HALAL and Coffee

HALAL and Coffee

From a general principle to the reality of coffee production — a clear reference point in contemporary manufacturing culture

1. How people usually encounter HALAL

For most people, the first encounter with HALAL happens naturally.
The symbol appears alongside familiar products and, over time, becomes part of the everyday visual landscape — without requiring explanation or prior knowledge.

At a certain point, a quiet curiosity emerges:
what exactly does this designation stand for, and why does it appear across such a wide range of categories?

Gradually, it becomes clear that HALAL is neither a description of an ingredient nor a promise of flavour.
Rather, it is a way of describing an approach to how a product is made.

Across many countries, HALAL has long been used as a practical reference in working with products and processes — particularly in contexts where clarity, order, and careful handling matter.

HALAL does not change the product itself.
It speaks instead to structure, consistency, and attentiveness in the way the process is organised.

2. Why today the journey of a product matters as much as the product itself

Modern production — even in the simplest product categories — inevitably consists of a sequence of stages:

• raw material handling;
• thermal processing;
• cooling and stabilisation;
• storage and packaging;
• interaction with packaging systems and logistics.

This approach applies across the food industry and is not limited to specific products or formats.

It is a natural feature of today’s food environment — for small workshops as well as for larger operations.

The difference between them lies in scale, not in the nature of the processes themselves.

In this context, technology plays a constructive role.
It supports stability, repeatability, and predictability of outcomes.

As a result, attention is increasingly directed not only at what a product contains, but also at how carefully and coherently its entire journey is organised.

HALAL emerges precisely at this point — as a clear and accessible way of designating such an approach.

At the same time, HALAL has long been part of the global food industry.
As a modern system of practices and sectoral standards, it began to take shape in the second half of the twentieth century, and in recent decades has been formalised through international standards — including the OIC/SMIIC framework, developed from 2010–2011 onwards.

3. What HALAL covers: clarity, order, and coherence

HALAL is not a list of prohibitions, nor is it a product style.
It is a framework of practices in which coherence and clear working logic matter.

In practical terms, this approach can be described through three closely connected areas of attention:what the product comes into contact with, the environment in which it is produced, and the sequence of actions from beginning to end. Together, these elements form a clear and stable way of working that does not depend on the scale of production.

The focus lies on three interconnected aspects: the materials and components involved in the process; the production environment; and the continuity of actions throughout the entire workflow. In practice, this includes how equipment is used, how cleanliness of contact surfaces is maintained, how operations are sequenced, and how different processes or batches are kept distinct.

HALAL is, at its core, about consistency of practice.
Work is organised so that the chosen approach is maintained day after day and can be reliably repeated.

As a result, HALAL helps sustain a balanced and intelligible production logic, in which each element of the process has a clear place.

4. Roasted coffee beans: a simple product with an internal logic

Coffee beans are often perceived as a product of maximum simplicity.
For that very reason, they are particularly illustrative when discussing process.

This is not a question of coffee being in any way questionable as a product. Rather, it reflects the fact that modern production — even in the simplest categories — requires clear and consistent logic at every stage.

After roasting, coffee remains, in essence, a single-ingredient product.
At the same time, the process itself involves a range of technical aspects:

• temperature profiles and heat control;
• cooling systems;
• regular cleaning of equipment to remove coffee oils;
• storage and packaging;
• contact with packaging materials.

Even a small roastery operates within a fully developed technical environment.

In this category, HALAL does not influence flavour and does not define a roasting style.
Instead, it highlights the care and coherence of all stages that together shape the product.

5. HALAL and artisanal formats: a matter of approach, not scale

It is sometimes assumed that a small-scale or artisanal format automatically aligns with a HALAL approach.
In practice, scale is not the determining factor.

Regardless of volume, roasting always involves:

• the use of equipment;
• the application of technical and maintenance materials;
• regular cleaning and preparation of work surfaces;
• repeatable operations.

HALAL does not arise automatically from format or scale.
It relates to how work with the process is organised — whether in a small roastery or a larger operation.

HALAL is not tied to industrial scale, nor does it exclude an artisanal character.
It refers instead to how consciously and consistently the process is structured, whether in a compact setup or a more extensive production line.

6. Why HALAL, when HACCP and ISO already exist

Formalised systems such as HACCP and ISO have long been used within the food industry.
They play an important role in organising production and are widely applied in practice.

These systems were originally designed as tools for internal process organisation.
They help structure operations, but they are not intended for direct communication with consumers.

HALAL operates at a different level.
It does not replace HACCP or ISO, nor does it duplicate them.

Instead, HALAL functions as an external and easily understood reference point, allowing people to recognise — without technical detail — that work with a product is organised carefully and consistently.

This is not a matter of competing approaches, but of different purposes.

7. From principle to practice: HALAL in coffee roasting

International HALAL specifications, such as OIC/SMIIC 1 and GSO 2055-1, focus not on recipes, but on how the technical environment around a product is organised.

Applied to roasted coffee, this attention includes aspects such as:

• equipment and materials used in mechanical components;
• organisation of cleaning and maintenance for roasters and cooling systems;
• the order in which cleaning agents are applied and removed;
• separation of processes and batches;
• preparation and drying of equipment after cleaning as part of the working cycle.

All of these elements sit outside the recipe itself, yet they shape the real environment in which the product is created.
In this context, the approach is implemented in line with applicable specifications and adapted to the practical realities of coffee roasting.

8. HALAL labelling: a concise reference for consumers

HALAL on packaging is a concise and easily recognisable sign.
It does not explain every detail, but it helps people orient themselves quickly.

It indicates that:

• work with the product is organised consistently;
• practices are structured with care;
• the overall approach is clear and stable.

In this sense, HALAL serves as a straightforward reference point within a complex production landscape.

In place of a conclusion

HALAL as a reference point in product choice

HALAL is not a universal quality mark, nor an alternative to other standards.
It is a clear way of indicating that a product’s journey — from handling to packaging — is organised with care and consistency.

It does not affect taste, does not define style, and does not depend on production scale.
HALAL makes indication of the approach of organising work around a product easier to recognise  — without complexity or unnecessary explanation.