Halal Certification Europe (HCE)

Halal Certification Europe (HCE) is a halal certification body based in the United Kingdom. Established in 1992, it describes itself as the first internationally accredited halal certifier in the UK, founded to address consumer uncertainty over halal products in the early 1990s. Its director, Dr Muhammad Raza, received an OBE in 2008 for his contribution to interfaith dialogue and to British society. In 2011 the body secured accreditation from JAKIM, the Malaysian government halal authority, opening the Malaysian market to its certified clients.

HCE certifies four industry sectors, namely food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and personal care, and chemicals. It audits against its own published standards, including HCE 7000:2022 for food and beverage, and aligns its schemes with international requirements such as MS 1500:2019 for Malaysia, OIC/SMIIC 1:2019, and the UAE.S/GSO 2055 series. Beyond JAKIM, its approvals cover BPJPH in Indonesia, MUIS in Singapore, GAC for GCC states, MOIAT in the UAE, SFDA and SASO in Saudi Arabia, and HAK in Turkiye, alongside the World Halal Food Council.

Certification follows an initial consultation, documentation review, an on site audit, corrective actions where required, and certificate issuance, typically within four to twelve weeks. Certificates remain valid for one year, with annual surveillance audits for continued compliance. The body reports more than 250 certified companies and over 5,000 certified products across its client base, ranging from multinational corporations to small and medium sized enterprises.