SINGAPORE - The public can now access more information about listed foreign halal certification bodies (FHCBs) that are recognised by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) after it was made available on its website.

Previously, the list could be accessed only through a system predominantly used by businesses.

This comes as part of some changes that will be implemented by Muis after a review of its FHCB framework, the council said in a media release on Tuesday (Feb 8).

Muis is the sole authority for halal certification in Singapore, and curates a register of recognised foreign halal certifiers that import products and materials.

FHCBs are organisations that Muis deems to have similar standards to its own when it comes to halal certification. Its products, when imported into Singapore, are certified as halal, or fit for consumption for local Muslims.

The recent external review of the FHCB recognition framework was completed with the help of consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers Management Services.

From the review, Muis said it has developed new and enhanced procedures to improve the scheme that will be fully implemented by next year.

It said that the improvements will allow for better choices of imported certified halal food products to serve the local community. It will also provide assurance on the quality of FHCBs with stringent assessment procedures.

The enhanced scheme began with a transition phase from Jan 31 and will continue till June 30, during which the application for recognition by Muis will be open to all FHCBs.

If the applications are approved during the transition phase, the foreign certifiers will be granted temporary recognition for one year until the full implementation of the enhanced scheme next year.