Halal Mutual Recognition Agreements And The Fragmentation Problem

The OIC’s standards body has written that a halal conformity assessment body in an economy should not need to be accredited more than once for the same scope by different halal accreditation bodies. SMIIC wrote in the same announcement that the peer-evaluation process cannot run until the structure it describes has properly been introduced.

Under its mutual recognition agreements, Indonesia’s BPJPH states that imported halal products do not need a separate halal certificate application as long as the certificate was issued by a foreign halal body that has signed a mutual recognition agreement with BPJPH. Indonesia’s halal agency, BPJPH, says products certified by such a body no longer need to apply for halal certification. The foreign certificate must be registered by BPJPH before the product circulates in Indonesia.

Where The Harmonization Effort Began

In a report on the first Halal Congress Middle East, held in Sharjah in December 2012, SMIIC records that its Secretary General Haluk Dağ spoke there and that the idea of harmonizing standards among Islamic countries can be traced back to the first meeting of the OIC’s Economic and Commercial Cooperation Standing Committee (COMCEC) in 1984. Three standards, prepared with OIC member countries and the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, were adopted as OIC/SMIIC 1, 2 and 3 in May 2011.

SMIIC published 2019 editions of all three, saying they were revised to solve the problems encountered in implementation during the previous five years. OIC/SMIIC 2, the standard for bodies providing halal certification, mainly draws on ISO/IEC 17065, according to SMIIC. SMIIC says the standard is intended to facilitate the recognition of halal certification bodies and the acceptance of their certifications on a national, OIC and international basis.

Accreditation Forums And Their Limits

The International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF), a network of accreditation bodies mandated to enforce halal standards in their economies, was established in May 2016, and 31 accreditation bodies had joined it by November 2018, the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) reported. IHAF relies on the peer evaluation processes of IAF and ILAC as a prerequisite for signatories to its multilateral agreement, the same announcement states. IAF, ILAC and IHAF signed a memorandum of understanding in Singapore on October 30, 2018.

That memorandum covers only activities based on requirements of a technical nature and will never be applicable to requirements of a religious nature, according to its terms as reported by FoodNavigator. Under the same terms, IAF and ILAC members are able to accredit activities with religious requirements that could be in line or in contrast with IHAF endorsed schemes. The same report cited the State of the Islamic Economy Report 2018/2019 as finding that the lack of an aligned global halal certification system was increasing costs for manufacturers.

IAF itself ceased operations at the start of 2026 and has been replaced, together with ILAC, by the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated, according to its archived website.

Indonesia Signs Agreements Body By Body

BPJPH says article 4 of Indonesia’s 2014 halal product assurance law requires products that enter, circulate and are traded in Indonesia to be halal certified. Article 47 of the same law exempts imported halal products from a new certification application when their certificate was issued by a foreign halal body that has a mutual recognition agreement with BPJPH, the agency says.

At the Halal-20 Halal World 2023 event, BPJPH signed mutual recognition agreements with 37 foreign halal bodies. Nine of those agreements covered recognition and mutual acceptance of halal certificates, and 28 covered speeding up BPJPH’s assessment of the foreign body toward that recognition. IFANCA is among the nine bodies BPJPH listed in the first group. BPJPH also recorded commitments with 16 more foreign bodies on completing assessment, while 54 had submitted documents that were still being verified.

BPJPH opened registration of foreign halal certificates on its Sihalal system in 2024. Under a 2023 BPJPH decree, the registration is filed through the importer or an official representative in Indonesia. The file includes a legalized copy of the foreign halal certificate, or only an Apostille certificate where the foreign body sits in a member country of the Apostille convention, plus a list of the goods with their harmonized system codes.

Malaysia Keeps Its Own List

JAKIM’s list of recognized foreign halal certification bodies, effective from January 30, 2026, states that recognition is based on the capability of foreign bodies that comply with the Malaysian procedures and guidelines. An appointment is valid for three years, the appointed body submits an annual report to JAKIM, and JAKIM carries out a review audit after the appointment period expires. IFANCA appears on the list under the United States of America.

For imported meat, the same document requires plants to be inspected and approved by JAKIM and Malaysia’s Department of Veterinary Services, in compliance with the Malaysian Protocol for Halal Meat and Poultry Productions and MS 1500:2009.

Reading A Certifier’s Recognitions

IFANCA’s website lists ANAB, BPJPH, EIAC, GAC, HAK and PNAC under the heading accredited by. Under recognized by, IFANCA’s website lists JAKIM, MUIS, SASO, SFDA, IMANOR, the Pakistan Halal Authority, the Saudi Halal Center, Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health and CICOT. IFANCA’s website also states that it is a founding member of the World Halal Food Council.

Ask a certifier which markets accept its certificate for your product category, then check that answer against the importing authority’s own published list. Malaysia’s list carries a date: the edition published by JAKIM took effect on January 30, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Is A Halal Accreditation Body Itself Assessed?

OIC/SMIIC 3:2019 specifies the general requirements for halal accreditation bodies that accredit halal conformity assessment bodies. SMIIC states that bodies which pass such an evaluation can become members of mutual recognition arrangements within the OIC.

Is There A Single Global Halal Standard?

At the 2012 Halal Congress Middle East, there was consensus on the need for a Global Halal Standard, and the congress ended with a list of non-binding recommendations. SMIIC describes its OIC/SMIIC halal standards as the only ones in the world ensuring the participation and contribution of various OIC member states and the International Islamic Fiqh Academy.

What Does Registering A Foreign Halal Certificate In Indonesia Involve?

Documents in a language other than English must come with an English translation by a sworn translator, under the BPJPH registration procedure. If verification finds the file incomplete, the importer has five working days to submit additional and original documents before the system cancels the application. Payment of the BPJPH invoice is due within seven working days, after which a registration number for the foreign certificate is issued.