Mutual recognition agreements between Halal certification bodies are multiplying, but the fragmentation of the system creates real risks for exporting companies. Choosing the wrong body can mean obtaining certification all over again for each market. Here is what an Italian agri-food company needs to know.
When an Italian company decides to get Halal certified to access Islamic markets, the first question it asks is almost always: «How much does it cost and how long does it take?». The right question, however, is a different one: «Will the certificate I obtain actually be valid in the country where I want to sell?»
A recent analysis by Halal Times highlighted what insiders call the «fragmentation problem»: there are dozens of Halal certification bodies worldwide, each with its own standards, agreements and scope of recognition. Mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) between these bodies are multiplying, but they do not cover all markets in the same way, and a certificate valid in one country may be completely useless in another.
A Halal mutual recognition agreement is a formal arrangement between two certification bodies — or between a body and a government authority — under which each accepts the other's certificates as equivalent. In theory, they simplify market access. In practice, the system is far more complicated.
The Halal Times article cites the example of Indonesia: BPJPH, the Indonesian government body responsible for Halal certification, has signed mutual recognition agreements with 37 foreign bodies. Of these, only 9 have been admitted to full acceptance of their certificates. The other 28 remain in a grey area, and their certificates may not be sufficient for access to the Indonesian market.
For an Italian company certified by a body not included on that list, the risk is real: having to start the process again from scratch, with additional costs and delays that can stretch to months.
The logic of MRAs seems simple, but it hides a structural complexity. Each importing country — Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Thailand — has its own competent authority, its own recognition criteria and its own periodic updates to the lists of accredited bodies. These updates often happen without public notice, and companies that do not monitor the situation may find their certificate has lost its commercial value even before its expiry date.
The situation becomes even more complex when a company wants to sell in several markets at once. A body recognised in Malaysia may not be recognised in Saudi Arabia. A body accredited for the Indonesian market may not appear on the list of bodies accepted by the Emirates. Each market has its own rules, and the initial choice of certification body shapes every subsequent commercial opportunity.
In this scenario, the right strategy is not to look for the cheapest or fastest body, but for the one with the broadest and most verifiable portfolio of recognitions. These are the practical steps to follow:
The answer to the fragmentation problem is, in essence, to concentrate certification with a single body that has already solved the recognition issue on a global scale. HQC Italia has been operating in this sector since 1983 and is accredited or recognised by the competent authorities of more than 50 Islamic countries, including SASO and SFDA for Saudi Arabia, GAC and EIAC for the Emirates and the Gulf, JAKIM for Malaysia, MUI and BPJPH for Indonesia, MUIS for Singapore and CICOT for Thailand. This means that a company certified by HQC Italia obtains a single certificate that the authorities of the main destination markets already know and accept, without having to repeat the process country by country.
In a global system where MRAs are multiplying but not converging, the choice of certification body is not an administrative detail: it is a strategic decision that opens or closes markets.
To find out whether your company is in a position to access the markets you are interested in, HQC Italia provides a free quote within 24 hours.
Source: Halal Times – Halal Mutual Recognition Agreements And The Fragmentation Problem
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