New guidelines released for certification of halal meat products

The Commerce Ministry has issued new guidelines, according to which all meat and its products are to be exported as “halal certified” only if it is produced, processed and packed under a valid certificate issued by a body assigned by a board of Quality Council of India.

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The Commerce Ministry has released new guidelines on all meat and meat product exports. According to the guidelines, meat products will be exported as “halal certified” only if it is produced, processed and packed under a valid certificate issued by the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), Quality Council of India.

To streamline the halal certification process for the export of meat and its byproducts from India, a scheme titled “India Conformity Assessment Scheme (i-CAS)” has been developed.

As per the guidelines, the certification bodies would follow the procedure laid down as per the i-CAS – halal. It also added that the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) would be designated as the overall monitoring agency for this purpose.

As the monitoring body for halal meat and meat products, APEDA shall have the mechanism to ensure that the certification and export of halal products has followed the i-CAS guidelines.

The draft guidelines are being circulated for public/industry comments and feedback. The views and suggestions can be submitted by February 17 for compilation and to prepare the final guidelines.

The guidelines state that India’s large Muslim population represents huge opportunities for halal-based entrepreneurs. However, the country’s halal industry is still in its infancy. In 2021, the global halal food market reached a value of US$ 1,978 billion, which is projected to reach US$ 3,907.7 billion by 2027.

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