirement improvement checklist at no charge. The annual review fee begins only when formal evidence is submitted. Open the review portal.
2. Ownership and control
What this means in plain English: This category asks who ultimately owns or controls the organization and whether related interests are clearly identified. 7 checks were fully supported, and 1 check remained unverified. 1 check did not apply.
90.00% of this category was supported by the reviewed evidence.
View the detailed evidence and calculation
9 objective subrequirements are scored as fulfilled (1), partial (0.5), not verified or contradicted (0), or excluded when genuinely not applicable.
7.2000 of 8 weighted points. verified.
Accreditation effect: No current exact-entity accreditation mapping supplies automatic credit in this metric; any points come from direct evidence.
- Competence contribution
- 7.2000 of 7.2000 points.
- Public-accountability contribution
- 0.0000 of 0.4800 points.
Recorded category conclusion: Ownership and control earns 6.8000 of 8 points. Of 9 enumerated subrequirements, 7 fulfilled, 1 not independently verified, 1 not applicable.
Why this metric earned 90.00 percent: 9 requirements, evidence routes, sources, and status findings
Arithmetic: 7.2000 competence + 0.0000 public accountability = 7.2000 points. Accreditation-breadth points are added once at the overall level.
A. Control assurance · 60 percent
Requirement 2.C1 — fulfilled: Ultimate owners or members are identified.
Evidence route: Confidential evidence verified. USDHS verified this requirement from authenticated nonpublic documentation. Private identifiers and the underlying document are not published.
Requirement 2.C2 — fulfilled: Ownership percentages or interests are established.
Evidence route: Confidential evidence verified. USDHS verified this requirement from authenticated nonpublic documentation. Private identifiers and the underlying document are not published.
Requirement 2.C3 — fulfilled: Voting, management, or equivalent control rights are established.
Evidence route: Confidential evidence verified. USDHS verified this requirement from authenticated nonpublic documentation. Private identifiers and the underlying document are not published.
Requirement 2.C4 — fulfilled: Related entities that could affect control are identified.
Evidence route: Confidential evidence verified. USDHS verified this requirement from authenticated nonpublic documentation. Private identifiers and the underlying document are not published.
Public sources: Source 1
Requirement 2.C5 — fulfilled: Ownership continuity is established or preserved through istiṣḥāb absent contrary evidence.
Evidence route: Confidential evidence verified. USDHS verified this requirement from authenticated nonpublic documentation. Private identifiers and the underlying document are not published.
B. Operational evidence · 25 percent
Requirement 2.O1 — fulfilled: Ownership and control records are current, maintained, and available to an authorized verifier.
Evidence route: Confidential evidence verified. USDHS verified this requirement from authenticated nonpublic documentation. Private identifiers and the underlying document are not published.
Public sources: Source 1
Requirement 2.O2 — fulfilled: No current record contradicts the established owner or control structure.
Evidence route: Confidential evidence verified. USDHS verified this requirement from authenticated nonpublic documentation. Private identifiers and the underlying document are not published.
C. Public evidence · 15 percent
Requirement 2.P1 — not verified: Consumers can identify the controlling person or organization when ownership identity is part of the public accountability standard.
Evidence route: Public source. The About, leadership, and team pages publicly identify the CEO and President but do not expressly identify the legal owner. Leadership disclosure is not treated as public ownership disclosure.
Requirement 2.P2 — not applicable: Private percentages, taxpayer data, signatures, and personal addresses need not be published when authoritative evidence establishes them.
Evidence route: Not applicable. This is a privacy boundary rather than a publication demand; the authoritative ownership evidence was reviewed privately and its sensitive fields remain excluded.
Authorized representative? Claim verification unlocks the private requirement-by-requirement improvement checklist at no charge. The annual review fee begins only when formal evidence is submitted. Open the review portal.
3. Accountable leadership and governance
What this means in plain English: This category asks who is responsible for the certification program, how authority is assigned, and who is accountable for its decisions. All 10 checks were supported by the reviewed evidence.
96.00% of this category was supported by the reviewed evidence.
View the detailed evidence and calculation
10 objective subrequirements are scored as fulfilled (1), partial (0.5), not verified or contradicted (0), or excluded when genuinely not applicable.
13.4400 of 14 weighted points. verified.
Accreditation effect: Current exact-entity accreditation expressly supports 8 subrequirements: 3.C1, 3.C2, 3.C3, 3.C4, 3.C5, 3.O1, 3.O2, 3.O3.
- Competence contribution
- 12.6000 of 12.6000 points.
- Public-accountability contribution
- 0.8400 of 0.8400 points.
Recorded category conclusion: Accountable leadership and governance earns 14.0000 of 14 points. Of 10 enumerated subrequirements, 10 fulfilled.
Why this metric earned 96.00 percent: 10 requirements, evidence routes, sources, and status findings
Arithmetic: 12.6000 competence + 0.8400 public accountability = 13.4400 points. Accreditation-breadth points are added once at the overall level.
A. Control assurance · 60 percent
Requirement 3.C1 — fulfilled: Senior leadership is identified.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Senior management and accountable certification leadership are required and assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 3.C2 — fulfilled: Organizational structure and reporting lines are defined.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The organizational structure, responsibilities, and reporting relationships are required and assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 3.C3 — fulfilled: Certification decision authority is assigned.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The certification-decision team, competence, composition, and unanimous decision authority are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 3.C4 — fulfilled: Required governance, impartiality, and Islamic-affairs committees exist.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The impartiality mechanism and Islamic-affairs expert committee are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 3.C5 — fulfilled: Senior management is accountable for the certification system.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Senior-management responsibility for the certification system is expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
B. Operational evidence · 25 percent
Requirement 3.O1 — fulfilled: Governance roles and committees are implemented and reviewed.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Implementation of required governance and committee controls is assessed and subject to continuing oversight. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 3.O2 — fulfilled: Certification decisions follow assigned authority.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Decision-team composition, competence, and authority are assessed in operation. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 3.O3 — fulfilled: Management review and internal oversight occur.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The certification-body management-system requirements include internal oversight and management review. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
C. Public evidence · 15 percent
Requirement 3.P1 — fulfilled: Responsible leadership and principal governance roles are publicly identifiable.
Evidence route: Public source. The team and impartiality pages identify senior leadership, operational leadership, technical personnel, and the existence of an impartiality committee.
Requirement 3.P2 — fulfilled: The public can understand who is accountable for halal decisions and certification decisions.
Evidence route: Public source. The certification-process page states that decisions receive independent review under the supervision of the named president and principal Islamic authority.
Authorized representative? Claim verification unlocks the private requirement-by-requirement improvement checklist at no charge. The annual review fee begins only when formal evidence is submitted. Open the review portal.
4. Qualified personnel
What this means in plain English: This category asks whether the people doing audits, reviews, and decisions are identified, qualified, authorized, and kept competent. All 13 checks were supported by the reviewed evidence. 1 check did not apply.
96.00% of this category was supported by the reviewed evidence.
View the detailed evidence and calculation
14 objective subrequirements are scored as fulfilled (1), partial (0.5), not verified or contradicted (0), or excluded when genuinely not applicable.
17.2800 of 18 weighted points. verified.
Accreditation effect: Current exact-entity accreditation expressly supports 11 subrequirements: 4.C1, 4.C2, 4.C3, 4.C4, 4.C5, 4.C6, 4.C7, 4.O1, 4.O2, 4.O3, 4.O4.
- Competence contribution
- 16.2000 of 16.2000 points.
- Public-accountability contribution
- 1.0800 of 1.0800 points.
Recorded category conclusion: Qualified personnel earns 18.0000 of 18 points. Of 14 enumerated subrequirements, 13 fulfilled, 1 not applicable.
Why this metric earned 96.00 percent: 14 requirements, evidence routes, sources, and status findings
Arithmetic: 16.2000 competence + 1.0800 public accountability = 17.2800 points. Accreditation-breadth points are added once at the overall level.
A. Control assurance · 60 percent
Requirement 4.C1 — fulfilled: Competence criteria exist for technical auditors.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Technical-auditor knowledge, education, training, experience, audit days, and competence are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 4.C2 — fulfilled: Competence criteria exist for Islamic-affairs experts.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Islamic-affairs expert education, experience, and demonstrated competence are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 4.C3 — fulfilled: Competence criteria exist for reviewers and decision makers.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Contract-review and certification-decision competence are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 4.C4 — fulfilled: Muslim-status requirements are applied where the governing standard requires them.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The governing checklist requires Muslim auditors and decision makers where specified. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 4.C5 — fulfilled: Training, education, experience, and sector competence are defined.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The checklist specifies training, education, work experience, audit experience, and category competence. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 4.C6 — fulfilled: Authorization, assignment, monitoring, and performance review are controlled.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Personnel authorization, category competence, evaluation, records, monitoring, and assignment controls are assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 4.C7 — fulfilled: External personnel and contractors satisfy the same applicable requirements.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. External auditors, technical experts, and Islamic-affairs experts are subject to the same applicable competence and control requirements. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
B. Operational evidence · 25 percent
Requirement 4.O1 — fulfilled: Current personnel records demonstrate qualification and authorization.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Personnel records and successful competence evaluation are assessed in operation. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 4.O2 — fulfilled: Audit teams contain the required technical and Islamic expertise.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The audit-team requirement expressly requires technical and Islamic-affairs expertise. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 4.O3 — fulfilled: Assignments match sector and scope competence.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Auditor competence is recorded by category and sector, and teams must match the audit scope. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 4.O4 — fulfilled: Personnel performance and continuing competence are monitored.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Monitoring, evaluation, personnel records, and continuing competence are assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
C. Public evidence · 15 percent
Requirement 4.P1 — fulfilled: Responsible personnel roles are publicly identifiable.
Evidence route: Public source. The team page identifies operational, review, audit, technical, training, and Islamic leadership roles.
Public sources: Source 1
Requirement 4.P2 — fulfilled: A reasonable public qualification basis is available for principal technical and Islamic authorities.
Evidence route: Public source. The team and president pages provide reader-level education and experience summaries for principal technical and Islamic personnel.
Requirement 4.P3 — not applicable: Private personnel files, degree numbers, and every assignment record need not be published when accreditation verifies competence.
Evidence route: Not applicable. This is a privacy boundary rather than a demand to publish confidential personnel records; competence was independently verified.
Authorized representative? Claim verification unlocks the private requirement-by-requirement improvement checklist at no charge. The annual review fee begins only when formal evidence is submitted. Open the review portal.
5. Islamic authority and halal decision rights
What this means in plain English: This category asks who provides the Islamic review, what authority that person or body has, and who makes the final halal decision. All 11 checks were supported by the reviewed evidence.
96.00% of this category was supported by the reviewed evidence.
View the detailed evidence and calculation
11 objective subrequirements are scored as fulfilled (1), partial (0.5), not verified or contradicted (0), or excluded when genuinely not applicable.
17.2800 of 18 weighted points. verified.
Accreditation effect: Current exact-entity accreditation expressly supports 9 subrequirements: 5.C1, 5.C2, 5.C3, 5.C4, 5.C5, 5.C6, 5.O1, 5.O2, 5.O3.
- Competence contribution
- 16.2000 of 16.2000 points.
- Public-accountability contribution
- 1.0800 of 1.0800 points.
Recorded category conclusion: Islamic authority and halal decision rights earns 18.0000 of 18 points. Of 11 enumerated subrequirements, 11 fulfilled.
Why this metric earned 96.00 percent: 11 requirements, evidence routes, sources, and status findings
Arithmetic: 16.2000 competence + 1.0800 public accountability = 17.2800 points. Accreditation-breadth points are added once at the overall level.
A. Control assurance · 60 percent
Requirement 5.C1 — fulfilled: Qualified Muslim Islamic-affairs experts are appointed.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The governing checklist requires qualified Islamic-affairs experts and assesses their appointment and competence. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 5.C2 — fulfilled: Muslim decision makers are used where required.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The governing checklist requires Muslim decision makers and a decision team containing at least two Islamic-affairs experts. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 5.C3 — fulfilled: The Islamic-affairs committee has defined composition and authority.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. A committee of Islamic-affairs experts and the composition of the certification-decision team are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 5.C4 — fulfilled: Halal interpretations, disputed questions, and escalations have a controlled decision path.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Islamic-law competence, interpretation, corrective action, and decision functions are assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 5.C5 — fulfilled: Islamic authority is independent of sales and client pressure.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Impartiality, conflicts, consulting separation, and decision independence are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 5.C6 — fulfilled: Final halal and certification decision rights are unambiguous.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The certification-decision team and retained HCB authority to grant, suspend, withdraw, or change scope are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
B. Operational evidence · 25 percent
Requirement 5.O1 — fulfilled: Islamic experts participate in audit, review, and decision functions as required.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The audit team and decision team must include Islamic-affairs expertise. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 5.O2 — fulfilled: Committee or expert decisions are documented and implemented.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Certification decisions, reports, records, and committee functions are assessed in operation. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 5.O3 — fulfilled: Certification cannot be issued contrary to the authorized halal decision.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The governing decision requirements make the authorized unanimous decision team controlling. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
C. Public evidence · 15 percent
Requirement 5.P1 — fulfilled: The principal Islamic authority or committee is publicly identifiable.
Evidence route: Public source. The team and president pages identify the principal Islamic authority and other religiously trained personnel.
Requirement 5.P2 — fulfilled: The public can understand who has final halal-decision authority.
Evidence route: Public source. The process page identifies independent certification review under the supervision of the named principal Islamic authority rather than the facility auditor alone.
Authorized representative? Claim verification unlocks the private requirement-by-requirement improvement checklist at no charge. The annual review fee begins only when formal evidence is submitted. Open the review portal.
6. Halal-specific audit and certification controls
What this means in plain English: This category asks what the certifier actually checks, what halal-specific evidence it records, and how findings lead to approval, follow-up, or withdrawal. All 15 checks were supported by the reviewed evidence.
96.00% of this category was supported by the reviewed evidence.
View the detailed evidence and calculation
15 objective subrequirements are scored as fulfilled (1), partial (0.5), not verified or contradicted (0), or excluded when genuinely not applicable.
13.4400 of 14 weighted points. verified.
Accreditation effect: Current exact-entity accreditation expressly supports 13 subrequirements: 6.C1, 6.C2, 6.C3, 6.C4, 6.C5, 6.C6, 6.C7, 6.C8, 6.C9, 6.C10, 6.O1, 6.O2, 6.O3.
- Competence contribution
- 12.6000 of 12.6000 points.
- Public-accountability contribution
- 0.8400 of 0.8400 points.
Recorded category conclusion: Halal-specific audit and certification controls earns 14.0000 of 14 points. Of 15 enumerated subrequirements, 15 fulfilled.
Why this metric earned 96.00 percent: 15 requirements, evidence routes, sources, and status findings
Arithmetic: 12.6000 competence + 0.8400 public accountability = 13.4400 points. Accreditation-breadth points are added once at the overall level.
A. Control assurance · 60 percent
Requirement 6.C1 — fulfilled: Application and application review are controlled.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Application information and application review are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 6.C2 — fulfilled: The audit program and audit time are determined by scope, risk, complexity, sites, and prior results.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Audit program and timing criteria expressly include scope, complexity, sites, outsourced activities, and prior audits. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 6.C3 — fulfilled: Stage-one and stage-two audits are used where applicable.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The two-stage initial audit and category-specific stage-one requirements are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 6.C4 — fulfilled: Audit teams perform halal-specific document and facility review.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Halal-specific document review, audit-team composition, and facility evaluation are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 6.C5 — fulfilled: Sampling, inspection, and accredited laboratory testing are controlled where applicable.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Sampling, inspection, testing, traceability, and qualified laboratory requirements are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 6.C6 — fulfilled: Audit reports and nonconformities are documented.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Written audit reports, findings, nonconformities, and corrective evidence are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 6.C7 — fulfilled: Independent review and certification decisions are controlled.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Review and certification-decision competence, composition, and separation are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 6.C8 — fulfilled: Surveillance and recertification are controlled.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Surveillance intervals, recertification, continued conformity, and decision authority are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 6.C9 — fulfilled: Suspension, withdrawal, cancellation, and scope reduction are controlled.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Cancellation, suspension, withdrawal, and scope reduction are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 6.C10 — fulfilled: Outsourced work remains under HCB responsibility.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Outsourcing agreements, competence, impartiality, records, and retained HCB responsibility are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
B. Operational evidence · 25 percent
Requirement 6.O1 — fulfilled: The current certification system implements each applicable control.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The active credential verifies implementation of the applicable category-K certification controls. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 6.O2 — fulfilled: Surveillance or accreditation assessment verifies continued implementation.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Continued implementation remains subject to external assessment and the active credential conditions. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 6.O3 — fulfilled: No affirmative evidence shows reliance on an unauthorized third party for the halal decision.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The governing outsourcing and decision clauses retain final responsibility with the certification body, and no contrary practice was established. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
C. Public evidence · 15 percent
Requirement 6.P1 — fulfilled: The certification pathway and principal stages are publicly understandable.
Evidence route: Public source. The public process and requirements pages explain intake, scope, documents, audit, correction, review, and decision.
Requirement 6.P2 — fulfilled: The public can identify the governing scheme and certificate status consequences.
Evidence route: Public source. The public standards and U.S. certification pages identify the HIPS scheme, scope boundaries, change control, withholding, suspension, reduction, and withdrawal consequences.
Authorized representative? Claim verification unlocks the private requirement-by-requirement improvement checklist at no charge. The annual review fee begins only when formal evidence is submitted. Open the review portal.
7. Impartiality, conflicts, and independence
What this means in plain English: This category asks how the organization prevents commercial interests, consulting work, or personal conflicts from controlling certification decisions. All 11 checks were supported by the reviewed evidence.
96.00% of this category was supported by the reviewed evidence.
View the detailed evidence and calculation
11 objective subrequirements are scored as fulfilled (1), partial (0.5), not verified or contradicted (0), or excluded when genuinely not applicable.
5.7600 of 6 weighted points. verified.
Accreditation effect: Current exact-entity accreditation expressly supports 9 subrequirements: 7.C1, 7.C2, 7.C3, 7.C4, 7.C5, 7.C6, 7.O1, 7.O2, 7.O3.
- Competence contribution
- 5.4000 of 5.4000 points.
- Public-accountability contribution
- 0.3600 of 0.3600 points.
Recorded category conclusion: Impartiality, conflicts, and independence earns 6.0000 of 6 points. Of 11 enumerated subrequirements, 11 fulfilled.
Why this metric earned 96.00 percent: 11 requirements, evidence routes, sources, and status findings
Arithmetic: 5.4000 competence + 0.3600 public accountability = 5.7600 points. Accreditation-breadth points are added once at the overall level.
A. Control assurance · 60 percent
Requirement 7.C1 — fulfilled: An impartiality policy and risk process exist.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Impartiality policy and risk controls are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 7.C2 — fulfilled: An impartiality committee or equivalent mechanism operates.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The impartiality committee requirement is expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 7.C3 — fulfilled: Consulting and certification conflicts are prohibited or controlled.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Consulting separation and conflict controls are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 7.C4 — fulfilled: Financial, commercial, and relationship threats are identified and mitigated.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Commercial, financial, relationship, and external-pressure threats are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 7.C5 — fulfilled: Recusal and independent decision rules exist.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Conflict declarations and independent decision functions are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 7.C6 — fulfilled: Outsourced and external personnel are subject to impartiality and confidentiality controls.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. External-personnel and outsourcing requirements expressly cover impartiality, confidentiality, and competence. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
B. Operational evidence · 25 percent
Requirement 7.O1 — fulfilled: Impartiality risks are reviewed periodically.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Ongoing impartiality-risk review is assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 7.O2 — fulfilled: Conflicts and recusals are documented.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Conflict declarations and personnel records are assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 7.O3 — fulfilled: Certification decisions remain independent of audit, sales, and consulting pressure.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Decision independence and consulting separation are assessed in operation. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
C. Public evidence · 15 percent
Requirement 7.P1 — fulfilled: The impartiality commitment and complaint route are publicly accessible.
Evidence route: Public source. A public impartiality policy and unrestricted complaint-and-appeal form are available.
Requirement 7.P2 — fulfilled: The public can identify the separation between certification and prohibited consulting.
Evidence route: Public source. The public policy prohibits consultancy and internal-audit services that could compromise certification decisions.
Authorized representative? Claim verification unlocks the private requirement-by-requirement improvement checklist at no charge. The annual review fee begins only when formal evidence is submitted. Open the review portal.
8. Standards, scheme, and certification scope
What this means in plain English: This category asks which current rules govern the certification, what products and facilities they cover, and where the limits or exclusions are. 8 checks were fully supported, 1 check had partial support, and 1 check remained unverified.
94.50% of this category was supported by the reviewed evidence.
View the detailed evidence and calculation
10 objective subrequirements are scored as fulfilled (1), partial (0.5), not verified or contradicted (0), or excluded when genuinely not applicable.
2.8350 of 3 weighted points. verified.
Accreditation effect: Current exact-entity accreditation expressly supports 6 subrequirements: 8.C1, 8.C2, 8.C3, 8.C6, 8.O1, 8.O2.
- Competence contribution
- 2.7000 of 2.7000 points.
- Public-accountability contribution
- 0.1350 of 0.1800 points.
Recorded category conclusion: Standards, scheme, and certification scope earns 2.5875 of 3 points. Of 10 enumerated subrequirements, 8 fulfilled, 1 partial, 1 not independently verified.
Why this metric earned 94.50 percent: 10 requirements, evidence routes, sources, and status findings
Arithmetic: 2.7000 competence + 0.1350 public accountability = 2.8350 points. Accreditation-breadth points are added once at the overall level.
A. Control assurance · 60 percent
Requirement 8.C1 — fulfilled: Governing standard names and versions are controlled.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The current certification-body standard and its controlled document requirements are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 8.C2 — fulfilled: Accredited or claimed categories, activities, products, sites, and locations are defined.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The official credential defines category K and the governing checklist requires exact scope, activities, and sites. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 8.C3 — fulfilled: Exclusions and limitations are defined.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The certification scope may not omit processes that affect halal conformity, and certificate scope and limitations are controlled. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 8.C4 — fulfilled: Supplementary destination-market schemes are controlled.
Evidence route: Public source. The public requirements and U.S. service pages require intended markets to be identified and destination acceptance to be verified separately.
Requirement 8.C5 — not verified: A precedence rule resolves conflicts between base and supplementary requirements.
Evidence route: Public source. The reviewed public and official external sources did not establish a complete controlled rule stating which requirement prevails in every conflict between HIPS and a supplementary destination-market scheme.
Requirement 8.C6 — fulfilled: Clients receive the applicable version and scope.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Information exchange, certification agreements, certificate scope, and applicable requirements are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
B. Operational evidence · 25 percent
Requirement 8.O1 — fulfilled: Certificates and audits use the correct current standard and scope.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The active category-K credential and governing checklist verify standard and scope control in operation. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 8.O2 — fulfilled: Scope changes and version changes are controlled.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Scope changes, certificate changes, information exchange, and controlled management-system documentation are assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
C. Public evidence · 15 percent
Requirement 8.P1 — fulfilled: The principal standard, version, category, and certification scope are publicly identifiable.
Evidence route: Public source. The official credential identifies GSO 2055-2:2021 and category K; the public site identifies the current HIPS standards framework and client-scope boundaries.
Requirement 8.P2 — partial: The public can determine whether supplementary schemes apply and how conflicts are resolved.
Evidence route: Public source. The public can see that destination schemes may add requirements and require separate verification, but no complete public precedence table states which rule controls every conflict.
Authorized representative? Claim verification unlocks the private requirement-by-requirement improvement checklist at no charge. The annual review fee begins only when formal evidence is submitted. Open the review portal.
9. Public certification criteria and position disclosure
What this means in plain English: This category asks whether an ordinary reader can find the certifier’s practical halal rules and understand the positions behind its approvals. 15 checks were fully supported, and 5 checks had partial support.
95.79% of this category was supported by the reviewed evidence.
View the detailed evidence and calculation
20 objective subrequirements are scored as fulfilled (1), partial (0.5), not verified or contradicted (0), or excluded when genuinely not applicable.
7.6629 of 8 weighted points. verified.
Accreditation effect: No current exact-entity accreditation mapping supplies automatic credit in this metric; any points come from direct evidence.
- Competence contribution
- 7.2000 of 7.2000 points.
- Public-accountability contribution
- 0.4629 of 0.4800 points.
Recorded category conclusion: Public certification criteria and position disclosure earns 5.6905 of 8 points. Of 20 enumerated subrequirements, 15 fulfilled, 5 partial.
Why this metric earned 95.79 percent: 20 requirements, evidence routes, sources, and status findings
Arithmetic: 7.2000 competence + 0.4629 public accountability = 7.6629 points. Accreditation-breadth points are added once at the overall level.
A. Control assurance · 60 percent
Requirement 9.C1 — partial: The public disclosure is authorized, versioned, dated, and controlled.
Evidence route: Public source. The methodology report identifies its publisher, compiler, reviewer, and 2023 publication date, but the Resources page labels that unchanged internally dated document as the 2026 methodology resource, creating a version/date-control ambiguity.
Requirement 9.C2 — fulfilled: It identifies the governing Islamic and technical authority.
Evidence route: Public source. The methodology report identifies its compiler and Islamic reviewer, while the public team and standards pages identify principal Islamic and technical roles.
Requirement 9.C3 — partial: It addresses every applicable Form 1002-D field or marks it not applicable.
Evidence route: Public source. The methodology report and linked public resources address thirteen fields completely, but the supplementary-scheme precedence field remains incomplete.
Public sources: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4 · Source 5 · Source 6
B. Operational evidence · 25 percent
Requirement 9.O1 — fulfilled: Public criteria match the operative certification scheme.
Evidence route: Public source. The public criteria use the same HIPS framework, scope, audit, review, and decision model described in the current certification process; no affirmative scheme contradiction was found.
Requirement 9.O2 — partial: Changes to criteria are reflected in the controlled public version.
Evidence route: Public source. Current 2026 pages contain updated criteria, but the linked methodology PDF remains internally dated 2023 while being presented as a 2026 resource.
Requirement 9.O3 — partial: Supplementary-scheme positions and precedence are kept current.
Evidence route: Public source. Current pages require destination-specific verification, but the complete conflict hierarchy between HIPS and each supplementary scheme is not publicly established.
C. Public evidence · 15 percent
Requirement 9.P1 — fulfilled: Religious or jurisprudential basis.
Evidence route: Public source. The methodology report publishes the religious methodology, evidence, and treatment of disputed questions.
Public sources: Source 1
Requirement 9.P2 — partial: Supplementary destination-market schemes and precedence.
Evidence route: Public source. Supplementary destination requirements are acknowledged and separated from domestic certification, but the complete precedence rule is not published.
Requirement 9.P3 — fulfilled: Mechanical poultry slaughter.
Evidence route: Public source. The public article states the position that mechanical aid is permissible when the stated halal-slaughter conditions are met.
Requirement 9.P4 — fulfilled: Mechanical-line tasmiyah.
Evidence route: Public source. The public article and methodology state that tasmiyah applies to the intended continuous session and must be repeated after interruption.
Requirement 9.P5 — fulfilled: Slaughter-person requirements and supervision.
Evidence route: Public source. The public article identifies eligible slaughter-person requirements, intention, and backup slaughter supervision.
Requirement 9.P6 — fulfilled: Stunning and reversibility.
Evidence route: Public source. The public stunning article distinguishes reversible and irreversible methods and states the controlling alive-before-slaughter condition.
Requirement 9.P7 — fulfilled: Alive-at-cut control.
Evidence route: Public source. The public stunning and methodology materials expressly require the animal to remain alive at the halal cut.
Requirement 9.P8 — fulfilled: Minimum vessel requirement.
Evidence route: Public source. The public mechanical-slaughter article and methodology identify the minimum cutting requirement.
Requirement 9.P9 — fulfilled: Pork and animal derivatives.
Evidence route: Public source. The methodology and public requirements identify pork and animal-derived material review and prohibition treatment.
Requirement 9.P10 — fulfilled: Alcohol and ethanol.
Evidence route: Public source. The methodology report publishes the organization’s alcohol and ethanol analysis and position.
Public sources: Source 1
Requirement 9.P11 — fulfilled: Processing aids and ingredient sources.
Evidence route: Public source. The requirements and documentation pages require ingredient, sub-ingredient, process-aid, supplier, and source review.
Requirement 9.P12 — fulfilled: Shared lines and cross-contact.
Evidence route: Public source. The requirements and audit-preparation pages explain shared-equipment, segregation, scheduling, cross-contact, and risk controls.
Requirement 9.P13 — fulfilled: Sanitation or ritual cleansing.
Evidence route: Public source. The requirements and audit-preparation pages explain sanitation controls, cleaning evidence, and risk-dependent shared-equipment verification.
Requirement 9.P14 — fulfilled: Certificate-level position communication.
Evidence route: Public source. The process and standards pages state that certificates identify approved products, activities, facilities, term, and scope and distinguish the certificate from an audit or logo.
Authorized representative? Claim verification unlocks the private requirement-by-requirement improvement checklist at no charge. The annual review fee begins only when formal evidence is submitted. Open the review portal.
10. Certificate traceability and mark control
What this means in plain English: This category asks whether a certificate can be checked for its holder, site, scope, dates, and current status, and whether misuse of the mark is controlled. 8 checks were fully supported, and 2 checks conflicted with other reviewed evidence.
90.00% of this category was supported by the reviewed evidence.
View the detailed evidence and calculation
10 objective subrequirements are scored as fulfilled (1), partial (0.5), not verified or contradicted (0), or excluded when genuinely not applicable.
2.7000 of 3 weighted points. verified.
Accreditation effect: Current exact-entity accreditation expressly supports 8 subrequirements: 10.C1, 10.C2, 10.C3, 10.C4, 10.C5, 10.O1, 10.O2, 10.O3.
- Competence contribution
- 2.7000 of 2.7000 points.
- Public-accountability contribution
- 0.0000 of 0.1800 points.
Recorded category conclusion: Certificate traceability and mark control earns 2.5500 of 3 points. Of 10 enumerated subrequirements, 8 fulfilled, 2 contradicted.
Why this metric earned 90.00 percent: 10 requirements, evidence routes, sources, and status findings
Arithmetic: 2.7000 competence + 0.0000 public accountability = 2.7000 points. Accreditation-breadth points are added once at the overall level.
A. Control assurance · 60 percent
Requirement 10.C1 — fulfilled: Certificate templates contain required issuer, holder, site, product or activity scope, identifier, issue date, expiry date, and authorization.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Certificate-template content and detailed certified scope are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 10.C2 — fulfilled: A certified-client and product directory is controlled.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. A directory of certified clients and products is expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 10.C3 — fulfilled: Certificate status, renewal, suspension, withdrawal, cancellation, and scope reduction are controlled.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Renewal, suspension, withdrawal, cancellation, and scope reduction are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 10.C4 — fulfilled: Halal-mark licensing, display, reproduction, translation, and misuse are controlled.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Mark authorization, display, reproduction, translation, expiration, and misuse controls are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 10.C5 — fulfilled: Verification records are traceable to the exact certificate and issuer.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Certificate and certified-client records are expressly assessed for exact scope and traceability. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
B. Operational evidence · 25 percent
Requirement 10.O1 — fulfilled: Certificates and marks are monitored in use.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Certificate and mark use is subject to continuing control and surveillance. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 10.O2 — fulfilled: Misuse and expired status are acted upon.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Misuse and continued mark use after failed renewal are expressly controlled. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 10.O3 — fulfilled: Directory and status records are maintained.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Certified-client, product, certificate, and status records are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
C. Public evidence · 15 percent
Requirement 10.P1 — contradicted: Consumers can verify current certificate status through a working HTTPS route, searchable directory, QR destination, or equivalent accessible mechanism.
Evidence route: Public source. The linked HTTPS directory route currently requires a password before a consumer can search any certificate or product status.
Requirement 10.P2 — contradicted: Public verification shows enough information to distinguish holder, scope, site or product, identifier, and validity.
Evidence route: Public source. Because the linked directory is password-gated, an ordinary consumer cannot reach the records needed to verify these fields.
Public sources: Source 1
Authorized representative? Claim verification unlocks the private requirement-by-requirement improvement checklist at no charge. The annual review fee begins only when formal evidence is submitted. Open the review portal.
11. Complaints, appeals, and corrections
What this means in plain English: This category asks whether people can challenge a decision, report a problem, receive an independent review, and see appropriate corrective action. All 10 checks were supported by the reviewed evidence.
96.00% of this category was supported by the reviewed evidence.
View the detailed evidence and calculation
10 objective subrequirements are scored as fulfilled (1), partial (0.5), not verified or contradicted (0), or excluded when genuinely not applicable.
0.9600 of 1 weighted points. verified.
Accreditation effect: Current exact-entity accreditation expressly supports 8 subrequirements: 11.C1, 11.C2, 11.C3, 11.C4, 11.C5, 11.O1, 11.O2, 11.O3.
- Competence contribution
- 0.9000 of 0.9000 points.
- Public-accountability contribution
- 0.0600 of 0.0600 points.
Recorded category conclusion: Complaints, appeals, and corrections earns 1.0000 of 1 points. Of 10 enumerated subrequirements, 10 fulfilled.
Why this metric earned 96.00 percent: 10 requirements, evidence routes, sources, and status findings
Arithmetic: 0.9000 competence + 0.0600 public accountability = 0.9600 points. Accreditation-breadth points are added once at the overall level.
A. Control assurance · 60 percent
Requirement 11.C1 — fulfilled: Complaints and appeals have documented procedures.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Complaint and appeal procedures are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 11.C2 — fulfilled: Independent committee or reviewer requirements are defined.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. An independent complaint or appeal committee is expressly required and assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 11.C3 — fulfilled: Islamic-affairs expertise participates where required.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The committee must include at least one Islamic-affairs expert. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 11.C4 — fulfilled: Investigation, decision, communication, corrective action, and records are controlled.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Investigation, decision, communication, corrective action, and records are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 11.C5 — fulfilled: Conflicts and recusals are controlled.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Committee members must be independent of the certification activity involved in the complaint or appeal. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
B. Operational evidence · 25 percent
Requirement 11.O1 — fulfilled: The mechanism is implemented and reviewed.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The current exact-entity credential verifies implementation of the complaint and appeal mechanism. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 11.O2 — fulfilled: Complainants and appellants are informed of outcomes.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The governing requirement expressly requires informing the concerned parties. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 11.O3 — fulfilled: Valid complaints can trigger investigation and certificate action.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Consumer complaints must be investigated, and justified findings can trigger contractual and certificate consequences. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
C. Public evidence · 15 percent
Requirement 11.P1 — fulfilled: A working public route or contact method exists for complaints and appeals.
Evidence route: Public source. The public form loads without authentication and accepts both complaints and appeals; an email contact is also provided.
Public sources: Source 1
Requirement 11.P2 — fulfilled: The submission pathway and responsible organization are clear.
Evidence route: Public source. The form identifies Halal Watch, the submission fields, complaint or appeal type, and a two-to-three-business-day review period.
Public sources: Source 1
Authorized representative? Claim verification unlocks the private requirement-by-requirement improvement checklist at no charge. The annual review fee begins only when formal evidence is submitted. Open the review portal.
12. Operating history and demonstrated capacity
What this means in plain English: This category asks whether the organization has a verifiable operating record and enough qualified people and resources for the certification work it claims to perform. All 8 checks were supported by the reviewed evidence. 1 check did not apply.
96.00% of this category was supported by the reviewed evidence.
View the detailed evidence and calculation
9 objective subrequirements are scored as fulfilled (1), partial (0.5), not verified or contradicted (0), or excluded when genuinely not applicable.
1.9200 of 2 weighted points. verified.
Accreditation effect: Current exact-entity accreditation expressly supports 6 subrequirements: 12.C1, 12.C2, 12.C3, 12.C4, 12.O1, 12.O3.
- Competence contribution
- 1.8000 of 1.8000 points.
- Public-accountability contribution
- 0.1200 of 0.1200 points.
Recorded category conclusion: Operating history and demonstrated capacity earns 2.0000 of 2 points. Of 9 enumerated subrequirements, 8 fulfilled, 1 not applicable.
Why this metric earned 96.00 percent: 9 requirements, evidence routes, sources, and status findings
Arithmetic: 1.8000 competence + 0.1200 public accountability = 1.9200 points. Accreditation-breadth points are added once at the overall level.
A. Control assurance · 60 percent
Requirement 12.C1 — fulfilled: The HCB defines competence and resource needs for each scope.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Category competence, audit-team composition, and scope-specific resource requirements are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 12.C2 — fulfilled: Audit time, staffing, sites, shifts, categories, and workload are considered.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Audit-time determination expressly considers size, complexity, sites, shifts, categories, outsourced work, and prior results. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 12.C3 — fulfilled: External resources and outsourcing are controlled.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. External personnel and outsourced work remain subject to competence, impartiality, confidentiality, records, and retained HCB responsibility. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 12.C4 — fulfilled: Records, internal audits, management review, and corrective action support continued delivery.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The certification-body management-system requirements, records, and continuing oversight are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
B. Operational evidence · 25 percent
Requirement 12.O1 — fulfilled: Current accreditation or direct evidence verifies active delivery capacity within scope.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. The current category-K credential verifies active delivery capacity within that scope. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
Requirement 12.O2 — fulfilled: Current certificates or clients demonstrate active operations.
Evidence route: Public source. The current history and About pages describe active certification services and more than 100 clients; the public process remains operational.
Requirement 12.O3 — fulfilled: Surveillance, recertification, and management review maintain capacity.
Evidence route: Independent accreditation. Surveillance, recertification, and management-system review are expressly assessed. Current exact-entity GAC accreditation HPC 0134 is assessed against GSO 2055-2:2021, whose official checklist expressly examines this control and its implementation within category K.
C. Public evidence · 15 percent
Requirement 12.P1 — fulfilled: Operating history, current service scope, and accountable contact are publicly identifiable.
Evidence route: Public source. The About, history, team, and requirements pages identify the operating timeline, current services, leadership, contact information, and scope.
Requirement 12.P2 — not applicable: Confidential client volumes, payroll, and workload files need not be published when current accreditation verifies capacity.
Evidence route: Not applicable. This is a confidentiality boundary rather than a public-document demand; current capacity is independently verified.
Authorized representative? Claim verification unlocks the private requirement-by-requirement improvement checklist at no charge. The annual review fee begins only when formal evidence is submitted. Open the review portal.
Bottom line
What you should know
What the evidence supports
- The reviewed record fully supports Halal Watch World LLC’s legal identity and standing.
- The reviewed record fully supports the identified leadership and governance arrangements.
- The reviewed record fully supports the personnel-qualification requirements.
What should make you cautious
- Some public certification rules and position disclosures remain incomplete; the requirement table identifies each affected item and its evidence route.
- Public ownership and control disclosure remains incomplete; the requirement table identifies each affected item and its evidence route.
- Certificate traceability and certification-mark control remain limited; the requirement table identifies each affected item and its evidence route.
What evidence could change this view
- What current, verifiable records would clarify ownership and control?
- What current, verifiable records would clarify certificate traceability and mark control?
- What current, verifiable records would clarify standards, scheme, and certification scope?
View the original requirement-level questions
- What additional independently verifiable evidence, if any, would change the finding on public ownership disclosure in requirement 2.P1?
- What additional independently verifiable evidence, if any, would change the finding on the rule for conflicts between base and supplementary requirements in requirement 8.C5?
- What additional independently verifiable evidence, if any, would change the finding on whether the public can see which supplementary schemes apply and how conflicts are resolved in requirement 8.P2?
- What additional independently verifiable evidence, if any, would change the finding on whether the public disclosure is authorized, versioned, dated, and controlled in requirement 9.C1?
- What additional independently verifiable evidence, if any, would change the finding on whether every applicable Form 1002-D field is addressed or marked not applicable in requirement 9.C3?
- What additional independently verifiable evidence, if any, would change the finding on whether changes to criteria appear in the controlled public version in requirement 9.O2?
Credibility Score interpretation
- Model B assigns 90.0000 of 90 competence-assurance points, 0.8000 of 4 proportional accreditation-breadth points, and 5.2779 of 6 public-accountability points.
- Every qualifying current independent exact-entity accreditation authority contributes proportionally against the five-authority national benchmark. 1 qualifying authority contributes 0.8000 breadth points; overlapping requirements are not counted twice.
- Recognition, commercial approval, membership, affiliate credentials, expired credentials, and scope that does not cover the assessed work do not qualify as current exact-entity accreditation breadth.
- Missing public information means the reviewed public record did not establish the disclosure; it is not proof that an undisclosed internal control does not exist.
Material records are rescored under the same rules, whether they raise or lower the result. Privately share information or evidence. Evidence-source names and contact details are not exposed publicly. An authorized representative may separately claim this certification body with qualifying documents. A verified claim does not confer editorial control or automatically change an article, Credibility Score, Grade, ranking, or certification status.
Read the full legal and evidence boundary
This organizational accountability assessment measures evidence supporting identity, control, responsible people, Islamic authority, halal-specific work, standards, public certification criteria, certificate controls, correction access, and demonstrated operations. Each of 137 enumerated subrequirements is shown below. A not-verified finding means the reviewed record did not establish the item; it is not proof that the control does not exist, that wrongdoing occurred, or that every certificate is invalid. Private evidence is described only at a non-identifying level. The existing series label is editorial branding and is not itself an allegation. Flags explain evidence already scored inside the twelve fixed metrics and create no separate bonus or penalty. The assessment is not a religious ruling, legal judgment, fraud finding, guarantee, or declaration that every certificate is valid or invalid. An undisclosed item is not treated as proof that no internal control exists.
Conclusion
Halal Watch has current GAC accreditation for category K [2] [3]. It publicly identifies its leadership and technical team, publishes substantial certification criteria and practical halal positions, and describes certificate and complaint controls. The remaining limits concern the precise current ownership allocation, complete file-level personnel authorizations, a full supplementary-scheme precedence rule, and unrestricted certificate lookup.
The authenticated S-election is credited as evidence of sole ownership for the 2015 Halal Watch World LLC. It is not treated as proof of the current ownership allocation for the separately filed 2022 LLC or related corporation. This accountability assessment uses the published USDHS methodology as an evidence-review framework; it does not replace the controlling HIPS standard or make a religious ruling on every certificate or product.
Public certification rules and position disclosures
This disclosure review asks a different question from accreditation: can an ordinary consumer identify the standard or scheme, its current version, the approving authority, and the important halal positions? Halal Watch substantially answers that question through a public methodology report, HIPS guidance, certification requirements, process material, and policy pages on specific subjects [4] [5] [7] [9] [10] [11].
For governing documents, scope, and certificate communication, Halal Watch identifies HIPS 1001–1003 and its Certification Methodology & Analysis Report as governing materials. It states its jurisprudential basis for disputed ingredients, limits certificates to approved products, activities, facilities, scope, and term, and describes QR-supported verification [4] [5] [7] [11] [12]. It describes destination-market schemes as additional requirements, but does not publicly reproduce the complete hierarchy for resolving conflicts between requirements [11] [14].
For slaughter and poultry controls, the published methodology permits mechanical slaughter as a tool, requires tasmiyyah, and says that one tasmiyyah may continue through a continuous mechanical session when the stated intention and slaughter conditions remain satisfied. It also states the alive-at-cut rule, vessel requirement, eligible slaughter-person rule, and conditional position on stunning [5] [9] [10].
For ingredients and the production environment, the published materials address pork and animal derivatives, alcohol, review of ingredients and processing aids, shared lines, cross-contact, and sanitation controls [4] [5].
The disclosure review considers whether a position is publicly understandable, not whether it is the most restrictive position. The corrected assessment recognizes Halal Watch’s substantial disclosure while retaining limited deductions for a fully published supplementary-scheme hierarchy and unrestricted certificate lookup.
What evidence would resolve the remaining gaps
The remaining deductions are narrow and tied to specific evidence. They are not requests for Halal Watch to prove that it has a certification system: the public methodology, GAC accreditation, process pages, and named team already establish that. The points below identify what would change the remaining findings.
For ownership and control, an authenticated current operating agreement, shareholder or membership ledger, official filing, or signed ownership declaration would need to identify the 2022 Halal Watch World LLC and related corporation, current ownership percentages, voting rights, controlling persons, and the legal relationship between the entities. It may be submitted privately for control and operational credit, but public-evidence credit requires a public source. The 2015 S-election is already credited for the earlier entity and sole owner it identifies.
For personnel competence, authenticated appointment and authorization records showing current roles, sectors, authorization dates, monitoring or renewal status, and representative audit or review assignments would support any remaining file-level increase. These records may be submitted privately with confidential fields redacted where appropriate.
For public certification criteria, a publicly accessible controlled table should state which HIPS requirement governs, which destination-market or supplementary scheme is added, and which rule prevails when requirements differ. This would address the remaining scheme-precedence gap. Halal Watch’s published methodology and practical slaughter and ingredient positions are already credited.
For certificate traceability and mark control, a working HTTPS verification route that is available without a private account should return the certificate holder, facility, approved products or activities, certificate identifier, issue and expiry dates, current status, scope, suspensions or withdrawals where applicable, and mark authorization. Restoring valid TLS for the portal or linking the public Resources directory to a working lookup would directly address the remaining public-evidence limit.
For complaints and appeals, publishing the review stages, the responsible or independent reviewer, the escalation path, non-retaliation protection, and closure or outcome communication would support the limited remaining increase beyond the already credited submission route and two-to-three-business-day response period [13].
Corrections, appeals, and claiming this certification body
Halal Watch World LLC or another affected party may submit responsive records through the secure documentary-evidence form. Material evidence is evaluated under the same methodology whether it raises or lowers the Credibility Score.
An authorized representative may also use Claim this certification body. The claimant must document their identity, role, and authority to act for the assessed organization. That authority must be verified through qualifying documentation and an independently confirmable official contact channel. A claim remains private and pending until reviewed; it does not give the claimant editorial control, disclose other submissions, or automatically change an article, Credibility Score, Grade, or ranking.
A correction request should identify the organization, statement, metric, source, effective dates, scope, responsible people, and requested correction. Publication is not conditional on a response, and no organization has a private veto over a documented finding.
Frequently asked questions
Why did this review give Halal Watch a 96% Credibility Score and Grade A?
The corrected result reflects current GAC accreditation, named leadership and technical personnel, Islamic decision authority, detailed halal audit controls, a public Certification Methodology & Analysis Report, certificate communication, and complaint controls. Limited deductions remain for the precise current ownership allocation, unrestricted live certificate lookup, and selected file-level records.
Does Halal Watch have current accreditation?
Yes. GAC identifies Halal Watch World LLC under accreditation HPC 0134, with an initial and issue date of April 5, 2026.
Does a high score confirm that every certificate is valid?
No. This assessment examines structural accountability, transparency, and verifiable credentials. It does not determine the religious validity of specific products.
Why does the review not publish private documents?
Authenticated private evidence can support the review when the organization, scope, date, and source of the record are established. It cannot count as public disclosure, and confidential identifiers are never published. In this correction, the S-election supports only the 2015 entity and ownership period it documents.
What could raise the certifier’s score?
The remaining changes are specific: current ownership and control records for the assessed organization; current personnel appointment and authorization records; a public HIPS-versus-supplementary-scheme precedence table; a working unrestricted HTTPS certificate-status lookup; and fuller complaint and appeal review, escalation, non-retaliation, and closure details. Private qualifying records may support control and operations, while public-transparency credit requires public disclosure.
References
- Halal Watch Certification — Our Team
- GCC Accreditation Center — Accredited Bodies directory
- GCC Accreditation Center — Halal Watch World LLC tokenized accreditation profile
- Halal Watch Certification — Halal Certification Requirements & Audit Preparation
- Halal Watch Certification — Certification Methodology & Analysis Report
- Halal Watch Certification — Resources
- Halal Watch Certification — Halal Certification Process
- Halal Watch Certification — Impartiality Policy
- Halal Watch Certification — Is Machine Slaughter Halal?
- Halal Watch Certification — Animal Stunning: Halal or Haram?
- Halal Watch Certification — Everything You Need to Know About Halal Standards
- Halal Watch Certification — Company Profile
- Halal Watch Certification — Complaint Form
- Halal Watch Certification — International Recognition & Export Market Access
View the controlling HIPS publication