São Paulo – The Gulf Cooperation Council Accreditation Center (GCC Acreditation Center, or GAC) has recently accredited Brazilian halal certifiers, after audits done last February. Certification is important for businesses interested in doing business in the Arab countries of the Gulf – UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Yemen –, as well as other GAC-compliant countries.
The GAC is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Halal goods are those fit for consumption by Muslims.
Fambras Halal, in São Paulo, has added two new categories: J, for transportation and storage facilities, allowing for certification of logistics and storage companies, and H, for distribution, allowing for certification of points of sale and supermarkets.
As of May, the Gulf countries will introduce a new rule for halal product exports. The newly added ‘category J’ is now a requirement for storage facilities and cold storage chambers housing beef and chicken after slaughter. ANBA featured an article on the new requirement last March.
Fambras had been accredited since 2017 for categories C (animal-based perishables such as meats, milk and milk products requiring refrigeration), D (plant-based products requiring refrigeration, including juices, frozen fruit pulp and açaí), E (food products not requiring refrigeration, like oils, spam, biscuits and flour), and L (chemicals, food additives, medication and pharmaceuticals).
“These two new categories underscore our commitment to meeting our clients’ demands. The GAC is an important halal accreditation body, and it ensures that halal certification organizations such as Fambras Halal are accepted throughout the Gulf,” said Fambras Halal quality coordinator Elaine Franco de Carvalho.
Carvalho argues that when it comes to halal, the entire production chain must be covered, from manufacturing to the ultimate destination. “Storage must also be accredited. Once again, we are catering to consumer demand. We are always alert and we seek accreditation as fast as possible,” she said.
Cdial Halal, out of São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, has been cleared to certify in the D, E, J and H categories, as well as F, for animal feed. You can find out more on this here.
Siil Halal, in Chapecó, Santa Catarina, has earned four new categories: D, F, H and J – for animal-based perishables, animal feed production, distribution, and transportation and storage.
Siil Halal CEO Chaiboun Darwiche was quoted in a press release as saying the newly added categories represent a commitment with every process to certify a wide range of products from multiple segments of industry. He believes the accreditation into new categories will translate into opportunities. “Through this announcement we intend to broaden the range of services supplied by Siil Halal on the Brazilian market, by means of the boost that these new categories bring to our business,” said Darwiche.
The executive said that guarantee and quality requirements grow stricter each year. “Therefore, getting recognition from an international organization is a sign of trust in the work done by Siil Halal,” he said.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
