Participant highlighted the most important training for Halal auditors working in Brazil

FAMBRAS Halal quality manager Elaine Franco de Carvalho brought an important question to CTec Halal: which types of training do Halal auditors working in Brazil consider most important? She explored the topic over the course of a year while completing her MBA capstone project in People Management at USP-Esalq. Elaine tells us more about her work below.

Elaine, what led you to choose this topic for your work? What did you hope to achieve through it?

Currently, all standards related to Halal certification regarding auditor qualifications are international and established by Muslim-majority countries. I would therefore like to make a comparison and understand whether the training requirements for Brazil would be the same, given that it has a Muslim-minority population.

With this result, I would also be able to develop an effective training program tailored to the profile of Halal auditors in Brazil.

The work involved research. Can you tell us how the process unfolded?

The work was carried out over the course of a year. I conducted theoretical research to establish a foundation on training and Halal. I then surveyed Brazilian auditors to understand their perceptions of training. Finally, I analyzed the data by comparing the theory with the findings. This led to a proposal for an effective training program tailored to the profile of Brazilian Halal auditors.

Your research revealed which training programs respondents consider most important. The top three were Religious Training; Halal Concepts and Standards Training; and, tied for third, Audit Training (score: 74.2) and Product Safety Training (score: 74.2). Did anything surprise you?

Not really, because I already expected that, since Brazil is a country with a Muslim minority, religious training would be essential. Knowledge of Halal standards is also extremely important. I was glad to see that the auditors share this view, since there are several differences among Halal standards that auditors need to understand to guide them in their day-to-day work.

Product safety is already part of technical auditors’ academic background, since Halal auditors must have a higher education qualification in their field. This explains why it ranked third.

Did the research identify what auditors feel is lacking? Or areas for improvement that should be considered by Halal certification bodies operating in Brazil?

In fact, I would say this study indicates how Halal certification bodies in Brazil should structure their training programs—that is, which topics require more frequent training, such as religion, and which can be covered less often, such as management system standards.

Having an effective training program that is aligned with the company's needs is essential to its market position, development, and even customer satisfaction—in this case, how customers perceive the Halal auditing service provided.

Elaine, you’re a Halal industry professional working in a technical field. What advice would you give to other professionals who want to work in this industry?

I would say it is a surprising market that is not well known in Brazil. I encourage everyone to learn more about the Halal concept and market, and bring that knowledge to their companies.

Brazil is currently the world's largest exporter of Halal food, and only a few companies participate in this market. Therefore, if this concept becomes more widely known and more people convince the industries they work for to join the Halal sector, the impact would be even greater!

Why did you decide to bring this topic to CTec Halal? What is your assessment of the event?

The congress was about scientific papers on Halal, and since I had already developed my work, I took the opportunity to present it. I really enjoyed the event and am already thinking about my next paper for 2025!

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

People are an organization’s greatest asset. Investing in human capital is therefore always the best choice for those who want to stand out in the market and succeed.