Canada’s Halal Monitoring Authority to simplify certification

The HMA provides halal certification of the highest ethical and religious standard to Canadian Muslims. It is the only body in Canada that monitors and inspects at every level from the supplier to the retail shelf.

Its team consists of in-house food scientists, ingredient specialists and on-site inspectors that work with internal departments to help source and validate each ingredient in a product in order to prepare it for certification and entry into the halal consumer market. This ensures that all certified products pass key Islamic standards both religiously as well as ethically.

“We’ve worked with mom and pop shops all the way up to large-scale suppliers and CPG brands to ensure there is quality in the product that is being produced from a halal perspective,” said Omar Subedar, COO of HMA. “The halal consumer is a part of a tightly-knit community and the influence the HMA has on what is fit to consume and what is certified over what we will not certify makes all the difference when it comes to serving this market.”

The HMA is the only certifying body in Canada that works with brands at such a close level and various HMA clients have seen an increase in sales due to the trust factor that comes with this label on their packaging. The certification body also works closely with companies to recommend adjustments and simplify operations in order to allow them to be confident in the product they are distributing to the Muslim community.

“Our goal as an organisation is to standardise halal monitoring and certification of food in Canada and equal the playing field within the industry. We implement a high-standard and thorough practice across the board,” Subedar continued. “There are many things that don’t come into play until after an initial inspection and may only come up during a run. With inspectors on the floor at all run-times, we can recommend what needs to be adjusted on the spot.’