Halal certification for contract manufacturing
The scheme certifies the manufacturer, not the product. Each product still applies on its own, and each kind of contract work needs a separate application.
What the scheme is, and is not
A company that makes products for other companies under a written agreement must hold a certificate under the contract manufacturing (OEM) scheme before it can offer that service. It is a certificate for the manufacturer's operation. It is not halal certification of what is made.
This is the point brand owners most often miss. Every product that wants to use the halal logo has to apply under the scheme that fits it: food and beverage, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods or medical devices. A brand owner who engages a certified contract manufacturer has certified the factory and nothing else.
| Rule | What the manual says |
|---|---|
| Certificate first | A company doing contract manufacturing must hold a certificate under this scheme before it can offer contract manufacturing to other companies |
| Not a product certificate | The scheme cannot be used as halal certification of the manufactured product. Every product that wants to use the halal logo must apply under its own scheme |
| What can be manufactured | Halal products only, under the food and beverage, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, slaughterhouse or medical device schemes |
| Written contract | A written contract, agreement or mutual consent to manufacture between the manufacturer and the customer or brand owner |
| Subcontractors | The company must make sure any party it appoints to manufacture by contract already holds a certificate |
| Separate applications | A separate application is required for each contract manufacturing service. Food and pharmaceutical contract manufacturing, for example, are applied for separately |
| Merging certificates | Merging certificates is not allowed under the contract manufacturing and logistics schemes |
Source: JAKIM, Manual Prosedur Pensijilan Halal Malaysia (Domestik) 2020, pages 50 to 63 · edition of 2020
One application per kind of work
The manual requires a separate application for each contract manufacturing service. A factory that makes both food and pharmaceutical products for clients applies twice. It cannot combine certificates either, because merging is not allowed under this scheme. And if you subcontract part of the work, the company you appoint must already hold a certificate.
For the prerequisites that sit behind each product type (food premises registration, veterinary approval, an NPRA manufacturer's licence, an MDA establishment licence), the manual applies the one that is relevant to what the factory makes. The sector pages cover them: food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals.
Staffing and system
The staffing bands are the same as for other product schemes. Large and medium contract manufacturers need two permanent Malaysian Muslim employees in the processing area, a Halal Executive, a committee and a HAS. Small ones need one employee, a Halal Supervisor and an IHCS, and micro ones one employee and an IHCS. Note that for a contract manufacturer the requirement is about your floor, not your client's.
| Company size | Muslim employees | Appointment | Committee | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large and medium industry | Minimum two permanent Malaysian Muslim employees on duty in the processing area throughout every operating period or shift | Halal Executive at every branch premises | Internal Halal Committee for the premises and for each branch under separate operational management | HAS developed and implemented per the MHMS 2020 manual |
| Small industry | Minimum one permanent Malaysian Muslim employee on duty in the processing area throughout every operating period or shift | Halal Supervisor at the premises | Not separately required | IHCS developed and implemented per the MHMS 2020 manual |
| Micro industry | Minimum one permanent Malaysian Muslim employee on duty in the processing area throughout every operating period or shift | Not separately required | Not separately required | IHCS developed and implemented per the MHMS 2020 manual |
Source: JAKIM, Manual Prosedur Pensijilan Halal Malaysia (Domestik) 2020, Prosedur 19, page 31 · edition of 2020
Companies registered abroad
The fee structure differs for a company registered outside Malaysia that manufactures in Malaysia. The processing fee is RM200 instead of RM20, and the statutory fee for contract manufacturing is charged per application and depends on where the applicant is registered.
| Applicant | Fee per application |
|---|---|
| Registered in Malaysia | RM20 |
| Registered abroad, manufacturing in Malaysia | RM200 |
Source: JAKIM, Manual Prosedur Pensijilan Halal Malaysia (Domestik) 2020, Bahagian III, page 13 · edition of 2020
| Applicant category | Criteria | Fee (per application) |
|---|---|---|
| ASEAN countries | Applicant registered in an ASEAN member state | RM2,500 |
| Other countries | Applicant registered elsewhere | RM10,000 |
Source: JAKIM, Manual Prosedur Pensijilan Halal Malaysia (Domestik) 2020, Bahagian III, page 14 · edition of 2020
The certificate is valid for two years for a company registered abroad that carries on manufacturing in Malaysia, and three years under the contract manufacturing scheme itself. A reprint for a foreign-registered applicant is charged at RM1,000 per certificate. All of these are on the cost page, and the renewal rules are in validity and renewal.
If you export to Malaysia instead of manufacturing there, a different route applies, through a certification body that JAKIM recognises. See the recognised bodies by country.
Note: We are independent consultants, not JAKIM. We prepare the manufacturer and the brand owner for their separate applications. We cannot certify a product or issue a certificate.
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