Purpose
Certification is granted on the basis of a specific product, process, and set of suppliers. When those change, the certificate may no longer hold. This policy requires certified operators to report changes and explains how HCC reviews them before any altered output is presented as certified.
Scope
This policy applies to every certified operator and to any change that could affect the Halal status of a certified product or the validity of a certificate.
Requirement to report changes
The certified operator must notify HCC, in advance, of any change affecting certified status — including changes to product formulation or ingredients, a switch of supplier, relocation or modification of a facility, changes to the production process, and changes of ownership or legal entity.
The operator must not make Halal claims on altered output, or apply the HCC mark to it, until HCC has reviewed the change and confirmed how the certificate is affected.
Review & approval of changes
HCC reviews each reported change to decide whether it can be accepted on documentation alone, requires reassessment, or calls for a scope-extension audit. Written approval is required before the change reaches certified product. Where a change introduces a non-Halal material or an unacceptable contamination risk, the affected scope is removed.
Minor changes
Purely administrative changes — such as a change of contact details or a corporate name change with no effect on the product or process — require notification but generally do not require reassessment. HCC confirms in each case whether a change is treated as minor.
Failure to report changes
Failure to report a change that affects Halal status is a serious breach. Depending on its impact, HCC may issue a warning, require corrective action, suspend the affected scope, or withdraw the certificate under the Suspension, Withdrawal & Termination Policy.
Record keeping
HCC records every reported change, the review it carried out, and the decision reached, so that the certificate's history is traceable. These records are kept in line with the Record Retention & Documentation Control Policy.
Policy review
This policy is reviewed at least annually and read alongside the Product Addition Guidelines. Questions about reporting a change may be sent to HCC at info@halalcc.org.
Questions about this policy?
Our team can clarify any point or direct your question to the right people at HCC.