Why Halal Certification Matters for Non-Consumables
Halal certification is relevant for a huge variety of products that people use in their everyday lives, from cleaning products, industrial products, air and water filtration systems, sanitizers, lubricants, packaging film and more. Often when people think of Halal, they think of Halal meat and other food products. However, even when consumers are not eating or drinking a product, it still matters to many that those products are produced in a manner consistent with their faith, and that they do not contain any prohibited ingredients. Some non-consumable products are still used directly on the skin, such as soaps, lotions, and hand sanitizers, and consumers care very much that they are not applying prohibited substances to their body. In other cases, cleaning or industrial products may not be used directly, but could support industries such as pork or alcohol for non-medical and cleaning purposes, creating an ethical dilemma for Muslims. This uncertainty can be avoided because ISA can provide Halal certification for a wide variety of products that are essential for every day uses.
A surprising number of products contain animal-based ingredients, and as such would need to be certified Halal for observant Muslims to feel comfortable using them. For example, products like glue or industrial lubricants can contain animal fats or other derivatives. Similarly, soaps and detergents can contain emulsifiers and fatty acids from animal sources.
Adding a Halal certification assures everyone that these products meet Muslim lifestyle standards, but also appeal to a broader consumer base looking for assurance about the purity and quality of the products.
Certification is particularly important for these non-consumable products now, in the midst of the pandemic, when use of hand sanitizers, surface cleaners, and air filters has increased dramatically. This is especially true in commercial and industrial settings, such as large companies, hospitals, and schools. Having Halal certification can help your company appeal to consumers and companies in Muslim-majority regions of the world, including large markets in Southeast Asia, India, and the Middle East.
ISA recently worked with Decon7 to certify their range of sanitizers and disinfectants, helping them expand to markets in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Consumers in these regions strongly prefer Halal products, even in non-consumable categories, so this certification was essential for ensuring that their brand is competitive in these markets. Being able to increase production and distribution of their highly effective disinfectants worldwide helped Decon7 hire people who had lost jobs as a result of the pandemic.
Halal certification can even help clarify doubts about the permissibility of using alcohol for sanitizing and disinfecting purposes. As reported by CosmeticsDesign-Asia.com, Malaysia’s Minister of Religious Affairs recently clarified that it is permissible for Muslims to use alcohol-based hand sanitizers for their intended purpose of preventing the spread of disease. This announcement came in response to widespread confusion about whether or not using alcohol was acceptable for cleaning and sanitizing, since it is not acceptable to consume it.
Halal certification can thus be a way to communicate to consumers that an ingredient is Halal when used for a certain purpose – as in the case of hand sanitizers – as well as assuring them that is does not contain other prohibited ingredients, such as pork-derived substances.
For these and other frequently used products, we recommend Halal Certification to put consumers’ minds at ease about the sources and purity of your ingredients. Get in touch with us to find out more about how Halal Certification can benefit your business.
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