Thailand CICOT Certification

/ Tue, 08/04/2026 - 21:28

I. Official Definition of the Certification

Full Name: The Central Islamic Council of Thailand (CICOT)

Chinese: 泰国中央伊斯兰委员会

Thailand’s only national-level statutory Halal management authority, with a Halal certification system applicable throughout Thailand.

1. Legal Status

Thailand’s highest official Islamic religious organization, uniformly responsible for establishing Thailand’s Halal standards, conducting audits and issuing certificates, and managing the right to use the green diamond-shaped Halal mark.

2. Core Rules

✅ Thai local supermarkets, customs, and import regulators recognize only certificates under the CICOT system and the diamond-shaped mark;

❌ Halal certificates from other countries overseas cannot directly serve as equivalent substitutes. In principle, CICOT certification is required for imports entering the Thai market.

3. Implemented Standards

Refers to the OIC/SMIIC and GSO Gulf Halal standards, together with CICOT’s internal Halal regulations.

II. Certification Coverage Scope

✅ Eligible Certification Categories

  1. Food products: Fresh meat, slaughterhouses, aquatic products, grains and oils, beverages, condiments, baked goods, confectionery, convenience foods, and dairy products.
  2. Food ingredients: Food additives, flavorings, enzyme preparations, gelatin, and compound ingredients.
  3. Daily chemical products: Skincare products, hair-care and cleansing products, and cosmetics (with strict control over animal-derived ingredients and alcohol).
  4. Service industries: Halal restaurants, hotels, warehousing and logistics, and food wholesale markets.
  5. Packaging materials and food-contact materials.

❌ Products Absolutely Ineligible for Certification

(Haram prohibited products)

Pork and all pork derivatives, blood, animals that died naturally, and animals not slaughtered in accordance with Islamic rules;

Carnivorous beasts, poisonous animals, and poisonous plants;

Intoxicating alcohol added to food;

Any raw material determined to be impure (najis).

III. Mandatory Requirements for Enterprise Applications

The requirements are divided between local Thai factories and overseas export factories, with the same core conditions:

  1. The enterprise must possess valid legal production/operating qualifications, including a business license, SC production license, cosmetic product filing, etc.;
  2. The formula must contain no prohibited ingredients. All animal-derived raw materials must be traceable, with upstream Halal certificates provided;
  3. Production and warehousing must meet segregation-control requirements:
    • Optimal: Halal production lines and warehouses must be completely separated by physical walls;
    • Shared-line production: A standardized Islamic-compliant deep-cleaning procedure must be established, with complete cleaning records retained. Halal materials must not be stored together with pork-derived/non-Halal materials.
  4. A written Halal Control Manual must be established, and a dedicated Halal responsible person must be appointed. Employees in all relevant positions must complete training on Halal requirements.
  5. The enterprise must cooperate with CICOT audits, including document review and on-site factory audits. The audit team has the right to conduct on-site sampling and testing, with a focus on screening for porcine DNA, ethanol, and prohibited animal ingredients.
  6. A mark-use agreement must be signed. The CICOT green diamond-shaped Halal mark may be printed on packaging only after authorization has been obtained; unauthorized printing is prohibited.

IV. Complete List of Application Materials Required

1. Basic Enterprise Qualification Documents

  1. CICOT official standard application form (F-CICOT-01-04, signed and stamped by the legal representative);
  2. Scanned copy of the business license (with a Chinese-English/Thai translation);
  3. SC production license and hygiene permit; cosmetics require a national filing certificate;
  4. Factory layout plan: raw-material warehouse, production workshop, and finished-product warehouse, with Halal areas and segregation barriers marked.

2. Product Technical Materials

  1. List of products applying for certification, including specifications and models;
  2. Complete formula table: names of all raw materials, auxiliary materials, and additives; CAS numbers; and supplier information;
  3. Production process flowchart, with Halal risk control points marked;
  4. Product specifications and outer packaging artwork (for review of logo placement).

3. Raw Material Compliance Evidence

(Key Audit Item)

  1. Valid upstream supplier Halal certificates for all animal-derived raw materials;
  2. COA quality inspection reports for high-risk raw materials, including gelatin, flavorings, emulsifiers, and compound additives;
  3. A company-stamped Raw Material Compliance Declaration, undertaking that the product contains no pork-derived ingredients, prohibited animal ingredients, or non-compliant alcohol.

4. Halal System Management Documents

  1. Halal Management Manual;
  2. SOPs for raw-material warehouse-entry control, production changeover cleaning, and finished-product outbound traceability;
  3. Employee Halal training records and appointment document for the internal Halal responsible person.

5. Supplementary Documents

(Requested as needed during the audit)

Third-party testing reports for animal-derived DNA and alcohol content; HACCP/ISO22000 certificates (additional merits, not mandatory).