Accreditation Standards

HTACP H-09:2019

Halal certification helps compliant companies gain access to nearly a quarter of the world’s population. Halal is an Arabic word which simply means ‘permissible’. In today’s world Halal products are becoming more and more popular, as people are coming to know about its benefits. Whether you want to capture the domestic or global Halal market of 1.6 billion consumers, you will need to obtain Halal accreditation from an internationally recognized organization like QTAWA. HTACP H-09:2019 is developed by QTAWA as a integrated system with the combination of HACCP and Halaal. If a company looking for Halaal and HACCP they just need HTACP.

HACCP

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) is an internationally recognized method of identifying and managing food safety related risk and, when central to an active food safety program, can provide your customers, the public, and regulatory agencies assurance that a food safety program is well managed. HACCP is a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product. Today, many of the world’s best manufacturers and vendors use the system as a basis for their food safety management programs and for compliance with GFSI audit schemes. Through analysis of hazards and where they can occur, Safe Food Alliance of California helps implement systems and procedures to minimize risk. Safe Food Alliance provides a truly hands-on food safety management system at each and every operation in assisting in the management of critical control points. A food safety program, however, does not just stop with HACCP. To be effective, prerequisite programs such as pest control, traceability & recall, hygiene and sanitation need to be developed and implemented. Additionally, the issue of ensuring that suppliers and distributors also have a food safety program needs to be addressed through development of ingredient specifications and a vendor assurance system.

OIC/SMIIC 2:2019, Conformity Assessment – Requirements for Bodies Providing Halal Certification:

The second edition of this standard was developed by SMIIC Committee on Standards for Conformity Assessment (SMIIC/CCA) and adopted by SMIIC as OIC/SMIIC 2:2019 – Conformity Assessment – Requirements for Bodies Providing Halal Certification.

SMIIC/CCA was established with the BOD Resolution 16/2015 of the 11^th SMIIC Board of Directors Meeting which was held on 30 November 2015 in İstanbul, Republic of Turkey. Main objectives of the SMIIC/CCA are the preparation of policies and standards (including guidelines, criteria, technical specifications etc.) for bodies involved in testing, calibration, certification, inspection, accreditation, and other related standards especially halal conformity assessment and accreditation.

This standard is based on sources of Islamic Rules and Laws. In this standard, Islamic Rules and Laws refer to those commonly accepted rules and schools of the Islam, regardless of variations in different countries.

Certification of a halal product or service or process or management system of an organization is one means of providing assurance that the product or service or process or management system in question complies with specified standards and other normative documents and the organization has implemented a system for the management of the relevant aspects of its activities, in line with its policy in conformity with Islamic rules.

This standard specifies requirements for halal certification bodies. Observance of these requirements is intended to ensure that halal certification bodies operate halal product or service or process or management system certification in a competent, consistent and impartial manner, thereby facilitating the recognition of such bodies and the acceptance of their certifications on a national, OIC and international basis. This standard serves as a foundation for facilitating the recognition and acceptance of halal certification in the interests of international trade.

This standard mainly draws on ISO/IEC 17065 with normative references to ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/TS 22003 and aims at defining requirements for halal certification bodies, rules for the execution of halal certification activities at national and international level, and the rules and procedures for the use of certificates and mark granted as a result of halal certification.

For the purposes of this standard, the terms “Management system standard” or “Requirements” found in the relevant clauses of ISO/IEC 17021-1 and herein referred to shall be taken to mean “OIC/SMIIC halal standard or halal requirements” and/or “Management system standard” or “Requirements”.

QTAWA 10:2019

Purpose: The purpose of this document is to describe the requirements in conducting the process of accreditation assessment (pre-assessment, initial assessment, consecutive assessment, and reassessments) for halal certification bodies in accordance with QTAWA regulations and requirements.

Process Description General – The main function of QTAWA halal CBs accreditation department are to assess and accredit the competence of halal CBs to carry out specified certification activities, and subsequently to ensure by monitoring that the standard QTAWA 10:2019 maintained. – The purpose of this assessment is to determine whether a halal CB complies with QTAWA requirements for accreditation, QTAWA 10:2019 regulations. In some circumstances specialized regulations/publications issued by QTAWA or other national, regional or international organizations provide guidance and documents of these criteria. These regulations/publications are listed in the QTAWA regulations/publications list. – Assessment team mission is to judge the competence of halal CB to perform the certification activities for which accreditation are sought. Their responsibility is therefore to assess a halal CB’s compliance with QTAWA 2:2019, QTAWA requirements. Their assessment should be confined to investigating and reporting the findings that result from observation and discussion in halal CB and through examination of documentation. – Each of applicant’s halal CBs provides basic information on its activities and staff in the application form, in addition to its quality documentation, but it is essential to check the competence of halal CB by assessment in halal CB head office and other locations, where appropriate. – All information obtained before, during or after assessment, including the fact that a particular halal CB has applied for accreditation, or that an application for accreditation has been deferred or rejected, shall be treated as strictly confidential by QTAWA staff, the external assessment team and QTAWA and committees. QTAWA normally uses assessment teams contracted from external sources to assess halal CBs on its behalf. QTAWA assessment teams, including QTAWA staff members acting as assessment team, must meet defined criteria in terms of their technical expertise and experience. QTAWA halal CBs accreditation manager will be able to respond during visits to inquiries from halal CB management on such matters. QTAWA team leader, he/she will assist with the interpretation of QTAWA requirements in appropriate circumstances, for the guidance of halal CB management or assessment team. QTAWA assessment team must take into account the size and complexity of the organization when assessing the quality system of halal CB, the quality system must provide assurance that halal CB, whatever its size or complexity, or the location where work is carried out, meets QTAWA requirements.