Jalot Al-Absy has been involved in the Halal industry since childhood and has been working with Halal Transactions, Inc. since 2010. He is currently serving as the organization’s head of quality management and is responsible for maintaining the certification body’s quality management system which is compliant with the international standards of ISO 17065, GSO 2055-2, and HAS. A petroleum geologist by training, Jalot also has training in ISO 17065, various GSO standards, and HAS, as well as a strong interest in micro and macro economics and business management.

His extensive experience in different aspects of various Halal industries, global travel, involvement in international business, and contribution to the development of international Halal standards and practices gives him an insider’s viewpoint on the current, and future, state of the $2 trillion+ global Halal industry. From 2012 onward, Jalot has been heavily involved in the exceedingly convoluted world of Halal trade regulations and standards (which generally differ completely from one country to the next) and has contributed to the maintenance of Halal Transactions’ international acceptance and recognition.

Jalot has previously worked in the Halal industry under many roles. These include a long-ago stint as a Halal slaughterman, a period as an independent Halal production program development consultant, and the all-important role of Halal technical auditor, where he utilized auditing techniques including ISO 19011 and HAS to apply the various international Halal standards against which clients are audited. Jalot has taken part in many international Halal training programs and international Halal science symposiums, including the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research’s Halal auditor training program and LPPOM MUI’s annual international Symposium on Global Halal Research. He continues to serve as a contributing delegate in various international Halal assemblies, including the World Halal Food Council in Indonesia and the Association of American Halal Certifiers. In his spare time, Jalot enjoys silversmithing.

Halal Transactions, Inc.

Halal Transactions, Inc., also known as Halal Transactions of Omaha (HTO), is an independent, third-party Halal certification body based in North America. It was established 25 years ago, in 1992, and is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Since then, HTO has cemented its status and reputation as one of the global leaders in Halal certification. HTO is well known for quality service and reliable certification of American, Canadian, and Mexican producers, manufacturers, and exporters. Halal Transactions employs, or retains the services of, a number of specialists and technical experts including food scientists, veterinary scientists, biologists, biochemists, chemical and biochemical engineers, pharmacologists, and experts in ISO, SQF, HACCP, GSO, OIC-SMIIC, and HAS.

Halal Transactions has made it a policy to seek out the best minds in their fields. This has resulted in an assembly of one of the top teams in the Halal industry. Because Halal is intrinsically and inescapably a set of religious requirements and rules, HTO also maintains an advisory council of highly qualified, respected, and renowned Islamic scholars. Halal Transactions has conducted independent, proprietary field research on various topics of concern including the result of feeding methods and feed quality on meat, the intersection of Halal requirements and best production methods and practices with regard to product quality, and the effects of different harvesting and production methods on the output and quality of various food stuffs. In addition to this, HTO maintains access to international Halal research publications and think tanks in order to keep abreast of new technical developments in production, processing, and manufacturing and how they relate and interact with Halal regulations and requirements.

Since 1992, HTO has accumulated extensive experience working with producers, processors, manufacturers, and exporters of every possible category of product. As such, HTO has in-depth knowledge of a wide variety of processing methods and production systems and how to efficiently integrate Halal requirements into said methods and systems. HTO is accredited by multiple countries and international organizations including GSO, MUI, MUIS, and AAHC. As a result, Halal Transactions is one of the few Halal certifiers with nearly universal global recognition and acceptance.