Bahrain-Indonesia in talks for halal certification body

Bahrain is exploring options to establish a halal certification agency with Indonesia to assist food exporters here to meet Saudi Arabia’s new import requirements effective in two months. The move, according to Salaam Gateway, follows the introduction of a new rule requiring halal certification for food imports into the kingdom.

In this regard, the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry(BCCI) Food Resources Committee held a meeting recently at Beit Al-Tejjar to outline the new regulations set by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). Saudi’s new food import rules require international accreditation certificates such as ISO 22000 and HACCP in addition to halal certification.

The meeting included government officials from Bahrain’s Ministry of Health, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Industry, and Economic Development Board. Discussions focused on ways of tackling curbs facing Bahraini companies regarding international accreditation certificates such as ISO22000 and HACCP, in addition to Halal certificate as required by the new SFDA regulations. Salaam Gateway, quoting the head of BCCI’s food wealth committee, Khalid Al Amin, said the industry body proposed a grace period for traders.

Setting up a new halal certification agency in Bahrain would be a “quick solution” to meet SFDA’s halal requirements, the BCCI official was quoted as saying. “We are now cooperating with the Indonesian Embassy to set up a halal certification agency in Bahrain,” Khalid Al Amin said. If successful, the facility will be the fourth overseas representative office for the halal certifier, after China, Taiwan, and Korea. LPPOM-MUI will cease to be Indonesia’s sole halal certifier from October 17 this year when new government agency BPJPH takes over.