Украинская ассоциация халяль индустрии

Ukrainian Association of Halal Industry

UKRHALAL

To Stun Or No Not To Stun

 

There has been a lot of controversy regarding stunning animals before slaughter. Disputes about this have been going on in Europe and North America for quite some time. Even among Muslims, there are different views on this issue. Islam is a religion that shows compassion for animals, as mentioned in the holy book of the Koran and the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Islam sets strict rules for humane slaughter. In many Muslim and non-Muslim countries, Muslims slaughter animals without first stunning them. “Animal welfare has been the focus of Islamic jurists since the beginning of Islamic history,” said Bogak A. Ergene, professor of history at the University of Vermont and co-author of Halal Food: A History, with Phoebe Armanios. Some Halal certification bodies around the world state that no form of pre-slaughter stunning is acceptable, but others do allow pre-slaughter stunning and do not consider it a “problem.” “Everyone agrees that the suffering of the animal must be minimized,” he added. There is now debate among Halal meat producers, certifying authorities and consumers as to whether stunning achieves this goal.

 

Some argue that stunning itself can be very painful, especially if not done properly. In countries such as the USA, Europe and Asia, it is prohibited to slaughter animals without stunning. But Muslim and Jewish religious leaders see this ban as a threat to their religious freedom. Both Islam and Judaism require that an animal be well treated in life and that it be healthy and unharmed prior to slaughter.

 

According to Muslim and Jewish religious organizations, the recent ban on non-stunning slaughter of animals is a direct result of hatred of Muslims and Jews in Europe and some other countries. Europe, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, and Slovenia do not allow such religious exceptions. In other European countries, the slaughter requirements are different.

 

A recent article by Helena Horton, published in The Telegraph, highlights the ongoing debate about whether there should be clear markings to show whether a given animal was stunned before slaughter or not. Labeling will give the consumer a choice when purchasing meat products.

 

What do you think about stunning an animal before slaughter?

 

The new EU legislation, which will enter into force on January 28, 2022, will prohibit any routine use of antibiotics on farms, including all types of preventive treatment of animals. This writes the world of birds. In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) released new guidelines for the use of antibiotics for farms, which recommend the use of antibiotics for group prevention.

Antibiotics are use in animal husbandry to accelerate livestock growth and prevent disease. They remain in the muscles of animals and birds (meat),  get into milk and eggs. Unscrupulous manufacturers use such drugs for processing seafood and fruit and vegetable products, contrary to the law.

In animal husbandry, in addition to medicinal purposes, antibiotics in low doses are used to improve growth and to prevent infections. According to official figures, about 80% of the US antibiotic market goes to livestock.

The World Health Organization – WHO is sounding the alarm. In 2009, three US government departments responsible for health, including the USDA, they said, that antibiotics use in livestock and poultry farming was becoming a serious problem.

This is absolute plus. However, it means that their body begins to get used to antibiotics and stops responding to them. Now we can understand that immunity to antibiotics is also transmitted to a person who eats the meat of animals that were given antibiotics.

The lack of antibiotics in animal meat is one of the main requirements for Halal products. This requirement is important to comply with when growing agriculture. That`s means, the presence of Halal certification, a priori, gives a guarantee for the absence of antibiotics in the products used.

In particular, Halal meat is chosen not only by Muslims, but also by people of other faiths who care about healthy and proper nutrition.

 

 

Halal – everything that is allowed to be consumed or used by people according to the Islamic law. First of all, it is safety, cleanliness and good for human health. These are products that are pure both spiritually and physically, produced without the addition of harmful additives and meet the requirements of shelf life and storage.

It is worth noting that Halal products can be consumed by people of any nationality and religion. For Muslims the term “Halal” is primarily a confirmation of compliance with Islamic rules.

A true halal product, in particular sausage, is distinguished by the absence even in minimal amounts of any prohibited ingredient: pork, products made from pork, carrion (an animal, such as a cow or chicken, which is not chopped in accordance with Islamic standards), blood, supplements that may contain prohibited ingredients. In addition, the Halal product is packaged in a shell, regarding which there is no doubt that it is permissible according to Islamic standards.

Sausage casings are divided into two types:

– a sausage casing that is not suitable for eaten (synthetic/polyamide/cellulose). In this case it is used only for packaging the sausage itself and is not considered as such a food product. Halal certification is not required for such a casing and can be used for sausages as a package, the main thing is that it meets state requirements.

– a sausage casing that can be eaten (natural). This type can be used as food, which means that this type of raw material need a separate stage of testing this type of product and there must be Halal certified, which automatically gives a guarantee for Muslims to consume the product.

The natural sausage casings are divided into two types:

– beef gut – the intestines of this animal species that have passed through many technological stages of special processing, including salting, drying and others.

– collagen shell – an edible shell that is as close to natural as possible. It is made of light weight collagen and in their shape are very similar to ordinary sausage casings.

Sausage cannot be Halal if:

– it is made from beef and poultry, but the animals are not slaughtered according to Islamic standards – there is no pork, but this meat is called “carrion” and is forbidden to be consumed by Muslim who respects himself and his family;

– it contains additives, dyes, flavor enhancers, preservatives, which are made from pork, carrion or bones of slaughtered animals, or contain ethyl alcohol;

– it contains other prohibited or doubtful additives in Islam;

– it is packed in a natural sausage casing that is made from carrion or contains additives from carrion.

Many entrepreneurs produce products in this way: they buy Halal beef and poultry (sometimes even just trusting the word of the supplier, which may not be a Muslim), they do not check how the slaughter occurs and do not study what is contained in the prescription, the permissibility of each additive. It turns out that they themselves are confident in Halal status of their products, but in fact they can produce and sell Haram through their own ignorance. This product, in cases where it contains at least one forbidden (Haram) ingredient, is not permitted. It follows that the requirements for the production of Halal sausages are based on the same requirements as for Halal meat.

 

Halal is an environmentally organic product made in accordance with Islamic standards. Halal is a food that meets modern environmental requirements.

Initially, honey is considered a healthy natural product, respectively, honey is a priori a Halal product. “Mention of him is in the Qur’an, in the surah of“ Bees ”. Work has been invested in it, starting from the hard work of bees. Honey carries a barakat for the consumer, the grace of the Alah. It has pronounced medical and dietary and preventive properties.

So why honey can not be Halal?

All plant products (vegetables, fruits, cereals in pure form) and honey, without any impurities (for example: stabilizers, emulsifiers, dyes, flavor enhancers, flavorings) are automatically considered Halal. But due to the fact that now the cultivation of products and food technologies are developing very rapidly, and genetically modified products or processed products with dubious composition began to appear on the market, Halal consumers may have questions about products of even plant origin.

Also, if honey and alcohol are produced at one factory (for example, there are very often cases when a producer produces honey and other types of alcohol at the same time, such as mead), respectively, if a producer plans to produce and produce products for Muslims, he must abandon the parallel production of honey and alcohol.
Since 90% of honey on the market is not natural with an admixture of preservatives or processed, the Halal certificate guarantees the quality and preservation of all initially useful qualities of honey. This means that honey marked Halal does not raise additional questions and can be eaten by people of any nationality and religion.

Орган сертификации Халяль – ответственное лицо, которое производит проверку производства, желающих пройти сертификацию Халяль. По завершении проверки, Орган сертификации формирует заключение о соответствии/не соответствии производства или же продукции необходимым требованиям. В случае положительности заключения, выдается сертификат о соответствии производства/продукции нормам Халяль.

Уже несколько лет в Украине успешно существуют и работают несколько Органов сертификации Халяль, что положительно отражается на экономике страны. После событий в 2014 году, у производителей появилась потребность открывать новые границы торговли, заманчивыми и экономически выгодными выглядели Восток и страны Персидского залива. Географически удобное расположение и спрос на товар не могли не привлекать внимание производителей. Но не все так просто. Поскольку данные страны являются исповедующими Ислам, у них есть свои, определенные правила, которые необходимо соблюдать, чтобы попасть на внутренний рынок. Первое и самое важное – наличие сертификата Халяль, выданного аккредитованным Органом сертификации Халяль.

Миссия Ассоциации состоит в том, чтобы предостеречь производителей от недобросовестных и нелегитимных Органов сертификации Халяль в Украине.

К сожалению в настоящее время, встречаются случаи фальсификации сертификатов, что чревато финансовыми убытками, а также нанесением ущерба репутации компании.

На данный момент в Украине существует 3 крупных Органа сертификации Халяль:

  • Центр Исследований и Сертификации Халяль «Альраид»;
  • Центр Сертификации «Halal Global Ukraine»;
  • Центр сертификации «Халяль»

При возникновении вопросов и необходимости сертификации, настоятельно рекомендуем обращаться именно к вышеперечисленным организациям.

The countries of the Persian Gulf have their own rules, but they are all harmonized and agreed by the Gulf Standardization Organization (GSO). GSO seeks to create a single set of nutritional rules and standards, and the GSO Food Standards Committee (FSC) is responsible for developing new regulations and standards for food and updating existing ones. Today, we will consider exports using the example of Saudi Arabia, since the Saudi Federation of Food and Drugs (SFDA) is an influential member of the GSO, which consists of seven national standardization bodies of the Gulf countries.

 

 

The Saudi Food and Drugs Federation (SFDA) is the government agency responsible for setting food laws. The SFDA, an autonomous agency chaired by the Crown Prince, reports directly to the king. All beverages and edible agricultural products, in particular food ingredients and processed animal feeds that are manufactured or imported in Saudi Arabia, must be manufactured in accordance with the rules and standards established by the SFDA or the Gulf Standardization Organization (GSO).

All GSO documents are submitted for review and approval by the GSO Board of Directors twice a year. Once approved, they must be implemented in each Member State within six months from the date of approval. In practice, in these countries, the timing of the introduction of new standards and GSO technical regulations differs.

 

 

Both imported and local food products are subject to the same safety and labeling requirements. The SFDA executives from import control of food and animal feed inspect imported food and feed processing products at ports of entry. The SFDA conducts testing of imported products, processed feeds and products of animal origin mainly in its own laboratories, but, if necessary, it also uses other laboratories of state institutions or accredited domestic private laboratories.

 

 

According to the requirements of the SFDA and GSO, E128 is forbidden to use as a dye in food. Preservatives approved for use in food in the Gulf are contained in the standard. No. 356/1994.

In fresh fruits and vegetables, the use of sulfite compounds is prohibited. GSO Standard No. 381 defines emulsifiers, stabilizers and thickeners that are approved for use in food.

Saudi Arabia and other member countries have developed lists of pesticides and other pollutants. These listings should have an international context since they adapted to the standards CODEX Alimentarius.

 

To speed up the process of registration of food importers, it is recommended to accompany each container with certificates with test results from laboratories that are internationally accredited and certified according to ISO 17025.

 

Conditions for packaging, labeling and labeling food products GSO 839/1997 – this standard applies to all packages of food materials, in particular metal, glass, plastic, paper, cardboard, laminated textiles and wooden bags.

SASO 2173/2003 – General requirements for food bags made of aluminum foil. It is important to focus on the requirements specified in SASO 2173: “The purity of the aluminum metal should not be less than 99%, no more than 200 microns thick.”

 

The standard GSO 9/2013 also provides for the labeling of imported food products, which is intended for direct (or after warming up) consumption. Labels on such products should contain information about the nutritional value of the product, in particular the amount of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, dietary fiber, as well as energy value.

If supplements are available, such as vitamins, mineral salts or any other biologically active elements, their amount should be added to nutritional information in international units (gram, mg, μg, international unit – IU), and also kilocalories to indicate the energy value.

Nutritional information should contain such details as “serving size”, the total number of servings in a package, “daily intake”, as well as information on the total number of calories and caloric content of each component of the product separately.

Full information on the requirements of the GSO 9/2013 standard (in English) can be found on the GCC standardization organization’s website at https://www.gso.org.sa/store/gso/standards/GSO:738341?lang=en SFDA actively introduces regulations prohibiting buyers from misleading by the indications on labels that a product is beneficial to health:

 

  • reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood

 

  • reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular systems

 

  • stabilizes calcium, etc.

 

Registration of foreign firms exporting food products to Saudi Arabia The SFDA began a voluntary registration of foreign institutions exporting food products to Saudi Arabia with no expiration date. The registration process consists of nine steps for all types of institutions, with the exception of slaughterhouses, for which an SFDA site section may be needed: Check and approve additional registration conditions.

In any case, foreign institutions must first create their own individual electronic account (E-Account) using the SFDA, logging in to http://frcs.sfda.gov.sa/Account/RegisterAccount.aspx 3, and fill out the electronic form.

After filling out the form, the system sends an activation code to the email address of the registered company. After receiving the activation code, the company can choose one of two options to activate your electronic account: click on the link sent by SFDA e-mail, or open the link: http://frcs.sfda.gov.sa/Login.

 

 

It should be noted that the SFDA may decide to check foreign slaughter, meat, poultry, fish and their processed products for registration and qualify them for export.

 

 

Registration of food and animal feed

In January 2014, the SFDA introduced a compulsory electronic customs clearance system (eClearance) for all food and food products imported into the Kingdom. eClearance covers all food imports, in particular packaged, raw materials for the food industry and processed pet food.

 

 

To qualify for eClearance, all food importers, as well as their customs brokers, must create an individual e-Account with SFDA and complete the online registration process for all imported food and feed products.

Registration of imported food corresponds to local importers or agents. Each importer or agent is required to open an e-Account and set an individual username and password for the Executive Office of the SFDA from the Food Import Control (EDIFC) in electronic services at https://frcs.sfda.gov.sa/Login.aspx. After creating an electronic invoice, importers can upload their product information, in particular the harmonized code (HS code), bar code, position code and listed components in English and Arabic, photos of each product, as well as copies of the product label. The label must contain all the information that is required by the standard organization Gulf Standard number GSO 9/2013 “Labeling of Packed Foods”.

The importer is also obliged to register the coordinates of their compositions, the names of authorized contact persons for consideration by the SFDA, in particular customs brokers.

 

National Register of Animal Feed (AFNR) and registration of herbal preparations

 

The SFDA’s executive department for animal feed uses the Electronic National Register of Animal Feed (AFNR) to register and license importers and manufacturers of local feed. Each importer and manufacturer must open an individual electronic account with AFNR and register all imported materials, in particular raw materials, feed and feed additives to obtain a license for import and customs clearance of goods in electronic form upon arrival at the ports of entry on the resource: http://afnr.sfda.gov.sa/Account/RegisterAccount.aspx.

 

The registration of herbal preparations is carried out by a local agent, submit product samples and product brochures for testing in the central laboratory of the Ministry. The Ministry approves and licenses the product for about six months, and also charges approximately $ 300 as a registration fee. The exporter must provide the specified documents through its local representative to the Ministry of Health in order to initiate the product registration and licensing process.

 

 

 

 

UKRHALAL

UKRAINIAN ASSOCIATION HALAL INDUSTRIES

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Общее Собрание членов Ассоциации

Высший орган управления, определяющий стратегию и основные направления деятельности Ассоциации. Очередное Общее собрание членов Ассоциации проводится один раз в год не ранее, чем через три, и не позднее, чем через девять месяцев после окончания финансового года. К исключительной компетенции Общего собрания относится решение таких вопросов как: изменение Устава Ассоциации, определение основных направлений деятельности, принципов формирования и использования ее имущества.

Совет Ассоциации

Является постоянно действующим коллегиальным органом управления, осуществляющим общее руководство деятельностью Ассоциации в период между Общими собраниями членов Ассоциации. Совет Ассоциации проводит заседания по мере необходимости, но не реже двух раз в год. Совет формируется в количестве не менее 5 человек на добровольной основе из представителей организаций – членов Ассоциации. По решению Общего собрания членов Ассоциации в состав Совета могут входить независимые члены, которые не связаны трудовыми отношениями с Ассоциацией и ее членами и удовлетворяют требованиям законодательства. В компетенцию Совета Ассоциации входит решение вопросов общего руководства, за исключением решения вопросов, отнесенных к исключительной компетенции Общего собрания членов Ассоциации и исполнительных органов Ассоциации в соответствии с Уставом.

Президент Ассоциации

является единоличным исполнительным органом Ассоциации, избираемым Общим собранием сроком на 5 лет. Президент организовывает и обеспечивает исполнение решений Общего собрания членов Ассоциации и Совета Ассоциации. Президент без доверенности действует от имени Ассоциации, представляет Ассоциацию во всех организациях, как в Украине, так и за границей, самостоятельно принимать решения от имени Ассоциации в пределах своей компетенции.

Президиум

Коллегиальный исполнительный орган, который руководит текущей деятельностью Ассоциации. В состав Президиума входят Президент и два вице-Президента, назначаемые по представлению Совета Ассоциации сроком на 5 лет.

Загальне Зібрання членів Асоціації

Вищий орган управління, який визначає стратегію і основні напрямки діяльності Асоціації. ЧерговеЗагальне зібрання членів Асоціації проводиться один раз на рік. Не раніше, ніж через три і не пізніше, ніж через дев’ять місяців після закінчення фінансового року. До виключної компетенції Загальних зборів належить вирішення таких питань, як зміна Статуту Асоціації, визначення основних напрямків діяльності, принципів формування і використання її майна.

Рада Асоціації

Є постійно діючим колегіальним органом управління, який здійснює загальне керівництво діяльністю Асоціації в період між Загальними зібраннями членів Асоціації. Рада Асоціації проводить засідання в міру необхідності, але не рідше двох разів на рік. Рада формується в кількості не менше 5 осіб на добровільних засадах з представників організацій – членів Асоціації. За рішенням Загальних зборів членів Асоціації до складу Ради можуть входити незалежні члени, які не пов’язані трудовими відносинами з Асоціацією і її членами і задовольняють вимогами законодавства. До компетенції Ради Асоціації входить вирішення питань загального керівництва, за винятком вирішення питань, віднесених до виключної компетенції Загальних зборів членів Асоціації та виконавчих органів Асоціації відповідно до Статуту.

Президент

Є одноосібним виконавчим органом Асоціації, що обирається Загальними зборами терміном на 5 років. Президент організовує і забезпечує виконання рішень Загальних зборів членів Асоціації та Ради Асоціації. Президент без довіреності діє від імені Асоціації, представляє Асоціацію в усіх організаціях, як в Україні, так і за кордоном, самостійно укладає угоди від імені Асоціації в межах своєї компетенції.

Президіум

Колегіальний виконавчий орган, який керує поточною діяльністю Асоціації. До складу Президії входять Президент і два віце-Президента, які призначаються за поданням Ради Асоціації строком на 5 років.

President

Is the sole executive body of the Association, elected by the General Meeting for a term of 5 years. The President organizes and ensures the implementation of decisions of the General Meeting of the Association and of the Association Council. President without power of attorney on behalf of the Association, represents the Association in all organizations, both in Ukraine and abroad, on their own transactions on behalf of the Association within its competence.

Presidium

The collegial executive body that manages the current activities of the Association. The Presidium consists of the President and two vice-presidents, appointed on the proposal of the Board of the Association for a period of 5 years.

 

Association Council

It is a permanent collegial management body performing general management of the Association in the period between the General Meetings of the Association. The Association Council shall meet as required, but at least twice a year. The Council is formed of at least 5 people on a voluntary basis from the representatives of organizations – members of the Association. The General Meeting of the Association members of the Presidium are independent members who are not in labor relations with the Association and its members and meet the requirements of federal law. The Association Council is competent to general management, with the exception of the matters reserved to the exclusive competence of the Association of the Association and the executive bodies of the General Meeting in accordance with the Charter.

General Meeting of Association Members

Supreme governing body that determines the strategy and basic directions of activity of the Association. The next General Meeting of the Association shall be provide once a year. Not earlier than three, and no later than nine months after the financial year end. The exclusive competence of the General Meeting include issues such as: the change of the Charter of the Association, the definition of the main activities, the principles of formation and use of its property.