Australian halal meat brand goes global

Weekly Times Now:A HALAL brand developed last year by Meat & Livestock Australia for use in the Middle East red meat market will now be sold around the world.

MLA said the brand is set to appear with Australian red meat sold in Islamic countries around the world.

MLA’s Middle East regional manager, Ian Ross, said 28 percent of the world’s population is Muslim and most lived in countries with growing economies.

"It’s vital the Australian red meat industry positions itself in the best possible way to supply these important markets," Mr Ross said.

"The Halal brand shows that the Australian red meat industry is culturally aware and that we respect the laws of Islam.

"Australia is the only country in the world with a globally-endorsed and certified Halal brand underpinned by government legislation."

MLA said under Islamic law, for meat to be permissible for consumption, it must be Halal, or lawful, and animals must be slaughtered by a Muslim in accordance with the Islamic 'Shariah', or law.

The MLA-developed Halal brand appears on retail meat packs and point of sale and guarantees that the meat has come from an animal that has been slaughtered according to the strict Islamic Shariah. Under the new arrangement, Halal meat sent from Australia to Islamic countries is accompanied by an official government certificate and stamp which is further endorsed with an authorised Islamic Organisation stamp.

In Australia the Halal process is regulated through the Australian Government Authorised Halal Program (AGAHP) by AQIS and is supervised by independent Islamic organisations.

All Australian Halal meat is labelled as having passed through the AGAH program and this certification is only allowed to be placed on meat that has been processed at a registered Halal certified abattoir.

MLA said Australia exports beef, sheepmeat and goatmeat to over 40 Islamic countries, including Indonesia, which is Australia’s fifth largest beef export market. It is estimated that there are over 2 billion Muslims around the world and that the market for Halal products globally is worth $570 billion annually.