GSO 2055-2:2021
مواصفة  قياسية خليجية
المنتجات الحلال - الجزء الثاني : االشتراطات  العامة لجهات 
اصدار شهادات الحلال
Gulf Standard
Halal products – Part 2 : General Requirements for 
Halal Certification Bodies
ICS: 67.050
English Language – اللغةاإلنجليزية Edition 1 – 01/07/2021 – 1 الطبعة
© GCC Standardization Organization , www.gso.org.sa
© جميع الحقوق محفوظة  لهيئة التقييس لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية 
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Kingdom of Saudi Arabiaإدارة  التواصل،  قسم إدارة  المعرفة 
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iiGulf Standard GSO 2055-2:2021
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ﺍﻟﻄﻠﺐ ﺭﻗﻢتقديم
هيئة التقييس لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربيـة  هيئة إقليميـة تضم في عضـويتها  أجهـزة  التقييـــس 
الوطنية  في الدول األعضاء  ، ومن  مهام الهيئة إعداد المواصفات  القياسية واللوائح  الفنية الخليجية بواسطة  
لجان فنية متخصصة.
قررت اللجنة الوزارية  لهيئة التقييس لدول مجلس التعـاون لدول الخليـج العربيـة  في االجتمـاع  الـ )2 (بتاريــخ 
1443/09/11هــ ،الموافــــــق 2021/07/01م اعتمـــــاد تحــــــديث ترجمـــــة  المواصـــــــفة  القياســــــــية الخليجيــــــــة رقـــم 
GSO 2055-2:2021 وعنوانها  "المنتجات  الحلال - الجزء الثاني : االشتراطات  العامة لجهات اصدار شهادات 
الحلال " إلى اللغة االنجليزية  التي تم دراستها  ضمن برنامج  عمل اللجنة الفنية الخليجية لمواصفات  منتجات 
الحلال وخدماته  )TC15 (المدرجة  في خطة اإلمارات  العربية  المتحدة . ويعتبر  النص العربي  هو المرجع  األساس  
فــــي حـــــــــال وجـــــــــــود  اختــــــــــــــــلاف بيـــــــن النصــــــــــــــــين. علــــــــى أن تلغـــــــــي وتحـــــــــــل  محــــــــــل المواصـــــــــــــــــــفة  القياســــــــــــــــــــية رقــــــــم  
GSO 2055-2:2015 . 
Foreword
GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) is a regional organization which consists of the 
national standardization bodies of GCC member states. One of GSO main functions is to issue 
gulf standards and technical regulations through specialized technical committees.
GSO Ministerial Committee in its meeting number (2) held on 11/09/1443H, which corresponds 
to 01/07/2021, has approved the update of the translation of Gulf Standard GSO 2055-2:2021 
titled "Halal products – Part 2 : General Requirements for Halal Certification Bodies" in English 
language which was studied through the technical program of GSO Technical Committee for 
Halal Products and Services (TC15) in UNITED ARAB EMIRATES schedule . (Arabic) text is 
considered the official text in case of any conflicts between the two. This document will cancel 
and replace the Gulf Standard GSO 2055-2:2015. 
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Halal products –– Part 2: General Requirements  
for Halal Certification Bodies  
1. SCOPE  
 This Gulf standard is concerned with the requirements that halal certification 
bodies shall meet. It also specifies the requirements for the implementation of 
procedur es for issuing Halal certificate for the product / service / systems.  
2.       COMPLEMENTARY REFERENCES  
2. 1  GSO 993:  Animal Slaughtering Requirements According to Islamic law. 
2. 2  GSO  2055 -3: Gener al Requirements for Halal  accreditation bodies accrediting 
Halal  certification bodies . 
2. 3  GSO 9: Labeling of pre-packaged  foodstuffs.  
2. 4  ISO/IEC 17000 : Conformity assessment  - Vocabulary and general principles . 
2. 5  ISO 9000 : Quality management systems - Fundamentals  and vocabulary . 
2. 6  ISO/IEC 17025 : General requirements for the competence of testing and 
calibration laboratories . 
2. 7  ISO/IEC 17020 : Conformity assessment  - General criteria for the operation of 
various types of bodies performing inspection . 
2. 8  ISO/IEC TR 17026: C onformity assessment – Example of a system for 
certificatio n of physical products . 
2. 9  ISO/IEC 17021 -1: Conformity assessment - Requirements for bodies providing 
audit and certification of management systems - Part one: Requirements.  
2. 10  ISO 19011:  Guidelines for a uditing management systems . 
2. 11  ISO/IEC 170 65: Conformity as sessment - Requirements for bodies providing 
certification of products, processes and services.  
2. 12  ISO/ TS 22003 : Food safety management systems  - Requirements for bodies 
providing audit and certification  for Food safety management systems.  
2. 13  IAF-MD5:2015 : Determination of audit time of quality and environmental 
management systems.   
2. 14  GSO 2055 -1: Halal products –Part one: General Requirements for Halal Food.  
3. DEFINITIONS  
 For the purposes of this standard the following definitions  shall apply : 
3.1  Islamic rul es  
  It means what ALLAH legislates for Muslims as per the Holy Qur’an, and the 
practices  (Sunnah ) of honourable Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) . 
3.2  Halal  Certificate  
 A document that endorses  the identified  produc t, service  or systems  conform  to 
the requirements  of Halal as per Islamic rules ; such as : Halal  slaughtering 
certificates, Halal  certificates for facilities, farms, slaughterhouses and 
accompanying facilities classified as " Halal ", and cert ificates of the components 
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of primary products, ad ditives and ingredients that are incorporated in the 
composition of meat derivatives and extracts, rennet, gelatine, fats, animal oils 
and their derivatives . 
3.3  Contract  
 An agreement signed between the app licant and the Halal  certification body, so 
that the applicant is granted the  right to use Halal  certificat e/  halal  mark of the 
product, service, or system . 
3.4  Technical expert  
 A person who provides specific knowledge or expertise to the audit team.  
3.5  Halal  Islamic affairs expert  
 A Muslim who has  profound and comprehensive  knowledge of the requirements 
of Halal in Islamic Sharia , his efficiency and  scientific  knowledge  are established 
through academic certificates, courses, research and training course s in this field . 
3.6  Halal  mark / logo 
 An approved mark/  logo that is granted to the Halal  product/service or system  
which compl ies with this standard .  
3.7  Audit  
  A systematic, independent, documented process to obtain and evaluate the audit 
manual in obj ective ways , to determine whether the audit  standard is met .  
3.8  Auditor  
 A person assigned to perform the audit . 
3.9  Complaint  
 An expression of dissatisfaction by any person or organization, to a Halal  
certification body , where a response is expected  
3.10  Conformity Assessment Body  
 A body that performs conformity assessment services  within its accreditation 
scope.  
3.11   Certificate S uspension  
 Halal certification body suspends  the right to use the certificate  issued in advance  
for a specified period  which is  decided  by the Halal certifica tion b ody. 
3.12  Applicant  
 A person  or a legal entity who applies for Halal  certificat ion of  a 
product/service /system . 
3.13  Halal Certification Bodies  
 The entities  accredited by the authorities to accredit halal certi fication bodies , to 
issue Halal cert ificates . 
3.14  Halal Accreditation Bodies  
 The authorities authorized to accredit halal certification bodies.  
 
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3.15  Conformity  
 Requirements (Conditions) are met.  
3.16  Nonconformity  
 Requirements (Conditions) are not met. 
3.17  Audit team  
 One or more a uditors performing the audit supported by  a technical expert is 
needed . 
3.18  Major Nonconformity  
  Non-conformity ( 3.16) which affects the ability of the management system to 
achieve the desired results.  
3.19  Minor Nonconform ity 
  Non-conformity ( 3.16) which doesn’t affect  the ability of the management system 
to achieve the desired results.  
3.20  Audit Time  
  The tim e required to plan and complete  a full and effective audit of the applicant's 
facility . 
3.21  Risk - Assessment appr oach  
  Follow ing a method ology of thinking based on planning and implementing 
procedures to deal with potential risks in a way that prevents  their reoccurrence 
and are suitable for the elimination of their implications, particularly with regard 
to efficiency , coherence and neutral ity when issuing certificates.  
3.22  Certificate Owner/certified client/supplier  
 An entity whose management system is audited for the purpose of awarding the 
certificate . 
4. General Principles   
4.1   The principles given in Clause 4 of ISO/IEC 170 21-1:2015 and Annex A of 
ISO/IEC 170 65:2012  are the basis for any specific performance and requirements 
described in this s tandard . These principles must be adopted as a guide to 
decisions that may have to be taken in unexpected situations.  
4.2  Compliance  with Is lamic Sharia  
 The Halal  certification body and its employees  must  adhere to the requirements of 
Halal in Islamic L aw and deal with the highest degree of responsibility, integrity 
and neutrality when applyin g the requirements related to it. 
5. GENERAL REQUI REMENTS  
5.1  General  
 All the requirements given in Clause 4.1 of the ISO/IEC 17065:2012  shall apply.  
5.1.1   Legal responsibility  
 All the requirements given in Clause 4.1.1 of ISO/IEC 17065:2012  shall apply. I n 
addition to that; the Halal certification body must ensure that the product / service 
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is properly offered to Muslims and that all relevant procedures are carried out to 
ensure that the r equirements of H alal in Islamic Sharia are implemented in all its 
activities.  
5.1.2   Halal  certification agreement  
 All the requirements given in c lause 4.1.2 of ISO/IEC 17065:2012  shall apply. In 
addition t o allowing  the periodic and sudden evaluation visits  of the Halal 
certificat ion b ody and to its customers . 
5.1.3   Responsibility for Halal  certification decisions   
 All the requirements given in c lause 5.1.3 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015 shall apply.  
5.1.4  Responsibility for  the use of Halal  mark/Halal certificate decisions   
 All the requirements given in c lause 4.1.3 of ISO/IEC 17065:2012 shall apply.  
5.2  Management of  impartiality  
 All the requirements given in c lause 4.2 of ISO/IEC 17065:2012 and in addition 
to emphasize that the Halal  certification body and any part of the same legal entity  
must be  neutral in taking their decisions without any financ ial, commercial o r 
other pressures affecting independence  and impartiality of its decision s, and shall  
not offer or provide advice in Halal , or consultancy in Quality or any other 
management system.  
5.3  Liability and financing  
 All the requirements given i n clause 4.3 of ISO/IEC 17065:2012 shall  apply.  
5.4  Operations  
5.4.1   The Halal certification body  must take all necessary steps to assess compliance 
with relevant Halal standards and other requirements such as sampling, testing 
and inspection  requirement s in accordance with the Halal Product Certification 
System requirements.  
5.4.2   While conducting the H alal certificate operations, the H alal certifica tion body 
shall ensure the suitability and competence of body(ies) and  person(s) carrying 
out testing and  inspection  of the H alal certificat e as stated in ISO/I EC 17021 -1 , 
and the Annex C of  ISO/TS 22003.  
6. STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS  
6.1  Organizational structure and senior  management  
 All the requirements given in c lause 5.1 of ISO/IEC 17065:2012 shall  apply . 
6.2  Committee  for safeguarding impartiality  
 All the requirements given in c lause 5.2 of ISO/IEC 17065:2012 and the 
following shall apply:  
6.2.1   The Committee must include at least one  Halal Islamic affairs expert . The 
Committee must actively  review wor k perferomance  in accordance with the 
requirements of Halal in Islamic law ; check  integrity of issuance of Halal 
certificate and determ ine the procedures , systems , methods and policies of the 
Halal certification body . 
 
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6.2.2  Halal certification bodies shou ld check and a nalyze any actual or potential risks 
that may arise  due to the presence of obstacles in the application of Halal 
requirements in the Islamic Sharia, and to do the appropriate procedures and 
practices and present solutions  in such a way as to resolve the is sue neutrally  
6.3  Halal Islamic affairs expert  Committee    
 To ensure that the basic principles of Halal Islamic Sharia  are applied  optimally, a 
committee that includes  at least three Halal Islamic affairs exp erts should be 
formed to provide a dvice, guidan ce and decisions concerning legal issues. T he 
committee shall meet periodically to review and evaluate the certificates that have 
been issued and to ensure com pliance  to the Halal requirements in Islamic S haria 
and take decisions unanimously;  and in the ab sence of commitment to any of its 
decisions, the matter is up to the c ommittee to escalate to the committee for 
safeguarding impartiality.  
7. RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS  
7.1  Compe tence of management  and personnel  
 All the requirements given in c lause 6.1 of ISO/IEC 17065:2012 shall  apply. 
Additionally, the Halal  certification body shall have processes to ensure that 
personnel have adequate  knowledge relevant to the categories ( Annex A) in which 
they operate . 
7.2  Personnel involved in the Halal  certification procedures  
 All the requirements given in c lause 6.2 of ISO/IEC 17065:2012 and the 
following  shall apply .  
7.2.1.   The Halal certification body  should ensure that the auditors and decision makers 
of the Halal certification are technically competen t and ethica lly committed 
Muslims. Technical experts can be recruited within specific technical areas as 
well as quality management system auditors (preferably all employees involved in 
all Halal certification activities are  Muslims).  
7.2.2  To ensure that  the procedu res for auditing and issuing the certificate are carried 
out in an effective and uniform manner, the Halal certification body  must specify 
the minimum requirements  and criteria  for acceptance of specialized personnel. 
These requirements include  training in  the application of Halal standards, quality 
management systems, product conformity certificates and safety management 
systems.  
7.2.3  The personnel of the halal certification body can be individual auditors who work 
for the halal certification  body on a c ontract basis, or from other external sources. 
The halal certification body must be able to manage and monitor the work of the 
employees, be responsible for their efficient performance, and maintain 
comprehensive records to monitor their compet ence, whethe r they are key 
employees,  contract employees , or externals.  
7.2.4  The Halal  certification body shall require its personnel involved in the Halal  
certification to sign a contract or other documents in which they commit 
themselves  to:  
a)  Comply wi th the rule s defined by the Halal  certification body, including those 
related to confidentiality and independence from commercial and other interest (s). 
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b)  Declare any previous or current activities in associations whether t hey are 
affiliated with or were emp loyed in as design ers, producers or suppliers of H alal 
products , or in granting Halal certificates where they are intended to be employed.  
7.2.5  Records  on the relevant qualifications, training and experience of each member of 
the personnel involved in th e Halal  certification process shall be maintained by 
the Halal  certification body.  
7.3   Personnel that review  contracts  
7.3.1   Education  
 The halal certification body shall ensure that the personnel carrying out contract 
review shall have the appropriate knowledge . 
7.3.2   Product s afety and/or Halal  requirement related training  according to 
Islamic Sharia  
 The Halal  certification body shall ensure that the personnel carrying out contract 
review have successfully completed training(s) in : 
a)  Relevant standard for  Halal product s. 
b)  Quality management system s and product conformity . 
c)  Product S afety  Management  Systems (e.g. ISO 22000).  
d)      Audits  based on the guidance given in ISO 19011.  
7.3.3   Competenc ies 
 The Halal  certification body shall ensure that  the personne l carrying out contract 
review  have  demonstrate d ability to apply knowledge and skills in the following 
areas:  
a)  Classification of applicants in food chain categories and other sectors;  
b)  Assessment of applicant ’s products and/or services, processes and prac tices; 
c)  Evaluation  of competenc ies and requirements  of Halal certification auditors;  
d)  Determination of the planning and execution time of the audit and the actual time 
of implementa tion of the audit ( Annex B);  
e)  Halal  certification body's policies and proce dures r elated to contract review.  
7.4   Personnel who take the decision to grant  Halal  certificat es 
7.4.1   General requirements  
 The Halal  certification body shall ensure that the personnel who take the decision 
to grant a certificate  are educated and tra ined on  Halal certification  procedures , 
and have relevant experience in audits and work as required for an auditor of a 
given  category ( Annex A) according to ISO 19011.  
 The team  taking  the decision of certification  shall not be less than 3  individuals , 
where at leas t 2 of which are Halal Islamic affairs expert s. Decisions shall be 
taken unanimously, not by majority of votes.  
7.4.2   Competenc ies 
 The Halal  certification body shall ensure that the team granting certification  has 
demonstrate d ability to ap ply knowledge a nd skills in the following areas:  
a) Standards’ requirements for Halal products;  
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b) Halal requirements in Islamic  Sharia  related to Halal  certification;  
c) Current principles and understanding of relevant management systems ; 
d) Identification and assess ment of risks f or Halal  requirements;  
e) Corrections and corrective actions to be taken with regards to Halal  matters;  
f) Laws and provisions  relevant to the Halal  product/services;  
g) Products , processes and practices;  
h) Relevant legislation s and regulations ; 
i)  Evalu ating and review ing the audit report for accuracy and completeness;  
j)  Evaluating and reviewing effectiveness of corrective actions;  
k) The certification process;  
l)  Good understanding of the basic laws and conditions related to H alal products, 
especially regardi ng the slaughter o f animals ac cording to the requirements of 
Halal in Islamic law and the requirements of the standard of Halal products.  
7.5   Technical auditors  
7.5.1   General requirements  
 Halal  certification technical auditors shall have  relevant know ledge of Islamic 
rules with regard to Halal  certification and should have received practical training 
on standards related to Halal  certifica tion, and should have studied other relevant 
regulations and technical s tandards.  
7.5.2   Education  
 The Halal certification body must ensu re that the auditors have the appropriate 
knowledge beyond or equivalent to the post -secondary level, which includes 
lessons on the relevant subjects (Table A1, Appendix A) in which they conduct 
Halal certification audits.  
7.5.3   Special trainings  
 The Hala l certification body  shall ensure that the technical  auditors have 
successfully completed training in : 
a) Principles related to management;  
b) Regulations and legislations of relevant subjects , 
c) Approved  standard s for Halal products , 
d) Training  in auditing , 
e) Audit methods  based on ISO 19011,  
f) Principles for  product safety management system  (e.g. ISO 22000),  
g) Procedures for granting Halal certificates on the basis of approved standards.  
 (The training materials should be appropriate and do no t conflict with the 
approved  standards for Halal certification)  
 
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7.5.4   Work experience s 
 The halal certification body shall ensure that the technical  auditor should have at 
least five years of full -time experience in a related field, with at least two ye ars of 
quality assurance  work. And have at least two years’  work experience in the field 
of product safety in general within production, manufacturing, sales, inspection, 
control or equivalent.  
7.5.5   Audit experience  
 The Halal  certification body shall e nsure that within the last three years the 
technical auditor has performed at least twelve certification  audit days ( such as  
product  food safety systems/ product/service ) in at least four premises under  the 
leadership of a qualified auditor . 
 Note:  Inspecti on days in product safety managem ent systems include working 
days within the scope of ISO 9001 in the industry or in another audit of product 
safety management systems.  
7.5.6   Competenc ies 
7.5.6.1  The competenc ies of technical a uditors shall be recorded (clause 7.4.5 c) of ISO 
19011: 2011  for each category and sector (Annex A). The Halal  certification body 
shall provide evidence of the  successful evaluation.  
7.5.6.2  The Halal  certification body shall ensure that the technical auditors demonstrate 
ability to apply knowledge and skills in th e following areas.  
a) Audit principles, procedures and techniques: to enable the auditor to apply th em 
appropriate ly in  different audits and to ensure that audits are conducted in a 
consistent and systematic manner. A tec hnical auditor shall be able  to; 
•  Apply audit principles, procedures and techniques,  
•  Plan and organize the work effectively,  
•  Conduct the audit within the agreed time schedule,  
•  Prioritize and focus on matters of significance,  
•  Collect information through  effective interviewing, listening, obse rving and 
reviewing documents,  
•  Keep records and data,  
•  Understand the  method and techniques of sampling for  auditing,  
•  Verify the accuracy of collected information,  
•  Confirm the sufficiency and appropriateness of au dit evidence to support audit 
findings and c onclusions,  
•  Assess those factors that can affect the reliability of the audit findings and 
conclusions,  
•  Use work documents to record audit activities,  
•  Prepare audit reports,  
•  Maintain the confidentiality and s ecurity of information,  
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•  Communicate effectively , either through personal linguistic skills or through an 
interpreter.  
b) Evaluation of product / service certificate and / or management system and other 
reference documents, such as approved standard  
c) Assess organizational structures.  
d) Applicable la ws, regulations, and other legal and Halal  requirements relevant to 
the discipline.  
7.5.6.3  The Halal  certification body shall ensure that the technical auditors demonstrate 
their ability to apply requirem ents, knowledge and skills in a specific sector  and 
the following areas:  
a)  Products , processes and practices of the sp ecific sector(s) ( Annex A);  
b)  Relevant management system requirements, if  applicable . 
c)  Relevant product/service standards . 
d)  Relevant Halal  requirements.  
7.6   Technical experts  
7.6.1   Education  
 The requirements of clause 7.2.4.2 shall apply.  
7.6.2   Work  experience  
 The Halal  certification body shall ensure that the technical experts have at least 
four (4) years  of work experience in their t echnical area.  
7.6.3   Competenci es 
 The Halal  certification  body shall ensure that the technical experts demonstrate 
their ability to provide expertise in their technical area.  
7.7   Halal Islamic affairs experts  
7.7.1   Education  
 The Halal  certification  body shall ensure that the Halal  Islamic affairs  experts 
have the knowledge corresponding to at least equivalent to a diploma or Bachelor  
degree , in the same field and knowledge of the procedures that are being audited.  
7.7.2   Work  experience  
 The Halal  certification body shall ensure that the Islamic affairs  experts  have at 
least four (4) years of work experience in halal certification activities.   
7.7.3   Competenc ies 
 The Halal  certification body shall ensure that Islamic affairs  experts demonstrate 
their ability to provide expertise in the Islamic rules related to Halal certification.  
7.8   Audit team  
7.8.1  The Halal  certification body shall ensure that the Halal  certification audit team 
have competenc ies in the specific sector required by the audit (Annex A).  
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7.8.2  The audit team shall consist of at least two person nel. One of them shall be 
technical auditor and the other shall be a Halal  Islamic affairs expert.  
7.8.3  In the case of using individual external technical  auditors  and external technica l 
experts and Halal  Islamic affairs experts , all the requirements giv en in c lause 7.3 
of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015 shall apply. Additionally, all requirements for 
individual technical experts shall also apply for Halal  Islamic affairs experts.  
7.8.4  Outsourcin g 
 When a Halal  certification body decides to outsource the work relat ed to Halal  
certification to an external body or person  (e.g. Audit, testing or inspection) , a 
properly documented agreement covering the arrangements including 
confidentiality and confl ict of interest shall be drawn up.  
 All the requirements given in c lause 7. 5 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015 shall apply. 
Additionally , the Halal  certification body shall : 
a)  Assume full responsibility for the outsourcing of the  work and retain its 
responsibilit y to approve, grant, withdraw , suspend, terminate the Halal c ertificate 
and extend or  reduce the scope of the Halal c ertificate.  
b)  Ensure that the outsourced body or person  is competent and in conformity with 
the provisions of this standard and any o ther relevant documents related  to testing, 
inspection or other technical pro cedures, and shall not be directly or indirectly 
involved in the design or production of the Halal product / service in a manner 
that may spoil objectivity and neutrality.  
c)  have do cumented procedures to control outsourcing operations and have r ecords 
to validate this control.  
7.8.5  Personnel records  
 All the requirements given in c lause 7.4 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015 shall apply.  
8. INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS  
 All the requirements given  in clause 8 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015 shall apply.  
 The certificat e shall ide ntify in detail the type of activity or product  that has been 
certified , referring to scope  (Annex A).  
8.1  Publicly accessible information  
 All the requirements given in c lause 8.1 of ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015  shall  apply.  
8.2  Halal  certificat e Template   
 All the requirements given in c lause 7.7 of ISO/IEC 17065:2012 shall  apply.  
8.3  Directory of Halal certified clients  and products  
 All the requirements given in clause 7.8 of ISO/IEC  17065:2012 shall  apply.  
8.4  Reference to Halal  certificate  and use of Halal  marks  
 All the requirements given in c lause 4.1.3  of ISO/IEC 170 65:2012 and the 
following shall apply:  
8.4.1   The Halal  certification body must exercise proper control over the c ertificate 
holder, how to use and display the  Halal  certificates and Halal  marks . 
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8.4.2   The obligation to use the Halal certificate and the Halal markings permitted by the 
Halal  certification body . 
8.4.3   The wrong references to the Halal certificate syst em or the use of l icenses, Halal 
certificates or H alal marks should be handled a ppropriately, if found in 
advertisements, magazines, etc.  
8.4.4   Holders of Halal certificates who have not been able to renew their certificates are 
not allowed to use the Hal al mark absolutely.  
8.4.5   The Halal mark shall comply with the required approve d standards . 
8.4.6   The Halal mark can be clearly printed on all certified products so that it can be 
glued to each box / package . 
8.4.7   Companies may print  the Halal  mark  in colors appropriate for their packaging as 
long as this does not alter the origin al specifications of the mark.  
8.4.8   The Halal mark may be placed on the entrance of the approved facility.  
8.4.9   The certificate holder shall not be allowed to reproduce the  Halal certificate issued 
in such a way as to impair its clarity, nor shall he t amper with the original copies 
thereof or make copies of  them, nor shall he be allowed to translate the certificate 
and / or test re ports to other languages without the conse nt of  the Halal  
certificaton body.  
8.5  Confidentiality  
 All the requirements given in c lause 8. 4 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015 shall apply.  
8.6  Information exchange between a Halal  certification body and its clients  
 All the requirements given in c lause 8. 5 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015 shall apply.  
9.  PROCESS REQUIREMENTS  
9.1  General requirements  
9.1.1   The Halal  certification body must specify the exact scope of application of the 
certificate in terms of categories of Ha lal product / service (eg primary productio n 
(raw materials or intermediate  product), processing of products, production of 
packaging materials, etc.) Or categories and areas in accordance with Annex A. 
The certification authority should not exclude part o f the processes, areas, 
products, or servic es from the scope of application of the certificate when those 
processes, areas, products or services have an impact on the requirements of halal 
in finished products.  
9.1.2   The Halal  certification body shall hav e a process for selecting  the audit day, ti me 
and category  so that the audit team has the opportunity for auditing the 
organization operating on a representative number of product lines, categories and 
sectors covered by the scope. If the subject of the ce rtification is Halal  product 
certification,  the Halal  certificaton body  shall review the results of all laboratory 
tests regarding the H alal status of the product.  
9.1.3   The audit programme shall include a two -stage initial audit, surveillance audit in 
the first and the second years, and a recerti fication audit in the third year prior to 
expiration of certification. The three years certification cycle begins with the 
certification or recertification decision. The determination of the audit programme 
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and an y subsequent amendments shall consider the size of the organization of the 
client, the scope and complexity of its management system, products and 
processes as well as the demonstrated effectiveness of level of management 
system and the results of any prev ious audits. When a halal certification bod y is 
taking  into account the certificate  or other audits already granted to the client, it 
shall collect sufficient, verifiable information to justify, and record any 
adjustments to the audit programme. The halal certificate is valid for three years 
and wi ll be suspended or cancelled at any time when the certified organization is 
found to contravene the approved halal standard and any related requirements.   
9.1.4   All the requirements given in c lause s 9.1.1 to 9.1 .3 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015  in 
regards to su bmission of the application and revision and setting the audit 
programme shall apply.  
9.1.5   The Halal  certification body shall have documented procedures for determining 
audit time lines , the Halal  certification b ody shall determine the time needed for 
each client to plan and accomplish  a complete  and effective audit of the client’s 
product/service and/or Halal management system . The inspection  time specified  
by the Halal  certification body, and the justification f or the identification shall be 
recorded. While determining the audit time, the Halal  certification body should 
consider Annex B and reference document (IAF - MD5: 2015)  and the following 
aspects:  
a)  Requirements of the approved Halal  standard s; 
b)  Size and complex ity of the organization . 
c)  Technological and regulatory context . 
d)  Outsourced activities included in the scope of the production or procedures or 
product safety management system.  
e)  Results of any prior  audit(s).  
f)  Number of sites or establishments with multiple l ocations.  
9.1.6   Each site of a multi -site establishment  needs  to be assessed and certified 
separate ly.  
9.1.7   All the requirements given in c lause s 9.1.4 to 9.1. 6 of ISO/IEC 17021:2015  and 
clause s 7.2 to 7.4 of ISO /IEC 17065:2012 shall apply.  
9.1.8   The Halal  certification body shall provid e a written report for each audit. The 
report shall be based on relevant g uidance provided in ISO 19011 where t he audit 
team may identify opportunities for improvement but shall not recommend 
specific solutions perceive d as consultancy. Ownership of the au dit report shall be 
maintained by the Halal  certification body.  
 If the product/service is in the food -chain operations,  the report shall include 
references  to issues relevant to the Food Safety Management System.  
9.1.9  All the requirements given in c lauses 9.4.8 to 9. 4.10 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015  
and c lause s 7.5 and 7.6 of ISO /IEC 17065:2012 shall apply.  
9.2  Initial audit and Halal  certificat ion 
9.2.1   Application  
a)  All the requirements given in c lause 9. 1.1 of ISO/IE C 17021 -1:2015  shall apply.  
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b)  The Halal  certification body shall require the applicant for the Halal certificate  to 
provide detailed information concerning its entity / legal status, raw materials, 
processes, food safety management system issues, HACCP an alysis plan, number 
of work  shifts  and number of employee per shift etc.  
9.2.2   Application review  
 All the requirements given in c lause 9.1.2  of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015  shall apply.  
 NOTE : In case of non -conformities found during the audit, the producer/servi ce 
owner shall make a declaratio n, before renewal of application , that  he has 
completely removed all the non -conformities detected in the audit.  In case of an y 
unsuccessful procedures in the  process  of issuing the certificate , the new 
application shall onl y be accepted if the client make s such a declaration. If the 
first application for certification was unsuccessful and the client wishes to 
approach another certification body , then  the applicant shall provide  detailed 
information regarding its first applic ation for certification.  
9.2.3   Initial Halal  certification audit  
 The initial certification audit of Halal  product/service/management system shall 
be conducted in two stages : 
9.2.3.1  Stage 1 audit  
9.2.3.1.1   All the requirements given in c lause 9. 3.1 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015  and the 
following shall apply : 
 When outsourced control  measures  are applied , stage 1 audit shall review the 
documentation included in Halal  requirements and/or the product safety 
management system  to determine if the combination of con trol measures is 
suitable for the organization, and conform to requirements  of Halal  standard s. 
 The availability of relevant licenses should also be verified when collecting 
information on compatibility with national or international regulatory aspects.  
9.2.3.1.2   The objectives of th e stage 1  audit are to present a scenario for developing a plan 
for the stage 2  audit by gaining an understanding of good practices and the 
concept of identifying and analysing product safety risks su ch as PRPs (ISO 
22002), HAC CP, a nd in particular, the or ganization’s state of readiness  for audit 
by reviewing the extent to which :  
a)  The organization has identified (PRPs ) that are appropriate to the business (e.g. 
regulatory and statutory requirements),  
b)  The product safety managemen t system  includes adequate processes and methods 
for the identification and assessment of the organization’s safety hazards, and 
subsequent selection and categorization of control measures (combinations),  
c)  Availability of legislation s regarding  the safety o f products in the areas relevant to  
the organization,  
d)  The product safety management system  is designed to achieve the organization’s 
safety policy,  
e)  The product safety management system  implementation program justifies for 
further  audit (stage 2),  
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f)  The valid ation, verification and  improvement programs conform to the 
requirements of the product safety management system  standard,  
g)  The product safety management system  documents and arrangements are in place 
to communicate internally and with relevant suppliers, c ustomers and relevant 
parties  
h)  Any additional documentation that requires  revision and/or knowledge  that needs  
to be obtained in advance.  
9.2.3.1.3   Stage  1 audit can be carried out at the premises of the Halal  certification body or 
at the applicant’s organ ization premises acco rding to complexity of production or 
service in order to achieve the objectives stated above.  
a)  In the case of categories A, B, F, J, H, G (Annex A), it is not necessary that stage 
1 audit be on -site. However, it is up to  the audit team to decide to carry o ut an on -
site audit.  In categories C, D, E, I, and K  (Annex A) it is obligatory that stage 1 
audit is done on-site.  
b)  Where stage 1 audit has not been performed on -site, the duration of stage 1 audit 
may not exceed 20% of the total audi t time (Annex B). W here stage 1 audit is 
performed on -site, duration  of the stage 1 audit may not exceed 30% o f the total 
audit duration ( Annex B).  
9.2.3.1.4   All the  requirements given in c lause 9 .3.1.2 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015  shall apply.  
9.2.3.1.5   Any part of the produc t safety management system  that is audited during stage 1 
audit and determined to be fully implemented, effective and in conformity with 
requirements, may not need to be re -audited during stage 2 audit. However, the 
Halal  certification b ody shall ensure th at the already audited parts of the product 
safety management system  continue to conform to the certification requirements. 
In this case, stage 2 audit report shall include these findings and shall clearly state 
that conformity has been established during stage 1 audit.  
9.2.3.1.6   All req uirements given in c lause 9.3.1.2  of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015  shall apply.  
 The interval between stage 1 and stage 2 audits is reasonably expected not to be  
longer than 6 months. Stage 1 audit should be repea ted if a longer int erval is 
needed.  
9.2.3.2  Stage 2 audit  
 All the requirements given in c lause 9.3.1. 3 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015  shall apply.  
9.2.4   Initial Halal  certification audit conclusions  
 All requirements  given in c lause 9.3.1.4  of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015 shall apply.  
9.2.5   Sampling  
9.2.5 .1  When  necessary, the audit team shall take samples in sufficient quantities from 
production/service premises to perform  required inspections and tests.  
9.2.5 .2  If the halal certificate of products is based on testi ng / inspection  of halal 
products, it must be in accordance with a specific sampling schedule using 
statistical methods at different levels of confidence. In determining any sampling 
requirements,  the Halal  certification body shall establish documented pro cedures 
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for the  selection and control of samples to ensure traceability, and that they 
represent  the Halal  product . 
 9.2.5 .3  Samples taken by the audit team shall be sent for analysis to an accredited 
laboratory  in accordance with  ISO/IEC 17025 by a recog nized authority  in the 
country . 
9.2.6    Inspection  and test ing 
9.2.6 .1  Inspections and tests on the Halal  product/service shall be determined in 
accordance with the requirements of the Halal  product/service and the national 
and/or regional or international  legal provisi ons. 
9.2.6 .2  Laboratories that undertake inspections and/or analysis  shall be accredited in 
accordance with  ISO/IEC 17025 by a recognized  authority  in the country . 
9.2.6 .3  When  independent testing facilities are not available, the Halal  certification bod y 
shall  ensure that the specified controls are in place at the supplier’s testing 
facilities, and are managed in a manner which provides confidence in the results 
obtained and that records are available to justify the confidence.  
9.3  Survei llance activit ies 
 All requirements  given in c lause 9.6.2  of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015  and c lause s 7.9 
and 7.10 of ISO /IEC 17065:2012 and the following shall apply : 
9.3.1    The Halal  certification body shall conduct surveillance at certain time intervals 
accordi ng to clause 9.6.2.2 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015 , as deemed necessary in 
order to verify the continued compatibility of the Halal Product / Service with the 
requirements of the certificate, taking into account the requirements of the Halal 
product / service cr iteria on whi ch the certificate was based, the nature of the 
product / service being monitored, the requirements of the certificate, 
inconsistencies in conformity to Halal product / service or in the Halal production 
/ service premises or any complaints re ceive d regard ing the Halal product / 
service.  
9.3.2   When  Halal  production/service premises are audited and nonconformities that 
directly affect Halal  product/service safety are detected, samples are taken for 
surveillance purposes.  
9.3.3   In all cases, th e procedures with regard to issued reports as a result of surveillance 
shall be determined by decision maker(s).  
9.4  Recertification  
 All requirements given in c lause 9.6.3  of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015  and the 
following shall apply : 
9.4.1   Halal  certificate own ers (certif ied organization) should submit a recertification or 
renewal application six (6) months prior to the expiry date of current Halal  
certificate.  
9.4.2   Halal  certificate owners who failed to renew their certificates will not be allowed 
to use the Halal  mark at the premises or on the manufactured products.  
9.5  Special audits  
 All requirements  given in c lause 9. 6.4 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015  shall apply.  
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9.6  Cancelling, s uspending, withdrawing or reducing the scope of Halal  
certificat e 
 All requirements  given in  clause s 9.6.5 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015  and c lause 7.11 
of ISO /IEC 17065:2012 shall apply.  
9.7  Appeals and complaints  
 All requirements  given in c lause 9.7 and 9.8 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015 , clause 
7.13 of ISO /IEC 17065:2012 and the following shall apply.  
9.7.1  Applications in the case of any appeals or complaints regarding Halal  certification 
services shall be raised  to the Halal  certification body. A committee , or two 
distinct committees,  for appeals and complaints shall be established and be 
respo nsible f or resolving such cases and inform ing the concerned  parties 
accordingly.  
9.7.2   The members of this committee shall be independent  from the Halal  certification 
activities related to the subject complaint or appeal.  
9.7.3   This committee shall consi st of a minimum of three persons, where at least one of  
them must be  a Halal  Islamic affairs expert.  
9.7.4   Compl aints by consumers regarding a certified Halal  product/service shall be 
evaluated by the Halal  certification body, which will  be responsible for maki ng 
the necessary investigations. As a result of such evaluations, if the complaint is 
found to be justified  then the certificate holder shall be required to compensate for 
the damage(s) caused under the relevant provisions of the contract.  
9.8  Records of applicants and products  that are Halal certified  
 All requirements given in c lause 9.9 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015  and clause 7.8 of 
ISO/IEC 17065:2012 . 
10.  Management system requirements for Certification Bodies  
 All requirements  given in c lause s 10.1 to 10 .3.4 of ISO/IEC 17021 -1:2015  and 
clause  8 of ISO/IEC 17065:2012  shall  apply.  
 
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Annex A  
(Normative)  
 
Classification of Halal  product/service categories  
 
The Halal  certification body shall use Table A.1  
a) to define the scope of its work , 
b) to identi fy tec hnical qualification (if any) of its auditors that is necessary for that particular 
category or sector,  
c) to select a suitably qualified audit  for a particular category , 
d) to select a suitably qualified audit team  for a particular category , 
e) audit tim e determination is given as per table B.1 of this standard,  
f) Identify the appropriate part of the ISO 2200 2 standard  set, if possible, to assess 
compliance  to ISO 22000 standard clause 2.7,  and 
g) Specify the scope of the certificate document at th e subc ategory level . 
(The scope of the given client organization may cover more than one category ) 
 
Table A.1 — Food chain categories 
 
Cluste
r a Category Subcategory Exampl es of included activities 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Farming  
 
 
 
 
 
A  
 
 
 
 
Farming of Animals   AI  
 
Farming of Anim als 
for Meat/ Milk/ Eggs/ 
Hon ey Raising anim als (other than fish and seafood ) used 
for meat production, egg production, milk production 
or honey production 
 
Growing, keeping, trapping and hunting (slaughtering 
at point of hunting) 
 
Associated farm packing b and storage 
AII  
 
Farming of Fish and 
Seafood Raising fish and seafood used for meat production 
 
Growing, trapping and fishing (slaughtering at point 
of capture) 
 
Associated farm packing b and storage 
 
 
 
B  
 
 
Farming of Plants BI  
Farming of Plants (other 
than grains and pulses) Growing or harvesting of plants (other than grains 
and pulses): horticultural products (fruits, vegetables, 
spices, mushrooms, etc.) and hydrophytes  for food 
 
Associated farm packing b and storage 
BII  
Farming of Grains and 
Pulses Growing or harvesting of grains and pulses for food 
 
Associated farm packing b and storage 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Food and 
feed  
proces sing  
 
 
 
 
 
C  
 
 
 
 
 
Food 
Manufacturing CI Process ing of perishable 
anim al products Production of anim al products including fish and 
seafood, meat, eggs, dairy and fish products 
CII Process ing of perishable 
plant products Production of plant products including fruits and 
fresh juices, vegetables, grains, nuts, and pulses 
CIII Process ing of perish- 
able anim al and plant 
products (mixed 
products) Production of mixed anim al and plant products 
including pizza, lasagne, sandwich, dumpling, ready- 
to-eat meals 
CIV  
Process ing of ambien t 
stable products Production of food products from any source that are 
stored and sold at ambien t temperature, including 
canned foods, biscuits, snacks, oil, drinking water, 
beverages, pasta, flour, sugar, food-grade salt 
CV Animal slaughtering  Processing of carcasses including slaughtering in 
slaughterhouses, cutting, cleaning and pa cking.  
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Cluste
r a Category Subcategory Exampl es of included activities 
 
 
D  
Anim al Feed 
Production DI  
Production of Feed Production of feed from a single or mixed food 
source, intended for food-producing anim als 
DII  
Production of Pet Food Production of feed from a single or mixed food 
source, intended for non-food producing anim als 
 
Catering  
E  
Catering Preparation, storage and, where appropriate, delivery 
of food for consumption, at the place of preparation 
or at a satellite unit 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Retail, 
transport 
and storage  
 
 
F  
 
 
Distribution FI  
Retail / who lesale Provision of finished food products to a custome r 
(retail outlets, shops, wholesalers) 
FII  
Food Broking / Trading Buying and selling food products on its own account 
or as an agent for others 
 
Associated packaging c 
 
 
 
 
G  
 
 
Provision of 
Transport and 
Storage Services GI Provision of Transport 
and Storage Services 
for Perishable Food and 
Feed Storage facilities and distribution vehicles for the 
storage and transport of perishable food and feed 
 
Associated packaging c 
GII Provision of Transport 
and Storage Services 
for Ambie nt Stable Food 
and Feed Storage facilities and distribution vehicles for the 
storage and transport of ambien t stable food and feed 
 
Associated packaging c 
 
 
 
Auxiliary 
services  
H  
Services Hospitality services, Islamic bankin g, veterinary 
services and provision of services related to the safe 
production of food , including water supply; pest control 
services, cleaning services, waste disposal.  
 
I Production of Food Packaging and Packaging 
Material Production of food packaging material 
 
J  
Equipme nt manufacturing Production and developmen t of food process ing 
equipmen t and vending machines 
 
 
Biochemical  
 
K  
 
Production of (Bio) Chemicals Microbiology, Production of food and feed 
additives, vitamins , minerals, bio-cultures, 
flavourings, enzymes and process ing aids 
 
Pesticides, drugs, fertilizers, cleaning agents, 
cosmetics, textiles, leather products, .... etc.  
a) Clusters are intended to be used for accreditation scope of accredited certification bodies, and for accreditation 
bodies witnessing certification bodies. 
b) “Farm packing” means packaging without product modification and process ing. 
c) “Associated packaging” means packaging without product modification and process ing and without altering the 
primary packaging. 
 
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Annex  B 
(Informative)  
 
Minimum Audit Time 
 
B.1  General  
 In determining the audit time needed for each site as required in Clause 9.1. 4, the 
Halal  certification body should consider the minimum required time on-site for  
initial certification given in Table B.1.  
 The minimum time includes stage 1 and stage 2 of the i nitial certification audit 
(Clause 9.2.3) but does not include the required time for the preparation of the 
audit nor the time for writing the audit report.  
 To avoid duplication where another relevant m anagement system is in place and 
certified by the certification authorityItself, no additional time is required ( table 
B.1) and in case of joint audit involving a Food safety management system ,  the 
audit time can be reduced if it is justified and document ed. 
 The minimum audit time is established for the audit of a F ood System 
Managements System  which includes only one HACCP study. A HACCP study 
corresponds to a hazard analysis for a group of  products/services with similar 
hazards and similar production te chnology and, where relevant, similar storage 
technology.  
 The minimum audit time has been determined to audit the product safety 
management system, which includes only one DSM  HACCP Critical Analysis 
Point Plan. The HACCP study is the risk analysis of th e Group  Products / services 
having similar risks and similar production and storage technology.  
 The minimum on site surveillance audit time  for product and/or services  should 
be, with a minimum of half  audit day (Applied to all types of audits).  
 The numb er of auditors for each audit day takes into account the effectiveness of 
the audit and the resources of the entity being subject  , as well as the resources of 
the certification authority . 
 And where additional meetings are required, for example audit meet ings, 
coordination and briefings  audit, an increase in audit time may be required.  
 The number of employees should be expressed as the number of full -time 
equivalent employees (FTEs). When an enterprise operates workers in shifts, the 
products and / or ope rations are  Similar , FTE is calculated based on employees in 
the main shift (including workers )Seasoners) as well as office workers  . 
 Some categories are subject to multi -site sampling , and this can be taken into 
consideration when calculating  audit time. 
 If sites are sampled, the site sample is selected before the audit period is applied . 
 Therefore, audit time accounts should be applied to each site in accordance with 
the requirements of this Annex and Table B.1 . 
 If the scope of a single client facility c overs more than one category, the audit 
time account is the highest  recommended basic check. Additional time is needed 
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for each risk analysis point and critical c ontrol  point  ,( ie. a minimum of 0.5 day 
audit for each risk analysis point and critical c ontrol point . 
 Other factors may necessitate increasing the minimum audit time (e.g. number of 
product types, number of product lines, product development, number of CCPs, 
number of operational PRPs, building area, infrastructure, in -house laboratory 
testing, need for a translator).  
B.2  Calculation of minimum initial certification audit time  
B.2.1  The minimum audit time for a single site, Ts, expressed in days, is calculated as 
follows : 
 Ts = (T D + T H + T MS + T FTE) 
 Where 
 TD : is the basic on -site audit time,  in days;  
 TH: is the number of audit days for additional HACCP studies;  
 TMS: is the number of audit days for absence of relevant management system;  
 TFTE: is the number of audit days per number of employees.  
B.2.2   The audit time for each site in additio n to the main site, is calculated according to  
Table B.1 with a minimum of 1 audit day per site.  
 When properly documented and justified, a reduction can be made for a less 
complex organization measured by number of e mployees, size of the organization 
and/or product volume or within categories having a (Ts) time of less than 1,5 
audit days.  
 
 
a yroegtaC  
Basic on-site audit  
time, in audit days  
 
DT Number of audit 
days for each 
additional HACCP 
study  
 
HT Number of audit days for 
absence of certified 
relevant mana gement 
system  
 
MST  
Number of audit days per 
number of empl oyees  
 
TEFT  
For each 
additional 
site visited  
A 0,75 0,25  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
0,25 1 to 19 = 0  
 
20 to 49 = 0,5  
 
50 to 79 = 1,0  
 
80 to 199 = 1,5  
 
200 to 499 = 2,0  
 
500 to 899 = 2,5  
 
900 to 1 299 = 3,0  
 
1 300 to 1 6 99 = 3,5  
 
1 700 to 2 999 = 4,0  
 
3 000 to 5 000 = 4,5  
 
> 5 000 = 5,0   
 
 
 
 
 
 
50 % of 
mini mum on-
site audit time  B 0,75 0,25 
C 1,50  0,50 
D 1,50  0,50 
E 1,00 0,50 
F 1,00 0,50 
G 1,00 0,25 
H 1,00 0,25 
I 1,00 0.25 
J 1,00 0,25 
K 1,50  0,50 
 
 
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B.3    Calculation of minimum surveillance and recertification audit time  
 The minimum surveillance audit time shall be one -third of the initial certification 
audit time, with a minimum of 1 audit day (0,5 audit day for categor ies A and B). 
The minimum recertification audit time shall be two -thirds of the initial 
certification audit time, with a minimum of 1 audit day (0,5 audit day for 
categories A and B). When properly documented and justi fied, a reduction to the 
minimum can be made in a less complex organization measured by number of 
employees, size of the organization and/or product volume or within categories 
having an initial minimum audit time of less than 1,5 audit days.  
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Annex C  
(Informative)  
 
Required food safety management system (FSMS) competence 
 
 
 
Table C  from standard ISO/TS 22003:2013, specifies the FSMS competence for 
certification body personnel . 
 
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