ORIASC-HCB Scheme Document

About ORIASC

OROMIYA REGION ISLAMIC AFFAIRS SUPREME COUNCIL (ORIASC)

Oromiya Region Islamic Affairs Supreme Council was established in 1997 and reestablished pursuant to the enactment of the federal law act Federal Negarete Gazette in 2020 in the Oromiya Region and is a statutory council under the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council and is in charge of Muslim affairs in Oromiya Regional State. Among others, ORIASC accredited by EIAC and Saudi Halal Center to issue Halal certificates and regulates the Halal export Abattoirs via its independent department of halal certification. More information on ORIASC-HCB roles and responsibilities are available at www.oriasc.et

ORIASC-HCB may issue halal certificates in relation to any product, service or activity and regulate the holders of such certificates to ensure that the requirements of the sharia are complied with in the production, processing, marketing or display of that product, the provision of that service or the carrying out of that activity.

Halal Certification Conditions

Section	Condition
1.1	The conditions set out in this document shall hereinafter be referred to as the “ORIASC-HCB Halal Certification Conditions.” All annexes to these ORIASC-HCB Halal Certification Conditions shall be deemed to be incorporated in and form an integral part hereof. Words or phrases in these ORIASC-HCB Halal Certification Conditions that are defined in Annex C-Glossary shall bear their defined meaning unless the context otherwise requires.
1.2	All companies/establishments applying for a Halal certification from ORIASC-HCB, may, upon fully complying to the ORIASC-HCB Halal Certification Conditions, be issued a ORIASC-HCB Halal certificate (the “Halal certificate”) and allowed the use of ORIASC-HCB Halal certification mark (the “Halal certification mark”) upon the terms and subject to conditions provided therein
1.3	All applications are subject to the prevailing ORIASC-HCB Halal Certification Conditions. Subject to Conditions
1.4	The applicant is deemed to have agreed to divulge its company’s information to and/or ORIASC-HCB-appointed agent and adhere to the ORIASC-HCB Halal Certification Conditions upon submitting an application to ORIASC-HCB.
1.5	All applications shall be processed with strictest confidence. Confidentiality of applications
1.6	The Product scheme shall be applicable to selected products, which are manufactured or partly processed / packed in Ethiopia.
1.7	The Whole Plant scheme shall be applicable to manufacturing facility, including all products manufactured therein, in Ethiopia.
1.8	The Product scheme shall NOT be applicable to: Trading items manufactured outside the applicant’s premises; Products that are manufactured overseas without any further processing in Ethiopia; Manufacturing facility that has a valid Halal certificate under the Whole Plant scheme, which is not due for renewal. Note: The applicant may, however, switch from Whole Plant to Product scheme, and vice versa, anytime during the submission of Renewal application.
1.9	The Whole Plant scheme shall NOT be applicable to: Manufacturing facility dealing with trading of items; Manufacturing facility operating outside the country; Brand owner of contract-manufactured products; Contract manufacturer; Poultry abattoir certified under Poultry scheme; Manufacturing facility which provides Halal food displayed in food warmers located at external premises; Manufacturing facility that has a valid Halal certificate under the Product scheme, which is not due for renewal. Note: The applicant may, however, switch from Product to Whole Plant scheme, and vice versa, anytime during the submission of Renewal application.
1.10	The scope of certification shall include (without limitation): Transportation, receiving, storage and handling of raw materials and processing aids. Production, packing, labeling, storage and transportation of finished products Washing and handling of equipment(s).

Application Requirement

Section	Requirement
2.1	The applicant shall read, understand and adhere to the ORIASC-HCB Halal Certification Conditions upon submission of the application.
2.2	Any request for whatever of the ORIASC-HCB Halal Certification Conditions shall be submitted in writing using the form provided by ORIASC-HCB.
2.3	All applications for the issue of a Halal certificate by ORIASC-HCB shall be made through the ORIASC-HCB website www.oriasc.org or email, oriasc14@gmail.com
2.4	The applicant shall submit a New application if: Its current location has not been previously Halal-certified by ORIASC-HCB; It has expanded manufacturing operation in another location and intends to obtain Halal certification for the products manufactured in the other location; Its existing Halal certificate has expired; It is not able to submit a Renewal application via the web or email; Its previously submitted application was rejected; Its Halal certificate had been cancelled.
2.5	The applicant shall submit a Change application if it is an existing Halal certificate holder and has updates to be made to the application details submitted earlier through the web (e.g. contact information, particulars of Muslim personnel, web system of product or menu items, details of raw materials, processing aids, and / or additives, etc.)
2.6	The applicant shall submit a Renewal application if it intends to renew its Halal certificate. Submission of Renewal application is only accepted by 90-30 days before expiry of the existing Halal certificate. The applicant shall, however, submit a New application if the application is made less than 30 days before the expiry of existing Halal certificate and this is subject to a NON-REFUNDABLE application fee.
2.7	The applicant shall pay a NON-REFUNDABLE application fee by bank deposit at ORIASC-HCB bank account or any other means made available by ORIASC-HCB within 7 days of submitting its New application. Failing this, the application shall be automatically rejected without further notice. No application fee is required for Change or Renewal application.
2.8	Details of all products, raw materials, additives and processing aids shall be declared through the website. These details shall include, but not limited to, the item description as well as web system of the manufacturers, suppliers and Halal certification bodies.
2.9	All raw materials, processing aids and additives declared shall be Halal and substantiated with either one or more of the following documents (Refer to Annex A): Halal certificates or Halal certification marks from ORIASC-HCB and/or ORIASC-HCB recognized Halal certification bodies; Product specifications; ORIASC-HCB Halal questionnaire; Laboratory analysis report according to ORIASC-HCB requirements.
2.10	All products applied for certification by ORIASC-HCB shall reflect the exact web system printed on the packaging (including brand name, product description and product code). Similar products bearing different brand web system and/or product descriptions shall be treated as separate products. Note: ABC whole beef and ABC deboned are considered 2 separate products. ABC mutton and ABC goat meat are considered 2 separate products. Whole chicken (big) and Whole chicken (small) are considered 2 separate products if the word ‘big’ or ‘small’ is indicated on the packaging. ABC Strawberry Milk (1 Liter) and ABC Strawberry Milk (100 ml) are considered 1 product. Poultry cut pieces shall indicate the type of pieces e.g. Chicken wings or chicken leg or chicken drumstick etc. are considered separate product by themselves.
2.11	Where the same business name is used by the applicant and another entity/other entities under license/franchise from the owner of the business name, the applicant shall submit halal certification applications for all entity(ies) concurrently.
2.12	In addition to the Product / Whole Plant scheme, the applicant shall also apply for: Application for multiple scheme web system

Application Requirement (Continued)

Section	Requirement
2.12 (cont)	1. The Eating Establishment scheme if the manufacturing plant and food service/retail outlets bear the same business name (Not applicable to Product Scheme); 2. Food Preparation Area-Central Kitchen scheme if the raw materials are semi processed by the applicant at a different unit/location; 3. Food Preparation Area-Catering scheme if the premises provides catering services; 4. Poultry Scheme if the abattoir slaughters Halal poultry to be sold as whole or cut pieces; 5. The Storage Facility scheme if its products/raw materials are stored offsite; 6. Short Term sub-scheme if the applicant/Halal certificate holder operates a temporary food stall at a bazaar, exposition, etc.; 7. Any other relevant scheme for related activities conducted offsite or onsite as deemed necessary by ORIASC-HCB. 8. Any other relevant scheme(s) as deemed necessary by ORIASC-HCB.
2.13	For contract manufactured products: 1. The contract manufacturer shall be Halal-certified or have applied for Halal certification; 2. Either the contract manufacturer or brand owner shall be the applicant if the product packaging bears both of their web system; 3. The brand owner shall be the applicant if the product packaging bears only the brand owner’s name; 4. The brand owner and contract manufacturer shall submit application under the Product scheme. Note: If the packaging reads as below, either the contract manufacturer (XYZ P) or brand owner (ABC Abattoir) shall be the applicant: Manufactured By : XYZ P/L Packed For : ABC Abattoir If the packaging reads as below, then the brand owner (ABC Abattoir) shall be the applicant.
2.14	For submission of Halal application via the web, the applicant shall: 1. Register a web account using the same company name as that reflected on the product packaging; 2. Submit a single application for all products to be Halal-certified that are manufactured at the same premises; 3. Submit multiple application, under the same web, for all products to be Halal-certified that are manufactured at separate locations (i.e. If applicant operates / engages 2 or more contract manufacturers at separate venues, then 2 or more application shall be submitted under the same web account); 4. Submit multiple applications, under the same web account, for different certification scheme web system.
2.15	The applicant shall declare any other businesses operated by the applicant or its holding company to ORIASC-HCB.
2.16	The applicant may be advised to change the scheme and/or subject to additional requirements as ORIASC-HCB deems fit.
2.17	The applicant shall take ownership and bear responsibility for its application at all times.

General Certification Requirements

Section	Requirement
3.1	The applicant shall be licensed by the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Agri-food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) or Health Sciences Authority (HSA), whichever is applicable.
3.2	The applicant shall clearly demarcate the scope of certification by labeling and submitting a copy of the floor plan to ORIASC-HCB and/or ORIASC-HCB-appointed agent. This shall also be kept at the premises at all times for audit purposes.
3.3	The applicant shall ensure the scope of certification is clearly segregated with proper partitions including the entrance, preparation area and/or storage area etc.
3.4	Products, menu items, raw materials, additives, processing aids and packaging materials that are undeclared, doubtful, non-Halal and/or Najis according to Sharia law shall not be stored, used, sold, offered for sale and/or brought into the scope of certification.
3.5	There shall be no cross-mixing of Halal products, menu items, raw materials, processing aids, additives and packaging materials with those that are doubtful, non-Halal and/or Najis according to Sharia law.
3.6	Every product, raw material, additive and processing aid stored, used, sold and which is within the scope of certification shall be properly packed, sealed and labeled with the product description, product code (if any), manufacturer’s name and plant address for traceability and audit purposes. Note: It is advisable that products, raw materials, additives and processing aids that are Halal certified bear a Halal certification mark on the packaging for ease of verification.
3.7	A laboratory analysis report according to ORIASC-HCB’ requirements may be required by ORIASC-HCB and/or ORIASC-HCB-appointed agent to confirm that the products, raw materials, additives and/or processing aids are Halal. The selection of laboratory and procedure for product sampling shall be decided by ORIASC-HCB. The applicant shall bear all costs of the laboratory testing.
3.8	All production lines, kitchen areas, cold rooms, chillers, equipment, crockery, utensils, dishwashing facilities, etc. that are used in the handling of Halal products, raw materials, processing aids and additives that have previously come into direct contact with pork, najis, dog meat and/or their derivatives shall be declared and subjected to ritual cleansing by ORIASC-HCB and/or ORIASC-HCB-appointed agent.
3.10	There shall be dedicated and clearly demarcated production lines, kitchen areas, storage areas, equipment, crockery, utensils and dishwashing facilities for the handling and processing of Halal products, raw materials, processing aids and additives.
3.11	All Halal products, menu items, raw materials, processing aids and additives shall be physically segregated from those that are non-Halal or doubtful during transportation to the premises to which Halal certification relates.
3.12	The applicant shall comply with the ORIASC-HCB Halal Quality Management System (HQMS), comprising these 10 principles: 1. Establish a Halal Team a. The Halal Team shall comprise the Halal Team Leader, the Muslim Representative and other members from multi-disciplinary background with relevant knowledge and expertise; b. Each Halal Team member shall be officially appointed and informed of his/her roles and responsibilities in the form of an Appointment Letter, which is signed by the Management and the Halal Team member as proofs of appointment and acceptance, respectively; c. The Halal Team Leader and Muslim Representative shall successfully complete a mandatory Halal training programme by ORIASC-HCB-appointed Training provider; The Terms of Reference of the Halal Team shall include developing a HQMS plan as well as implementing and maintaining an effective Halal system. It shall also be responsible in ensuring that the applicant’s staff is aware of the ORIASC-HCB Halal Certification Conditions. Note: For contract-manufactured products, the brand owner need not establish a Halal team but shall appoint a Company Representative to ensure that the products processed at the contract manufacturer’s plant comply with the ORIASC-HCB Halal Certification Conditions. Unless otherwise advised by ORIASC-HCB, franchise or chain outlets, food stations, shall form only one Halal Team. 2. Define the Product / Nature of Business The Halal Team shall maintain a list of all products as well as details of the raw materials, processing aids and additives stored within the scope of certification such as the web system of their manufacturers, suppliers and agencies that certify the items as Halal. 3. Construct & Verify Flow Chart a. The Halal Team shall clearly identify every step involved in the relevant operations; b. The Halal Team should incorporate all these steps in a flow chart and confirm it against the actual operation by conducting on-site inspections. 4. Identify Halal Threats & their Control Measures a. Using the flow chart, the Halal Team shall identify and list all possible Halal threats at every step in the relevant operations; b. The Halal Team shall also identify and list the necessary control measures to eliminate these Halal threats. 5. Determine Halal Critical Control Points (HCCPs), their Allowable Limits & Prescribed Practices a. The Halal team shall identify the HCCPs in operations that are vital for ensuring the Halalness of products. b. Allowable limits and prescribed practices shall be established for all HCCPs. 6. Establish Monitoring System for each HCCP a. The Halal Team shall establish monitoring systems for each HCCP, including who should act, when, how and what corrective actions shall be taken should there be a deviation from the specified allowable limits and prescribed practices. b. The monitoring system shall be able to detect any sign of loss of control at the HCCP. Some HCCPs may be monitored by quantitative measurements, e.g. voltage of stunning, or observation approach, e.g. Halal certification mark on packaging of raw material. c. Staff assigned at the HCCPs, shall be given a proper briefing on the prevailing ORIASC-HCB Halal Certification Conditions for their information and strict compliance. 7. Establish Corrective Actions for each HCCP a. Corrective action for each HCCP has to be developed whenever monitoring indicates that a deviation from the allowable limit and prescribed practices has occurred. b. These corrective actions shall be able to control the HCCP within its specified allowable limits and prescribed practices. c. A specific action plan shall also be developed to restore control and dispose of the affected product. Under such circumstances, it is essential that the Halal team is informed so that a clear chain of command can be issued. 8. Establish Documentation & Record-keeping System The Halal team shall establish and maintain the following documentations and records for purpose of audit: