Mutual Recognition Between Halal Certification Bodies: How It Works and Why It Matters

The Problem: One Product, Multiple Certifications

A halal food manufacturer in Australia wanting to export to Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE may need three separate halal certifications — one recognised by JAKIM, one by SFDA, and one by ESMA. Each certification involves its own audit, documentation, and fees. For small and medium exporters, this multiplied compliance burden can be prohibitive.

Mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) between halal certification bodies exist to solve this problem. Under an MRA, a certification body in one country agrees to accept the halal certification issued by a body in another country, reducing the need for duplicate audits and certifications.

How Mutual Recognition Works

The Assessment Process

Mutual recognition is not automatic. Before one certification body recognises another, it typically conducts a detailed assessment of the other body's standards, audit procedures, slaughter protocols (for meat), laboratory capabilities, and governance structure. This assessment may include on-site visits to the applicant body's facilities and observation of their audit processes.

The assessing body needs to be satisfied that the other body's standards meet or exceed its own requirements. This is why mutual recognition is not reciprocal by default — Body A may recognise Body B, but Body B may not necessarily recognise Body A if it judges Body A's standards to be insufficient.

JAKIM's Recognition System

Malaysia's Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM) operates one of the most structured foreign halal certification body recognition systems in the world. JAKIM maintains a published list of recognised foreign certification bodies, and only products certified by bodies on this list can carry the JAKIM-recognised halal logo for import into Malaysia.

JAKIM's recognition process involves a desktop review of the applicant body's procedures, followed by an on-site audit. Recognition is granted for a fixed period (typically two years) and must be renewed. JAKIM currently recognises certification bodies from over 40 countries.

GCC Mutual Recognition

The Gulf Cooperation Council countries have worked toward harmonised halal standards through the Gulf Standards Organization (GSO). GSO standard GSO 993 provides general requirements for halal food, and GCC member states have moved toward accepting certifications from bodies accredited under GSO or OIC/SMIIC frameworks.

In practice, individual GCC countries still maintain their own requirements. Saudi Arabia's SFDA accepts halal certificates from a list of approved foreign bodies. The UAE's ESMA similarly maintains its own recognition list. Exporters should verify current requirements with the importing country's authority rather than assuming GCC-wide recognition.

The Role of International Organisations

OIC/SMIIC

The Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), operating under the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has developed a suite of halal standards intended to serve as a common reference point for its 57 member states. The key standard, OIC/SMIIC 1:2019, covers general requirements for halal food.

SMIIC also operates a halal certification body accreditation scheme. Bodies accredited under this scheme are, in theory, recognised across OIC member states that have adopted SMIIC standards. However, adoption remains uneven — some major halal markets continue to apply their own national standards alongside or instead of SMIIC standards.

IHAF

The International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF), based in the UAE, works to harmonise halal accreditation practices globally. IHAF members include accreditation bodies from multiple countries. The forum promotes a common accreditation framework that, if widely adopted, would simplify mutual recognition by ensuring certification bodies in different countries are assessed against comparable criteria.

What This Means for Exporters

Check Recognition Lists Before Choosing a Certifier

Before selecting a halal certification body, identify your target export markets and check which certification bodies are recognised by the importing country's halal authority. Choosing a certifier that is recognised by JAKIM, SFDA, and ESMA simultaneously (if such a body exists in your country) can save significant time and money compared to obtaining separate certifications.

Certification Does Not Guarantee Market Access

Even with a recognised halal certificate, exporters must comply with the importing country's food safety, labelling, and import regulations. Halal certification is one layer of compliance, not a replacement for SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) requirements, customs documentation, or country-specific labelling rules.

Stay Updated on Recognition Changes

Mutual recognition lists are not static. Certification bodies can be added or removed based on periodic reviews. JAKIM, for example, has suspended recognition of individual bodies when compliance issues were identified. Exporters should monitor the relevant authorities' websites or subscribe to industry newsletters that track these changes.

Moving Toward Global Harmonisation

Full harmonisation of halal standards across all Muslim-majority markets remains a long-term goal rather than a near-term reality. Differences in Islamic jurisprudence (particularly around stunning before slaughter, mechanical slaughter of poultry, and the permissibility of certain additives) mean that a single global halal standard acceptable to all authorities is difficult to achieve.

Nevertheless, the trend is toward greater convergence. SMIIC standards are gaining broader adoption, IHAF's accreditation framework is expanding, and bilateral MRAs between national authorities are increasing. For exporters, these developments mean that navigating halal certification across multiple markets, while still complex, is gradually becoming more manageable.