The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has started issuing halal certification alongside the quality certification of the products and food items it assesses and evaluates.
According to BSTI officials, as a member of the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), an OIC body, and to expand exports, BSTI has adopted three international halal standards and will issue certificates according to the bar set by those standards.
In a statement on Monday, BSTI confirmed that nine products from Olympic Industries were the first to be certified as halal, reports bdnews24.com.
Established in 2014, SMIIC’s standard specifies the general requirements for the production of halal food products and services for any stage of the food chain.
According to the SMIIC’s website, the standards give general information to the relevant parties such as consumers, manufacturers, and conformity assessment bodies, mainly on the requirements for halal food products, production and services on the following issues:
- Sources of halal food (halal and non-halal animals, plants)
- Rules of slaughtering
- Specific rules for food products and services (meat and meat products, egg and egg products, milk and dairy products, beverages, food services and premises.)
- Food processing
- Machinery, utensils, production lines
- Storage, display, service and transport
- Hygiene, sanitation and food safety
- Validation and verification
- Identification and traceability
- Presentation for the market (packaging and labelling)
- Legal requirements
The standards were formulated based on the concept of halal that integrates the requirements of halal food products as part of the overall management and control systems to ensure that the halal food products are produced in accordance with common Islamic beliefs and rules of Islam.
The halal body also emphasises the traceability of product materials as a prerequisite of these standards.