Blockchain-based Solution for Halal product certifications in France

Halal product certification is increasingly confronted with risks of adulteration, substitution, and fraudulent labelling, particularly within globalized supply chains characterized by multiple intermediaries and limited transparency. These challenges directly affect the credibility of certification processes and contribute to a growing erosion of consumer trust. In the French context, the absence of a centralized governmental certification authority leads to a fragmented ecosystem of private certifiers operating under heterogeneous standards, further complicating the assessment of product authenticity. Existing certification systems, often centralized and reliant on manual procedures, remain limited in their ability to ensure traceability, data integrity, and resistance to tampering across complex supply networks. Blockchain technology has been widely identified in the literature as a promising approach to address these limitations. However, existing works predominantly emphasize its theoretical potential, often overlooking the methodological and architectural challenges associated with its effective integration into real-world certification processes. In particular, there remains a lack of structured frameworks that bridge conceptual properties of blockchain with the operational requirements of Halal certification systems. To address this gap, this study proposes a blockchain-based certification framework that articulates both conceptual and operational dimensions. First, we formalize the requirements of a trustworthy Halal certification system and map them to specific blockchain design principles, in order to provide a structured approach to system design. Second, we instantiate this framework through a Proof of Concept (PoC) in the French Halal meat sector. For that, we implement a smart contract for automated and verifiable transaction recording, and Decentralized Applications (DApps) to support transparent consumer-level verification. A transaction cost analysis is further conducted to evaluate the feasibility and performance implications of the proposed approach.