The Indian government has issued a new clarification on the export of meat and meat products as ‘halal certified’. According to the new policy, meat and its products can only be exported as 'halal certified' if they are produced, processed, and packaged in a facility that has a valid certificate issued by a body accredited by the Quality Council of India. This new policy is a part of the India Conformity Assessment Scheme (i-CAS), which aims to streamline the certification of meat and meat products as halal from the country.
It is important to note that there will be no change in the export procedure for non-halal certified meat and meat products. Additionally, if the export consignments are intended for countries with halal regulations, the producer/supplier/exporter must meet the importing country's requirements.
The directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) had shared draft guidelines earlier this year to streamline the halal certification process for export of meat and its products. All existing halal certification bodies have been given six months to seek accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) for i-CAS Halal.
Prior to this, India did not have a mandatory halal certification system regulated by the government, as there is no national regulation for certification in the country.
