What is Halal Beauty? Are Your Products Ready for the New Laws?
More and more consumers are seeking information about the origin of ingredients used in their products. This includes Muslim consumers, who make up almost one-fourth of the world’s population and rely on halal certification for guidance. Halal is an Arabic word referring to ingredients permissible with Islamic standards. As it turns out, halal certification can benefit everyone.
Think of halal certification as almost synonymous with quality assurance. It verifies that an ingredient is sourced, manufactured, produced and packaged according to the highest standards of ethical values, purity and cleanliness. It covers not only the ingredient itself but all processes right up to distribution.
The entire production chain must be thoroughly inspected – from raw materials and sourcing to processing, handling and packaging – and found to have an optimum level of cleanliness that is free of any contact with impurities. Sanitation procedures are rigorous and well-documented. No alcohol may be used and any machinery in the production and packaging lines must not come in contact with what are deemed impurities.
What does halal certification forbid?
Among other things, products must not contain pork, human ingredients (such as stem cells), genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or alcohol*. Other animal-derived ingredients are permissible only if the extraction or slaughter is conducted in a very specific manner to minimize suffering and complies with certain criteria for cleanliness. Animal testing is also forbidden.
The term halal is most often applied to consumable foods; however, the same criteria is used to certify ingredients for personal care and beauty products. This is because many consider skin to be the body’s largest and most absorptive organ. So, while these products are applied topically to the skin, it is believed that the body is capable of consuming ingredients indirectly.
Is halal the same as vegan?
Not necessarily. Vegan products do not contain any animal-derived raw materials, but they might use ethanol alcohol, which would make them unable to qualify for halal certification. Also, some animal-derived products are permissible under halal compliance, including beeswax and honey.
Do any countries require halal certification?
Indonesia has implemented a halal product mandate, an “omnibus
law” that requires cosmetics, foods and beverages, and non-food products imported, distributed and traded to be certified as halal. The mandate went into effect in 2019. Brands have until 2026 to implement it.
Saudi Arabia recently introduced regulations that will require halal certifications on most ingredients that enter the kingdom. Other countries that have strict halal regulatory requirements include Malaysia, Brunei and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region of Middle Eastern countries. In other predominantly Muslim countries, it just makes good business sense to offer halal-certified products.
What ingredients does CP Kelco produce to halal standards?
All of CP Kelco’s seven manufacturing sites have undergone the rigorous halal certification process conducted by an independent third party. This includes not just our products, but the required testing for porcine DNA, salmonella and alcohol levels in each site.
Along with having a highly functional portfolio of nature-based ingredients, CP Kelco has proactively implemented the process of achieving halal certification to help support the needs of companies so they can succeed without delay or worry in every market.
*Products must have less than 0.1% alcohol to qualify as halal. At this level, one cannot taste, smell or see the alcohol, a criterion generally applied for impurities. Some certification groups may have different guidelines.