Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology (ESMA)
Halal Foods
In case of any violation of this scheme, the person involved or held accountable for the violation shall be subjected to all the procedures, measures and penalties provided in Federal Law No. (28) of 2001 for Establishing the Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology (ESMA) and its amendments, without prejudice to the right to impose any severer penalty under other laws.
The United Arab Emirates,
ESMA: The Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology
Law: Islamic Shariah: Allah’s ordinance to Muslims, derived from the Holy Quran, Sunnah and unanimous view of Islamic scholars (after the death of Prophet Muhammad, PBUH)
The body is approved by ESMA to do certain tasks such as referential laboratories and grant of conformity certifications.
A body whose accreditation activities are recognized by ESMA through the body seeking recognition of the international organizations concerned with accreditation or signature of mutual recognition conventions between the body and ESMA. In this Scheme, it is the Accreditation department of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Halal Certificate: A document certifying that the product, service or their respective schemes are Shariah-compliant. This includes Halal slaughtering certificates, Certificates of establishments, farms, slaughterhouses and facilities sorted as ‘Halal’, Certificates of food raw materials, food additives, ingredients with meat derivatives, extracts, as well as animal smells, gelatin, fats, oils and their derivatives.
Monitoring: Necessary samples are picked up from all supply points and outlets for necessary examinations to ensure their conformity with the requirements hereof. If any nonconformity is detected, necessary action shall be initiated against the supplier and/or the issuer of the Halal certificate of such products.
General Requirements for Halal Food:
a. To comply with Islamic Shariah, the products, services or systems shall meet the requirements provided in the respective approved UAE Standards.
b. To verify the conformity of Halal foods, through necessary examinations, to approved UAE Standards or in accordance with GCC, regional or international standards or any other standards with proven scientific evidence and accepted by ESMA.
c. To ensure conformity of the products to the requirements hereunder and attainment of Halal certificate or Halal national mark.
d. To adhere to the accredited mandatory UAE standard No. UAE.S OIC/SMIIC 1.
e. To apply efficient controls to ensure that implemented products, services or systems are ‘Halal’ and Shariah-compliant. Supporting documents shall be kept for inspection and auditing purposes.
f. To meet any other regulatory requirements issued by the official authorities of the UAE.
g. The products prohibited by a resolution of the Ministry of Environment and Water due to the outbreak of an infection or any other causes as set under the ministry’s respective resolution shall not be supplied.
Punishment for violation:
Necessary actions apply to anyone who uses of Halal product certificate or Halal national mark without obtaining official permission, or if continues to use of Halal product certificate or Halal national mark or declares its use through means of media despite the issuance of a decision to stop or suspend or cancel or fortifying the license is subject to penalties prescribed in the Penal Scheme and without prejudice to penalties contained in any other law.
Halal Foods
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