Cafetto shares the process it underwent to achieve Halal certification and why this accreditation is important for the brand’s global growth.
For many consumers, certifications are not only a sign of product quality but representative of brand excellence.
This holds true for coffee cleaning manufacturer Cafetto, who recently achieved its Halal certification from the Supreme Islamic Council of Halal Meat in Australia Inc (SICHMA), a Halal certification recognised on a global level.
SICHMA is a not-for-profit with the goal to promote halal food and the institution of halal, having founded the Australian Halal Certifiers Alliance and the World Halal Food Council.
“We wanted to adequately respond to the needs of the Muslim community and offer products that are compliant with Halal Standards in many countries,” says Christine Song, General Manager of Cafetto.
Several religious and governmental organisations have also recognised and endorsed SICHMA across countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand, alongside bodies such as the Emirates Authority for Standardisation & Metrology and the Gulf Corporation Councils Accreditation Centre.
Cafetto now has 20 products that comply with internationally recognised Halal standards.
These include Cafetto’s:
- Traditional Espresso Cleaners:
- EVO, Espresso Clean, and Tevo Mini Tablet.
- Automatic Espresso Cleaners:
- E29 Tablet, N10 Tablet, S15 Tablet, T32 Tablet, and T60 Tablet.
Milk Cleaners:
- MFC Blue, MFC Green, MFC Red, MFC Tabs Blue, MFC Tabs White 4.0, and T90 Tablet.
Descalers:
- LOD Green, Organic Descaler, Renew Descaler, and Restore Descaler.
Machine and Equipment Cleaners:
- Clean Bean Tablet and Grinder Clean.
“The first step Cafetto underwent was to apply and fulfil its raw material checklist, which captures everything that goes into its materials and packaging,” says Ahmed Ibrahim Alzoubi, SICHMA’s Technical and Quality Assurance Manager.
“Our technical team composed of two technologists, two microbiologists, chemical engineers, and packaging specialists reviewed each aspect, upholding the highest international Halal standards, in line with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).”
As a globally accredited practice, the ISO covers international standards and guidelines for certifying bodies, ensuring principles such as integrity, impartiality, and confidentially are upheld.
“All our technicians have done excessive training in these global Halal Certification standards and have an expansive knowledge of chemistry from studying at Australian universities,” says Ahmed. “After this, we then conducted an on-site audit of Cafetto’s factory which covered both Halal specifications and ensured the company was operating with high levels of food safety and quality.”
The scope of the Halal certification inspection covered documentation, auditing of raw materials, processing, handling, distribution of products, clean and safe equipment use, operational cleanliness, food safety, packaging, and more, ensuring complete quality across Cafetto’s products. Once completed and approved, SICHMA passed its findings to another committee, consisting of Sharia experts, or individuals who studied Islam law, and food science and technology specialists. This committee then independently assessed and approved Cafetto’s accreditation.
“Cafetto now has a Halal policy, much like a quality policy, which ensures management protects the Halal integrity and reflects the brand’s commitment to the certification,” says Ahmed. “[Cafetto] is a unique client as it is the first time SICHMA has certified cleaning products for coffee machines, and I predict this will open them to many new markets.”
The Halal accreditation joins Cafetto’s portfolio of environmental and food safety certifications, with the brand saying it is proud to be certified by globally recognised independent industry bodies.
“Today, many customers have high awareness regarding the ingredients of the cleaning and sanitation products they use, and we see the importance of this aspect continuously increasing,” says Christine.
“We predict the global market of Halal-compliant products is expected to grow in the upcoming years significantly.”
For more information, visit www.cafetto.com
This article appears in the December 2021 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
