1、 General Principles for Halal Certified Food (Core Guidelines)
（1） Principle of compliance of raw material sources
- Prohibited raw materials: Clearly exclude pork and its products (such as lard and pork bone powder), self dead animals (poultry and livestock that have not been legally slaughtered), blood (edible blood that has not been specially processed), alcohol (beverages and additives with ethanol content ≥ 1%), and any processing materials containing the above ingredients (such as shortening containing lard and seasoning agents containing alcohol).
- Allowed raw materials: they must come from the breeding/production system that conforms to the Muslim doctrine, such as cattle, sheep, chickens and other livestock slaughtered in Muslim (the slaughtering process must be operated by qualified personnel, following the principle of "cutting throat with one knife and draining blood"), natural plants (no alcohol immersion/contamination), pure minerals (such as salt, baking soda), and food additives certified in Muslim (such as Muslim essence, preservatives).
（2） Principle of Cleanliness in Production Process
- Venue and equipment requirements: The production workshop should be independently divided into halal food production areas and physically isolated from non halal food production areas to avoid cross contamination; Before using the equipment, it needs to be cleaned by halal methods (such as rinsing with clean water, and non halal cleaning agents are prohibited), and halal labels (such as the "حلال" sign) should be posted.
- Personnel operation norms: Production personnel must follow halal dietary habits, wash their hands and wear specialized clean work clothes before entering the workshop, and are prohibited from bringing non halal food/items into the production area; The key links of slaughter and processing must be operated by personnel who have received halal knowledge training.
- Storage and transportation requirements: Halal food must be stored separately in clearly labeled warehouse areas, and transportation vehicles must be dedicated (or thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before transportation) to avoid mixing and transporting with non Halal food.
（3） Identification and Traceability Principle
- Clear labeling requirements: All Halal certified foods must be labeled with the Halal logo in a prominent position on the packaging (such as the internationally recognized "حلال" Arabic text sample, or the Halal certification icon of a domestic authoritative organization), and indicate the name and certification number of the certification organization.
- Full traceability requirements: Establish a full traceability system from raw material procurement, production and processing, warehousing and transportation to terminal sales, record key information (such as raw material supplier qualifications, production batches, inspection reports, logistics information), and ensure that consumers can query food halal certification information through scanning codes and other methods.
2、 Detailed Classification of Halal Certified Food by Raw Material Attributes
（1） Livestock and poultry meat and products (core category)
| category | Includes product examples | Key certification requirements |
| Fresh livestock meat | Halal slaughtered beef, lamb, chicken, and duck meat (boned/boneless) | 1. The slaughterhouse must obtain halal certification, and the butchers must meet the qualifications; 2. Complete cooling (0-4 ℃) within 4 hours after slaughter to avoid spoilage; 3. Meat products must be accompanied by a "Halal Slaughter Inspection Certificate" |
| Processed meat products | Halal sausage, beef jerky, braised mutton, chicken balls, halal bacon | 1. The raw meat is 100% sourced from halal slaughter; 2. Additives (such as salt, sugar, spices, preservatives) must obtain halal certification; 3. Dedicated production equipment to avoid contact with non halal ingredients |
| Livestock by-products | Halal beef bone soup, sheep offal, chicken oil, cowhide (food grade) | 1. The by-products must come from Halal certified poultry and livestock, and have undergone compliant processing (such as dehairing and visceral removal); 2. No alcohol or non halal spices added during the processing |
（2） Plant based foods and products (basic category)
- Grains and products: rice, wheat flour, halal noodles, bread, biscuits (confirm that the oil is halal vegetable oil, avoid containing lard; additives have no alcohol content).
- Fruits, vegetables, and products: fresh vegetables and fruits (no special certification requirements, ensuring no pesticide residues); Fruit and vegetable juice (100% pure fruit and vegetable juice, no alcohol, no halal additives), preserved fruit (sugar soaking process, no lard coating).
- Nuts and legumes: walnuts, almonds, peanuts (original flavor/salt baked, no honey (allowed by some sects), alcohol seasoning); Tofu, soybean milk (soybean raw materials, clean production water, no animal fat added).
（3） Dairy products and eggs (supplementary category)
| category | Includes product examples | Key certification requirements |
| dairy products | Milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, ice cream | 1. The milk source comes from a halal certified pasture (no prohibited feed for dairy cows); 2. No gelatin (non halal source) or alcohol added during the processing; 3. Fermentation strains must meet halal standards |
| eggs | Fresh eggs, duck eggs, quail eggs (with shell/egg mixture) | 1. The breeding environment for eggs and poultry is clean, and there are no prohibited ingredients in the feed; 2. The egg processing process is free of animal fats and non halal additives; 3. The packaging should be labeled with halal symbols to avoid mixing with non halal eggs |
（4） Aquatic products and products (special category)
- Freshwater/marine fish: grass carp, sea bass, cod, salmon (fresh/frozen), it is necessary to ensure that the fish are "scaled fish" (meeting the requirements of most halal sects, some sects allow non scaled fish such as shrimp and crab, but the sect standards need to be confirmed separately).
- Aquatic processed products: Halal fish balls, grilled fish slices, dried shrimp (confirm that the source of raw fish/shrimp is compliant, the processing process is free of lard or alcohol seasoning, and the additives have obtained Halal certification).
（5） Food additives and auxiliary materials (auxiliary category)
- Allowable additives: Halal edible salt, white sugar, natural flavors (such as cumin, pepper, cinnamon, confirmed to be alcohol free), Halal citric acid, vitamins (from plant/microbial sources).
- Prohibited additives: shortening containing lard, alcohol containing essence/pigment, animal gelatin (non halal source), trypsin (non halal animal extract).
（6） Beverages and seasonings (daily category)
- Beverages: Halal mineral water, pure fruit juice (non-alcoholic), Halal tea beverages (without animal additives), non-alcoholic carbonated beverages (such as Halal cola, please confirm that the sweetener is from Halal source).
- Seasoning: Halal soy sauce (no animal protein), vinegar (fermented grains, no alcohol residue), Halal chili sauce (chili+vegetable oil+salt, no lard), spice powder (pure plant-based grinding, no mixed non Halal ingredients).
3、 Common Misconceptions and Precautions for Halal Certified Food
- Misconception 1: "As long as it does not contain pork, it is halal food" - Correction: Except for pork, dead animals, blood, alcohol, and auxiliary materials containing these ingredients are prohibited, and the production process must comply with cleanliness and traceability requirements.
- Misconception 2: "Labeling imported food as' Halal 'necessarily complies with domestic standards" - Correction: It is necessary to confirm whether the halal certification body for imported food is recognized domestically (such as an international organization recognized by the China Islamic Association), in order to avoid non compliant certification.
- Attention: When purchasing halal food, prioritize choosing the "Halal Food Special Zone" of regular supermarkets, check the halal logo, certification agency, and production date on the packaging, and avoid purchasing products without certification or unclear labeling.
- Special scenario: When dining out, choose a restaurant with a hanging "Halal Food Business License" to avoid consuming meals that are not clearly labeled as Halal (such as mixed dishes in buffets).
