BSTI starts issuing halal certificates for products, food

Bangladesh Standards & Testing Institution (BSTI) has started issuing halal certification for processed products, particularly processed foods, to facilitate exports.

Local businessmen will now be able to obtain both product quality certificate and Halal certificate from a single point, said a press release issued by the BSTI.

At an event organised at BSTI headquarter in Dhaka on Monday, the state-run agency handed over halal certificates to 9 products from 3 Units of Olympic Industries Limited.

“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.; we have begun issuing certificates following the appropriate process according to that standard,” said BSTI Director-General Dr Md Nazrul Anwar.

“As the country is a member of SMIC, the halal certification body of OIC member countries, the issuance of halal certificates will help domestic products expand expectedly for export”, he added.

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.

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.

The products of Olympic Industries which received halal certificates are Wafer Scoot, Lozenge, Plain Cake and Toffee of Olympic Industries Unit 1, Wafer biscuits, chocolates and biscuits from Olympic Industries Unit-2 and instant noodles and chips/crackers of Olympic Industries Unit-3.

Representatives from the Ministry of Commerce, Export Development Bureau, Department of Livestock Services, Department of Agricultural Extension, Department of Fisheries, Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, FBCCI, BCI, DCCI, CAB, Institute of Nutrition and Food Science of University of Dhaka, Islamic University and Madrasa-I-Awlia, Qawmi Madrasa attended the program.