Halal certification can increase the quality of a company's products; a case presented by a participant proved the thesis.

Lina Ramadan, Technical Manager of the Industrial Sector at FAMBRAS Halal, had a clear objective with the work presented at CTec Halal: to demonstrate how Halal certification positively impacts certified companies.

To prove her point, she used an açaí processing plant as an example. The paper, "The Relationship between Halal Auditing and Food Safety in an Açaí Processing Plant," was developed during her MBA in Project Management at USP/ESALQ.

Lina, what led you to choose this theme for your work? What was your intention behind it?

The topic was my final project for my MBA in Project Management from USP/ESALQ. I felt it was important to showcase Halal beyond theory, that is, how it directly and indirectly impacts certified companies. So, the intention was to present a real-life case as evidence to motivate the pursuit of Halal certification and research in the field.

You demonstrated the impact on product quality after executing the action plan developed to address the nonconformities identified during the external Halal audit. Could you briefly explain what this external Halal audit entails?

The external audit mentioned in this paper is an assessment conducted by the FAMBRAS Halal certification body. Its purpose is to verify whether the company is capable of manufacturing Halal products. A document review is performed, followed by a comprehensive on-site verification of compliance with Halal requirements. The product composition is analyzed for the use of Halal raw materials and additives, as well as compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices, among other requirements that ensure the provision of a quality product to the consumer.

Is it possible to mention what the non-conformities were, or at least some of them?

One of the nonconformities concerned failure to comply with raw material segregation requirements. Halal-certified industries must have a storage methodology that prevents cross-contamination with other raw materials, ingredients, or additives that have not been evaluated for Halal status. In this case, the company provided identification plates with the term "Halal."

Another concern was the lack of a Critical Control Point in the process. To resolve this nonconformity, the client purchased a metal detector, installed at the end of the process, which safely rejects contaminated products from the production line.

From that point on, the action plan was developed. Was there a timeframe for its implementation? Did you monitor this process?

The deadline to respond to nonconformities is 15 days. Because some implementations, such as equipment purchases, would require more time to complete and submit the report, gradual monitoring was conducted through interviews and on-site audits.

What contributions has Halal certification made to this industry?

There were several: certification has helped improve credibility in client prospecting meetings; the change in composition has improved customer satisfaction; there was a significant reduction in nonconformities found in three audits conducted by the certifying body over the course of 12 months; and, as mentioned, a CCP (critical control point) was introduced into the production process. Furthermore, monitoring effectiveness assessments were implemented after increasing the frequency of monitoring with the hiring of new staff; packaging inspection procedures were improved, and employees were more motivated by the innovations.

Based on your experience, do all companies that seek Halal certification end up “gaining” something more, as in the case you presented?

Absolutely. We've received a lot of positive feedback from customers who comment on increased sales, fewer complaints after implementing procedures required for Halal certification, and improved employee training.

What is your assessment of CTec Halal?

CTec Halal was a very interesting initiative and I hope it becomes a regular event, as papers were presented with different and current themes that enrich knowledge and enable the dissemination of Halal more specifically.

Is there anything else you want to add that I didn't ask?

I would just like to reaffirm that companies that seek Halal certification increase their competitive potential, as it is a seal of quality that gives more credibility to the process.