Halal Monitoring Committee

What Halal Monitoring Committee does

Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC), founded in 2003 and headquartered in Leicester, is the UK's largest not-for-profit halal food certification body, operating as a registered charity (Charity No. 1147462) and company limited by guarantee. The organisation independently inspects, monitors and certifies halal products across the supply chain — from slaughterhouses and processing plants through to butchers, restaurants, takeaways, caterers, dessert shops, schools and meat suppliers — with 220+ staff conducting 13,000+ monitoring visits monthly across 900+ certified retail outlets and 80+ abattoirs/processing plants in 35+ UK towns and cities. HMC was founded to address documented halal food fraud and mislabeling in the UK market and serves the Muslim community by providing independent assurance that products consumed are genuinely halal, including a specialist Qurbani (Udhiyyah) assurance scheme for sacrificial animals.

The technology platform centres on HMCAPP, a patent-pending cloud-based iPhone monitoring application that enables real-time inspection logging and outlet status tracking, supplemented by randomized serialized labels for end-to-end traceability, QR-coded halal certificates for consumer-facing shop verification (launched 2023), special color-coded Qurbani stamps for sacrificial animal identification, and ISO17025-accredited DNA/origin laboratory testing for species and country-of-origin verification. HMC holds ISO9001, ISO17065, ISO17021 and GSO2055-2 accreditations, plus the only Gulf Accreditation Centre (GAC) approval in the UK for export of fresh and frozen halal meat to the Middle East (since April 2018), and UAE Ministry of Environment and Water approval (since 2011) — making it the first UK halal certifying body audited and accepted by an international government.

Revenue is generated through nominal annual certification fees charged to certified members (reportedly less than 2p per chicken or 2p per kilo of meat), VAT on services (HMC became VAT-registered with HMRC in September 2011), and donations. The go-to-market motion is community-led: HMC engages Islamic seminaries (Darul Uloom Leicester, Darul Uloom Bury), 100+ backing Muftis/Imaams/Scholars, and 150+ Local Area Group volunteers across 30 towns, alongside presence at Halal Expos and educational presentations. Consumer-facing distribution includes the iOS/Android HMC mobile app (delivered via the 2021 Halal Now partnership) for outlet discovery, QR-code verification, and food ordering. The organisation's strategic positioning around unstunned halal slaughter was publicly defended in the UK Parliament debate of 9 June 2025.

Name

Halal Monitoring Committee

Legal name

HMC (UK)

Website

https://halalhmc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Halal Monitoring Committee is a UK not-for-profit charity and the country's largest halal certifying body, monitoring 900+ retail outlets and 80+ slaughterhouses through 220+ inspectors and proprietary HMCAPP cloud technology for the Muslim community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Halal Certification Fees: HMC charges certified plants and outlets for inspection, monitoring, and certification services. The organization operates as a not-for-profit charity and charges nominal fees to certified members - approximately less than 2p per chicken or 2p per kilo for meat.
2. VAT Registration Revenue: After VAT registration with HMRC, HMC became VAT registered and charges VAT on services to certified plants and outlets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HMC is an independent, not-for-profit charity that monitors, inspects and certifies Halal food products from point of slaughter through to retail outlets across the UK. It provides ongoing certification, daily on-site inspection at abattoirs and processing plants, randomised spot checks at retail outlets, and supply-chain traceability using proprietary HMCAPP technology and serialised labels, covering butchers, restaurants, takeaways, caterers, dessert shops, schools and meat/non-meat suppliers.

Product overview

Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC) is a UK-based not-for-profit charity offering halal food certification and monitoring services. The core offering is the Halal Certification and Monitoring Service, which provides independent inspection and certification of halal products from source to consumer through a network of over 220 staff and 13,000+ monthly outlet visits. This is complemented by the HMC Mobile Application (iOS/Android) enabling consumer verification via QR codes and food ordering from certified shops, the Qurbani Assurance Scheme for sacrificial animals, and the Track and Trace System using serialised labels and cloud-based HMCAPP monitoring. The organisation also certifies processed consumables and school meal kitchens. The HMC Recipe Collection serves as an informational resource.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Halal Certification and Monitoring Service Independent, not-for-profit Halal food certification service that monitors, inspects and certifies Halal products from source to consumer. Covers butchers, restaurants, takeaways, caterers, dessert shops, schools, and meat/non-meat suppliers across the UK, with daily on-site inspection at production facilities and ongoing spot checks at retail outlets.
• Qurbani (Udhiyyah) Assurance Scheme Specialised certification programme ensuring sacrificial Qurbani animals meet Islamic requirements — correct age, slaughter timing after Eid Salah, proper dedication to owners — using special HMC ink markings and stamps to identify animals across different days of Eid.
• Track and Trace System Robust supply chain monitoring system that tracks Halal products from the point of slaughter through to retail outlets, using serialised labels, unique HMC markings, and real-time inspector monitoring via the HMCAPP cloud-based platform.
• Processed Consumables Certification Extended certification service covering processed food products including burgers, kebabs and other prepared foods, ensuring rigorous inspection from dhabh (slaughter) through processing to prevent cross-contamination.
• School Meals Certification Specialised certification programme for school kitchens providing Halal school meal options with confidence, ensuring compliance with HMC standards through independent and continuous inspection of the supply chain.
• HMC Mobile Application iOS and Android mobile app enabling consumers to locate HMC certified shops (restaurants, takeaways, butchers) within a specified radius, place food orders from certified businesses, and verify Halal status via QR code scanning of certificates.

Quantifiable outcome

• 47% increase in Qurbani certifications from previous year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Darul Uloom Bury and Preston Halal Awareness (PHA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 January 2025HMC was invited to present to over 400 students at Darul Uloom Bury (oldest Islamic seminary in UK) and over 60 scholars at Preston community events. Partnership aims to educate young generation on Halal food industry realities.
• Islamic Society at UCLcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2023Educational partnership to educate university students on the Halal industry and HMC's role in certifying Halal food. HMC presents to Islamic Society members about inner workings of Halal sector.
• Darul Uloom LeicestercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 December 2021Educational partnership with Islamic seminary leadership and 150+ students. HMC presents inner workings of Halal food sector and HMC operations. Plans for student field trips to observe HMC monitoring system.
• Halal NowcoreTechnology or Integration · 20 May 2021Strategic partnership to deliver Halal online food ordering platform. Halal Now provides the marketplace solution on behalf of HMC, enabling consumers to order from certified restaurants, takeaways, and butchers through a dedicated mobile app. Halal Now operates globally including Pakistan, UAE, Saudi Arabia and now the UK.
• Gulf Accreditation Centre (GAC)flagshipOthers · 4 April 2018GAC approval allowing HMC certified products to be sold in Middle East. HMC is the only approved certifier in UK for export of fresh and frozen Halal meat. Accreditations include GSO2055-2, ISO17065 and ISO17021 standards.
• Local Area Groups (LAGS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2012Network of 150+ volunteers in 30 towns and cities across UK supporting HMC monitoring activities and community outreach.
• 100+ Muftis, Imaams and ScholarsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2012Backing from over 100 Islamic scholars united in support of unstunned Halal protection. Annual events attended by scholars representing 32 towns and cities. National Executive Committee consists mainly of scholars who are trustees.
• Saudi Food and Drug AuthoritycoreOthers · 12 February 2012HMC Chairman attended International Conference on Halal Food Control in Riyadh. Mufti Sarfraz Mohammed presented on gelatine from porcine. Saudi SFDA pledged support for HMC's prophetic method of slaughter and committed to not abandoning UK Muslim community.
• UK Slaughterhouses (80+)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2012Partnership with 45+ abattoirs and processing plants in UK and Ireland. HMC inspectors present daily at production sites. Certified plants can use HMC certification for marketing and export.
• UAE Ministry of Environment and WaterflagshipOthers · 1 March 2011HMC received official approval as a Halal Certifier from UAE Ministry after detailed review including visits to head office, inspection of slaughterhouses, and desk audit over three months. First time audited by an international country. Enables UK Halal exporters to access Middle East markets.
• Halal Working Group of EBLEXminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Arranged for UAE delegation to meet with UK's four main Halal accreditation bodies for review and audit process.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia): Malaysia's federal halal certification authority issuing halal certificates to food businesses domestically and internationally. Comparable certification function to HMC but government-backed and operating in a different (Asian) geography.
• ESMA (Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology): UAE federal authority that sets halal standards and accredits halal certifiers operating in the Gulf region. Functions as both a regulator and recognition body that has formally approved HMC for UK-to-Middle-East halal exports.
• BPJPH (Indonesia Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency): Indonesia's government agency implementing mandatory halal certification for all products. Performs the same halal certification function as HMC at massive scale but in a different geography with compulsory rather than voluntary participation.

Direct peers

• Halal Food Authority (HFA): UK-based halal certification body that audits and certifies food businesses against Islamic dietary requirements. Directly comparable to HMC as a domestic competitor offering halal certification to butchers, restaurants, and slaughterhouses in the UK market.
• IFANCA (Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America): US-based halal certification and advocacy organization certifying food manufacturers, slaughterhouses, and restaurants. Comparable in mission and operating model to HMC, serving a Western country's Muslim consumer base with third-party halal assurance.
• SANHA (South African National Halal Authority): South Africa's leading halal certification body certifying food producers, abattoirs, and retailers against Islamic requirements. Operates a comparable monitor-and-certify model with widespread retail-outlet coverage similar to HMC's UK network.
• Halal Quality Control (HQC): Netherlands-headquartered halal certification body providing inspection, certification, and laboratory testing services across Europe. Closely comparable business model to HMC, including monitoring slaughterhouses and certifying retail outlets with similar scope.

Broad incumbents

• Intertek: UK-headquartered global quality assurance and testing company offering halal certification alongside broader food safety, supply chain, and product compliance services. Overlaps with HMC in halal inspection and certification scope.
• Bureau Veritas: France-based global certification body providing testing, inspection, and certification including halal services. Comparable to HMC in halal certification offering but as part of a much wider industry-portfolio business.
• SGS: Global testing, inspection, and certification giant headquartered in Switzerland. Overlaps with HMC by offering halal certification as part of a broader portfolio spanning food safety, quality, and sustainability certifications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HalalMonitoring
• Xx.com/halalhmc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/halal-monitoring-committee

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Halal Monitoring Committee