Halal Note Series – Halal Common No.

6- 2019
IDENTIFICATION OF HALAL CONTROL POINT (HCP) FOR PROCESS-BASED ACTIVITIES
USING THE DECISION TREE TECHNIQUE

AHMAD SAHIR JAIS

Principal Consultant, HASJ Consultancy / Lecturer, Foodservice Halal Practice, Politeknik Malaysia

Summary:
There are several methods in determining the Halal Control Point (HCP) in the Halal Assurance Systems (HAS) program. The HCP can be divided into two categories,
either based on the Process or Ingredients/Raw Material. One of the methods used in determining HCP in the HAS program is by using the Decision Tree Technique.
Decision Tree Techniques utilised a series of questions and responses to predict an outcome, based upon observation to either production processes or raw materials.
This article will briefly discuss the used of Decision Tree Techniques for determining an HCP of a process in the Halal supply chain. The technique is useful to assess
the possibility of HCP, which existed within the halal processing flow.

Identifying a Halal Control Point (HCP) within a halal process Techniques. What is a Decision Tree? A Decision Tree is a
flow is somewhat tricky. Systematic methodologies in defining predictive assessment, by mapping from observations about an
HCP does exist, but it is complicated to understand as it requires item (Process or Materials) to infer conclusions about its status.
a full understanding of the process flow, severity of the Halal risk, Also known as “Classification Tree” or “Reduction Tree”, the
technicality while incorporating the Shariah requirements. HCP technique is used primarily as a decision support tool that uses a
determination can be based upon either the Process or the Raw tree-like graph or model of decisions and its possible
Materials. To date, there are several methods in examining and consequences, including chance event outcomes, resource costs,
determining HCP existed and used by Halal practitioners, and utilities. In HAS, the outcome of this decision tree is the status
especially by Halal Executives and Internal Halal Committees of HCP.
(IHC). These methods include the use of Decision Tree

Figure 1. Decision Tree Chart in Determining HCP

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Figure 1 illustrates a decision tree used to determine the HCP the HAS program need first to, list out every procedures and
status of specific processes and stages in Halal production. As told process related to the production of Halal products (Refer to
earlier, a decision tree is a flowchart like structure. The tree Figure 2). To better visualised the whole process, it can be created
consists of Nodes (Test or Questions), branched out to represent an in the form of a process flow chart, from beginning to end, where
Outcome and derived to a Class Label (Conclusions). Halal products leave the production facilities.
How can it be used to determine an HCP for a specific process in
the Halal production? Those responsible for the management of

Figure 2. Example Process flow chart for Halal Production in a Hotel establishment

Based on the process flow chart given above, a simple analysis of Table is required, to give a sense of validity to the whole process
Halal risk can be done to assess whether HCP did indeed exist or by breaking down each response based on the most logical
has the potential to manifest later on during the production. To assumptions, that HCP may exist in those process or situations.
facilitate the process, the use of an HCP Determination Matrix

Table 1. HCP Determination Matrix

TECHNICAL /
NO. PROCESSING STEPS Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 HCP/Q&S
SHARIAH
1. Menu Development Yes Yes Shariah Yes - Yes HCP
2. Standardize Recipe Writing No - - - - - Q&S
3. Storing – Main and Satellite Yes Yes Technical - Yes - HCP

Table 1 above is an example of HCP Determination Matrix, used deduce that there is a potential Halal risk; therefore, the
concurrently with the Decision Tree chart in determining the appropriate response is YES. Question 2, “Is the Halal Risk
precursor of HCP in the Halal production. Lets us discuss how to Significant?”. The significant here could be assessed through the
use the table as well as the Decision Tree charts. We now know likelihood of the Halal threat to manifest in the supply chain and
that every process flow in the Halal production has been mapped within the Halal production. The likelihood can be either Moderate
out by referring to Figure 2. (the threat might sometimes occur before or has happened before)
Let us take three processes in order to find out if any of it does or Likely (the threat might occur in most situations). The impact of
have HCP. The first stage is the Menu Development process. This the Halal risk significant could be critical and impacted the totality
is where the chef or menu development team comes out with the of the product and services Halal status.
idea of new menus. Depending on the establishment, menus for For Question 3, “is the step manageable by preventive action?”. The
the hotel will be revised once every two years. Some hotel will usage of non-Halal ingredients and use of the menu’s name similar
revise the menu once a year, depending on the hotel policy. to non-Halal products can be eliminated at this point; in other
In the first question “Is there any potential Halal issue at this words, it can be prevented. If the answer indicates YES, you may
area?” will require every ingredient used must be Halal, and the progress to Question 5. In Question 5, it asked whether the Halal
name of the products does not represent anything that is haram risk is manageable by control measures? If the answer is YES, it is
(required under the MMPHM 2014 Manual). From this, we can

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then classified as an HCP. The risk can be viewed from two The decision branch would lead to the next set of nodes, Question
perspectives, either Technical or Shariah. 4. The question, “Could the technical risk reach the unacceptable
If the risk deals with more on the technical parts such as food Halal limit?”, assess the possibilities of the risk to become critical
safety and quality prerequisite, then it can be controlled under the to a point where it will affect the purity of the Halal products.
quality or safety issues, as opposed to Halal matters. The technical Storage, in the beginning, is more to the technical issues, such as
risk may pose a threat to the Halal requirements if left unchecked separation of Halal and non-Halal ingredients separately for each
or reach unacceptable limits during processing. other.
Meanwhile, Question 4 concerns more on technical elements. For For dry raw material, such as goods in canned or bottles, there a
example, fresh eggs, which is unprocessed, does not pose any remote possibility of contamination for each ingredient even
Halal threat (Non-Critical) as the source of it considered as natural. though by some chances, it will get into contact with each other.
However, under Technical Risk, it can be in the form of biological An example is alcoholic beverages destined for a non-Halal outlet
contamination, where traces of the bird’s faeces are found on the get into contact with Halal bottled drinks during transport or
shell’s surfaces — food, contaminated with faeces (a form of Najs) transit storage. Most bottled drinks have double-layered
is rendered as haram. If there are possibilities of this to happen, packaging, thus making the contamination is remotely possible.
the technical risk could also be the reason for classifying these However, with the fresh and wet raw material, it is an issue
steps as HCP. If the finding indicates otherwise, therefore the altogether. The possibilities of contamination are exponentially
Technical Risk shall be controlled as a quality and safety issues. higher than dry goods. Therefore, storing fresh and perishable
However, if the risk is significantly leaning towards Shariah materials with non-Halal material would lead to unacceptable
requirements, in this case, concerns on the Halal and haram status Halal limits. For Q4, the response would be YES, which directly
of the ingredients, which can be prevented and controlled, it can infer the process as a Halal Control Point within the Halal
be marked as an HCP. production.
Same goes for the next process, Standardize Recipe Writing and The process of determining HCP is not exclusive to this technique
Storage. Based on experience, the recipe writing process does not only. There are other methods, either through process analysis or
infer any Halal risk. Therefore, the response would be NO. raw material analysis. As long as those responsible for managing
According to the decision tree chart, NO for Question 1 would Halal, can recognise potential risk in advance, and create a
direct the process more towards quality issues rather than, a Halal preventive and corrective action for each HCP, it would be
issue. sufficient. Using a decision tree method helps Halal Executive and
An example that relates to the technical risk is storage. For Q1 and IHC in a more systematic way, for determining Halal Control
Q2, the response would be YES on both questions. The question point in the HAS program.
branched out to the sub-nodes, either technical or Shariah Risk. For
Storage, the issues would be more on the technicality such as
storage space and also a pathway of Halal and haram materials.
The next point is to assess whether the risk is associated with Halal
or unrelated at all. Again, the technicality of storage is directly
associated with Halal requirements, as stated in the Halal
certification manual, rather than a requirement in Shariah.