FAQ

The application fee is $200, and the monthly certification cost is an average of $250 which covers regular inspection fees, admin fees and the cost of marketing your business on all our social media platforms.

To become certified, kindly download the application form from the following link:
https://hmacanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/HMA-Application-Form-Restauraunt-2018.pdf

Once you have completed the form, fax it to the office at 416 981-3247 or email it to
info@hmacanada.org and submit the application fee.

The HMA will then do an evaluation of your site to understand your operations, check the meat sources and the ingredients of all your menu items, carry a final audit out upon approval, sign a contract with you, and grant you a certificate.

To become certified, kindly download the application form from the following link:
https://hmacanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/HMA-Application-Form-Butcher-2018.pdf

Once you have completed the form, fax it to the office at 416 981-3247 or email it to
info@hmacanada.org and submit the application fee. The HMA will then do an evaluation of your site to understand your operations, check the meat sources, carry a final audit out upon approval, sign a contract with you, and grant you a certificate.

To become certified, kindly download the application form from the following link:
https://hmacanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/HMA-Application-Form-Other-Products-2018.pdf

Once you have completed the form, fax it to the office at 416 981-3247 or email it to info@hmacanada.org and submit the application fee. The HMA will check the ingredients of your products, audit your manufacturing or storage facility, sign a contract with you, and grant you a certificate.

As there may be some scholars who believe that machine slaughtered chicken is fine for halal consumption, our observation of multiple machine slaughtered poultry abattoirs dictates that blessing each bird and cutting them properly with the mechanical rotating blade as per the dictates of our sacred texts is not possible due to the speed of the line. It is for this reason HMA does not accept this procedure.

The term “Hand Slaughtered” has become popular as of late to reflect halal authenticity. If the product is poultry, hand slaughter is only one part of the process. There are many other processes that must be followed prior to the end-product being labelled as halal such as the recitation of bismillah on each bird, cutting the required passages properly, and the avoidance of cross contamination with non halal products during production etc.

If the product is beef or any other red meat animal, this label is disingenuous as ALL red meat animals regardless of whether they are halal or haram are hand slaughtered. The question is:

– Were they shot with a captive bolt pistol prior to slaughter?
– Were they alive at the time of slaughter after being shot?
– Did a Muslim slaughter them?
– Were all the required passages such as the esophagus, trachea and jugular veins cut completely or partially?
– Were they left over Kosher carcasses?

If the animal was shot with a captive bolt pistol prior to slaughter, or the required passages were not cut properly or a non-Muslim slaughtered the animal, or it was left over kosher meat etc., it will not be certifiable according to us.

As HMA is a monitoring service and not simply a company that hands out certificates that does once a year audits, its operations require full time employees who need to be compensated for their time and work. Hence, HMA charges for its services so it may renumerate those who are providing this important service.

Unfortunately, this level of work is not sustainable through volunteer services.

Currently, HMA has approximately 30 full time inspectors that span across
four different provinces of Canada.

There is no fiqh ruling to our knowledge that suggests this. In a minority Muslim community where operations are primarily led by non-Muslims, each Muslim is responsible to do their due diligence prior to making a purchase in the name of halal. Simply passing the burden of responsibility off to the seller is unwarranted.

No, you cannot. Allah tells us in Surat al-An’am, “Do not eat of those [meats] upon which Allah’s name was not taken [at the time of slaughter].” (6:121)

We would heavily advise against doing so.

CFIA has mandated that every halal claim must be backed by a halal certifier. Therefore, ask for their certificate, call the certifier to verify the certification and ask them about their process of certification prior to visiting the facility for a meal.

CFIA has mandated that every halal claim must be backed by a halal certifier. Therefore, ask for their certificate, call the certifier to verify the certification and ask them about their process of certification prior to visiting the facility for a meal.

The fees are required to pay the HMA inspector who regularly checks the meat supplies, ingredients, and the packaged products that are served at the facility for consistency and compliance to HMA guidelines. It is also used to pay the full-time team of Ingredient specialists who check the ingredients of every new item that is introduced at the restaurant.

It should be noted that restaurants cannot sustain operations by simply relying on one meat supplier as product shortages are very common in this industry. Also, the ingredients used and the non-meat products that are served at the facility are far more complex to certify than the meats that are used. The HMA ensures that all items are certified and not just a handful of them.

Kindly contact the CFIA via the following link: Contact us – Canadian Food Inspection Agency – Canadian Food Inspection Agency (canada.ca) and file a complaint.

All Zamzam products are HMA certified.

Lamb, goat and sheep: No stunning is allowed.
– Veal and beef: No stunning allowed prior to slaughter. Stunning is allowed after the animal has been slaughtered, if required.
– Poultry: Regulated electric and Controlled Atmospheric Stunning is allowed. Regulated implies that it is bound by the rules that are set by the HMA. If the rules are not adhered to, HMA will not accept these forms of stunning.

Always check the HMA website to ensure whether a location is certified or not. Find Halal Food Near me (hmacanada.org)