Procedure for Termination, Reduction, Suspension or Withdrawal of Certification

Certification Termination and Adjustment Procedure:

HFA sets out the following procedures when it is decided that a company’s certification needs to cease.

Suspension

HFA reserves the contractual right to suspend a company’s certification as a result of a critical/major non-conformance(s) in the company’s system is identified at the audit where no immediate corrective action is possible and/or feasible. HFA Certification Committee usually concludes the suspension decision immediately or within two to three working days after the date of identification of breach or non-conformance. Such a conclusion is communicated to the respective company in writing, setting out the suspension reasons. The certification remains suspended until the respective company implements corrective action(s) or removes the cause(s) of suspension. A re-audit is required to verify the corrective actions leading to conformance with the Halal Certification Requirements and procedures. The company is not permitted to carry out any Halal production during the period of suspension, and HFA Certification mark shall not be depicted on any product(s) that was(were) approved by the HFA prior to suspension.

Termination

HFA reserves the contractual right to terminate the certification agreement of the company if the management believes that

  • Pork is handled or introduced on-site without prior consent and approved segregation. the company is in breach of the material term(s) of the agreement.
  • The severity of a non-conformance is sufficient to warrant termination with immediate etc.;
  • The company is unlikely to conform to certification requirements, and proposed corrective actions are unacceptable or invalid.
  • The suspension is believed to be an inadequate remedy to mitigate the risks of on-conformance. Termination is notified to the respective company by the HFA management in writing, setting out the reasons. Companies subject to termination are required to return their original Halal certificate to the HFA together with any marketing and packaging materials unless they are disposed off.

HFA also removes the company’s name and details from its list of approved Halal manufacturers/suppliers from all media. The certification committee shall conclude termination decisions in their scheduled meeting. Information on the termination of certification must also be sent out via social media, i.e., Facebook, Twitter, and HFA website.

Notice and time frame

Certification agreement generally stipulates that written notice is served to either party to execute termination three months prior to taking its effect.  Where the cause of termination is justifiable as such, HFA also reserves the contractual right to revoke the agreement and withdraw the Halal certificate without prior notice accepting no liability, financially or otherwise on its part.

Appeals

Companies are entitled to appeal against HFA’s decision to terminate the certification agreement and Halal certificate withdrawal. Such complaints or appeals shall be processed in line with HFA’s complaints procedure. Such procedure shall also be made available by the HFA upon request and can also be viewed and downloaded from the HFA website.

HFA Acceptance and Mutual Recognition in The World by Different Certification and Accreditation Bodies. Clarification on IHAF and SMIIC


Membership:

The HFA as a certification body cannot be a member of International Halal Accreditation. Forum (IHAF) or Standards and Metrology Institute for the Islamic Countries (SMIIC) since both of these organizations are established as an independent, non-government network of accreditation bodies, therefore membership of IHAF and/or SMIIC is not relevant for HFA as a halal certification body.

However, HFA’s accreditation body, Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC), is a member of IHAF. SMIIC is an independent body that develops standards for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). HFA’s current accreditation with EIAC allows the HFA to certify companies under the SMIIC standard.

The following organizations also accept the HFA:

  • Department of Islamic Development Malaysia ( JAKIM)
  • The Emirates Standardization & Metrology Authority (ESMA), accredited by Emirates
  • International Accreditation Centre (EIAC)
  • Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE)
  • Korea Food & Drug Administration (KFDA) – South Korea

HFA is recognized and accepted by the following certification bodies in the world:

The above is not an exhaustive list, and the HFA’s emblems are both recognized & accepted globally.

  • Department of Islamic Development Malaysia ( JAKIM)
  • The Emirates Standardization & Metrology Authority (ESMA), accredited by Emirates
  • International Accreditation Centre (EIAC)
  • Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE)
  • Korea Food & Drug Administration (KFDA) – South Korea
  • Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) – Indonesia
  • Majlis – Ugama Islamia Singapura (MUIS) – Singapore
  • GIMDES Helal Serti_ası Alan Firmalar – Turkey
  • Jamiat Ulama-e-Maharashtra (JUM) – India
  • Halal Accreditation Council (HAC) – Sri Lanka
  • Central Islamic Committee of Thailand (CICOT) – Thailand
  • National Independent Halal Trust (NIHT) – South Africa
  • Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA) – USA
  • Halal Food Council of Europe (HFCE) – Belgium
  • Halal Quality Control (HQC) – The Netherlands
  • Halal Control GmbH – Germany
  • Halal Australia – Australia