The Saudi Arabia Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has extended its mandatory halal certification and halal shipment certification for several commonly-consumed food from November 2023. Typically only mandatory for imported meat and meat-based products, this is a necessary step for halal integrity.
In addition, the SFDA has emphasized all importers of food products to ensure that their halal certificate and halal shipment certificate must be issued only from halal certification bodies recognized by SFDA’s Saudi Halal Center.
SGS Gulf Ltd is a GAC (Gulf Accreditation Centre) accredited against the GSO 2055 – Halal Food and Cosmetic standards, and recognized by the Saudi Halal Center to provide halal certification for the products exported to KSA and which are mandated by the SFDA.
Halal certificates and halal shipment certificates are mandatory for the following regulated food consignments:
| CATEGORY | EXAMPLE |
| Halal slaughtering of permissible animals | Frozen or fresh whole carcasses and of it’s parts, skins and more (NOT going under any process except packages and cutting) Additional Certificate Required: Halal Slaughter |
| Meat processing (All meat types: red meat, poultry and more) | Seasoned, canned, marinated, dried cured and chilled meat |
| Animal Extractions | Gelatin, collagen, enzymes and more |
| Compound Product | Product that contain meat or part of it such as pies, pizza, candy, supplements, chocolate, sauce, cake, fat, beverages, snacks, ready-made meals and similar items |
| Others | All Halal products that have word ”Halal” or logo on its package |
The Required Documents to Obtain Certification Include:
- Valid Halal Certificate issued by SGS Gulf Ltd
- Halal Slaughtering Certificate (for Meat, Poultry and Meat/Poultry Products)
- Shipment details
- Invoice and Packing list
- GCC Food Export Health Certificate
- Country of origin certificate
Why SGS?
We are a global leader in food safety audits and certification boasting a team of professionally qualified and multilingual Halal food technical auditors. Additionally, our external Islamic Sharia experts bring a wealth of experience in conducting Halal audits and certifications within the framework of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Our commitment to excellence is underscored by our dedication to global best practices and industry-leading standards.
For further information, please reach out to our team with the contact form.
Sithara Hatim, Manager – Certification Centre
Amira Qusibati, Assistant Manager Health & Nutrition – Halal Certification
Shagul Hameed, Section Head – Halal Certification
About SGS
We are SGS – the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for sustainability, quality and integrity. Our 98,000 employees operate a network of 2,650 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world.
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