New standard to be issued for halal meat exports

Radionz.co.nz: The Food Safety Authority is close to issuing a new national export standard covering halal meat processed for Muslim markets.

Most New Zealand meat plants process sheepmeat and beef to meet Islamic halal requirements.

But the trade has been disrupted in two of the biggest markets.

Halal beef exports to Malaysia have been restricted for several years and Indonesia introduced new conditions this month after shipments there were blocked for a short time earlier this year... Read More

Brittany gateway for M’sia to halal market in Europe

TheStar.com: Malaysia is targeting in western France as the gateway to penetrate the US$40bil halal food market in Europe.

Halal Industry Development Corp Sdn Bhd (HDC) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Jamil Bidin said the company hoped to provide a platform for Malaysian companies to break into the European halal market.

He added that the potential for the halal market was enormous, as France had the biggest Muslim population in Europe.

“Although the number may be small compared with Islamic countries, their purchasing power is very much higher,” he told Malaysian journalists after a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony between HDC and Benefiq Pte Ltd in Paris on Wednesday...Read More

Germany Waking up to Growing Market for Muslim Food

SPIEGEL:Germany has four million Muslim inhabitants but the market for halal food -- produced according to Islamic law -- is still in its infancy, partly because firms fear the wrath of animal rights groups. But companies are slowly waking up to this fast-growing market.

Gehlenberg is a sleepy village in northern Germany. It has a population of 1,600 and boasts a church, community hall, war memorial and a pub, along with a few wooden crosses by the roadside and a tiny chapel. It's a staunchly Catholic village, but on three days of the week, the Prophet Muhammad makes the rules -- in a white factory building on the outskirts of the village, that is. That is where the Meemken family business produces a broad range of sausage that follows Islamic food standards. The company supplies almost 100 tons of salami and various other types of sausage each week to food retailers in Germany and abroad...Read more

Halal first for French television

meatinfo.co.uk:National advertisements for halal ready-meals were broadcast in France this week, in what is thought to be a first for mainstream European television.
The French ad campaign for Zakia Halal, reported to be worth £260,000, is further evidence of the increase of a halal presence in the European food industry.

The ads feature a young Muslim couple out shopping at a supermarket to promote a range of halal microwaveable meals including paella, lasagna and shepherd’s pie.

Rather than traditionally being transmitted on Arabic satellite channels, the ads for Zakia Halal, part of the couscous firm Ferico, are being shown on national stations such as the French equivalent to ITV, TF1, as well as rival M6 and a number of digital terrestrial channels. Both TF1 and M6 are the first and second most watched private television services in France.

France has the largest Muslim population in Europe which is estimated to be five million where currently many are practising Ramadan.

The French halal market is valued at close to €4b for 2009, and is estimated to grow at annual rate of 15% according to ethnic marketing agency Solis. Around 93% of French North Africans and 55% of sub-Saharan Africans are believed to buy halal products....continue Reading

Al Islami UAE market study indicates compelling need for fresh meat

BI-ME :Since the launch of fresh meat business in the UAE last year, the compelling demand for real Halal and fresh meat prompted Al Islami to accelerate the setting up of dedicated meat shops across the UAE and the other countries of the GCC region.
With the announcement of 15 shops established during first quarter and second quarter of 2009, Al Islami has started selling fresh meat in Dubai, Sharjah and Al Ain. 12 more shops are being planned for the next two quarters making total of 27 shops at the end of this year.

Since the unveiling of meat shop business plan, Al Islami has met a number of enquiries and signed agreements with the Sharjah Cooperative Society, Al Ain Cooperative Society and Union Cooperative Society, several enquiries are in pipeline from renowned local and international supermarkets for new shops. Al Islami has hired over 50 professional butchers so far for its meat shops...Continue Reading

France: Increase of “Halal markets” during Ramadan

Ennahar - Ramadan, which begins the end of the week, has become in recent years an important event in France for the sale of Halal products in retail, which considers this market as promising, but still sensitive.

The Halal food, which means "allowed" or "lawful", has been little statistical account in France, according to the generally accepted figure, five million Muslims.

But according to a recent study by the agency Solis specializes in "ethnic marketing", the market is valued at nearly four billion Euros in 2009 and its annual growth is estimated at 15%, a boon in these times of crisis...Continue Reading

WORLD HALAL FORUM EUROPE - NOVEMBER 2009

HalalFocus.com:Following the resolution of the 4th World Halal Forum, which was held in Kuala Lumpur (4th and 5th May 2009), we are proud to announce that the first regional World Halal Forum will be held in Europe on the 17th and 18th November 2009.This event will be conducted at the Hague, Netherlands in a world class facilities of the World Forum Convention Centre. The theme of the World Halal Forum Europe is 'Halal Potential - A Regional Focus'.Read more ...

Penang and Henan, China to promote halal industry

The Staronline:The state and the Henan province in China will work together to promote the halal industry, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said.

He said that Henan, with a Muslim population of 2 million, was an important gateway to penetrate into other parts of China.

Lim said that besides the middle-east countries, Indonesia and Thailand, Henan was one of the recent province that the state government was working with.

“With such cooperation, Penang will benefit in terms of economy,’’ he told reporters after a courtesy call from a delegation from the Henan’s Long Mai Global Chamber of Commerce and Industry Wednesday...[Read More]

Thailand keen to invest in Bangladesh halal food tech: Min

TMCnet:Thailand has shown keen interest to invest in Bangladesh for developing halal food production technologies, said Industries Minister Dilip Barua on Wednesday. Thailand will provide training and technical assistance on the agro-based industries in producing halal foods, he told reporters after a meeting with the Thailand business delegation at his office in the afternoon[Read More]

Tunisia to promote its Halal products

AfricanManager:Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) aims to surpass last year's record sales of RM2.2 billion generated from its Incoming Buying Mission (IBM) programme at the sixth Malaysia International Halal Showcase 2009 (MIHAS 2009).

The MIHAS 2009 will be held from May 6 to 10 at the Matrade Exhibition and Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
Matrade chief executive officer, Datuk Noharuddin Nordin, said the IBM programme would offer opportunities for buyers and sellers in the halal market to establish new business alliances...Read More

More Than RM2.2 Bln Sales Expected At MIHAS2009

Bernama:Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) aims to surpass last year's record sales of RM2.2 billion generated from its Incoming Buying Mission (IBM) programme at the sixth Malaysia International Halal Showcase 2009 (MIHAS 2009).

The MIHAS 2009 will be held from May 6 to 10 at the Matrade Exhibition and Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur.

Matrade chief executive officer, Datuk Noharuddin Nordin, said the IBM programme would offer opportunities for buyers and sellers in the halal market to establish new business alliances...Read More

Meat Industry: "Welfare" central to halal

EuropeNews:Animal welfare is a top priority for the UK halal meat industry, a leading consultant told delegates at an EBLEX event in Milton Keynes.

Speaking at the launch of a new DVD about halal meat, aimed at public sector caterers, consultant to EBLEX, Nizar Boga, told industry representatives that the welfare of animals is of extreme importance to Islamic traditions.

“Animal welfare is at the top of Muslim theology,” he said (...)

Denmark-Concerns over Halal accreditation of poultry.

Farming UK:New spot checks by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration refute the rumours of pig proteins in chickens that arose after a programme on Danish TV2.

A television programme called ’Operation X’, shown on Danish TV2 on 5 February, focussed on whether pig protein had been added to marinaded chicken products. This resulted in rumours in an Arabic newspaper saying that Danish-produced chicken meat contained pig proteins...Read More

Halal And Organic - Doubling Up On Goodness

IFANCA:Wandering down Devon Avenue in Chicago, we often see the word 'Zabiha' advertised at various grocery stores. For Muslims it is wonderful to be assured our food is Zabiha, but have we thought of taking it a step closer to something even better? Have we seen or asked for 'organic, zabiha products'? Now that's food for thought!

According to Organic Trade Association (OTA), the fastest growing sectors in the $600 billion dollar (U.S.) food industry are organic food and beverages. According to the Organic Trade Association's 2007 Manufacturer Survey, consumer sales for organic grew 27% in 2006. The growth of the organic sector is phenomenal but in civilizations of yore, organic was the only option. Could the chronic diseases we have these days, and our susceptibility to them, be related to the food we consume today?

So what does organic mean?...Read More

Call For Halal Certification To Be Reverted To Jakim

Bernama:Taib Azamudden Md Taib (PAS-Baling) has urged the government to let Jakim (Islamic Development Department) to be the sole authority to issue halal (permissible in Islam) certification.

He said a company should not undertake the task because as a business entity it would only be interested in profit making...Read More

Halal standards urged

The National:National standards for the production of halal food are needed to replace outdated GCC regulations, the country’s leading halal food producer says.

Saleh Abdullah Lootah, the chief executive of the Dubai-based Al Islami foods, said today the GCC-wide standards that the UAE adhered to were out of step with changing manufacturing methods...Read More

Workshop on halal food on March 11

The News International:A workshop on ‘halal food’ will be held on March 11 and 12 in Karachi in collaboration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ secretariat.

The Ministry of Livestock and Dairy Development is organising this workshop in conjunction with the 3rd Food, Agri and Livestock Asia 2009 International Exhibition at the Karachi Expo Centre.

This is the biggest specialised exhibition in Pakistan covering agro, milk, meat, seafood, bakery, drink and food safety technologies, said an organiser on Tuesday...Read More

Nestle boosting exports to grow halal market share

The Edge Daily : Nestle (Malaysia) Bhd, a unit of the Swiss food giant Nestle SA, is ramping up production at its factory here to boost exports towards increasing its share of the global halal food market.

“The global halal market is growing. There is even a growing trend among non-Muslim communities asking for halal-certified products and we want to use Malaysia as a hub for the expansion of halal Nestle products,” its managing director Sullivan O’Carroll told reporters after the launch of its “Affordable Nutrition MILO” campaign here yesterday...Read More

Dow and REDA Food Ingredients show Halal-certified, healthy foods at Gulfood 2009

Business Intelligence Middle :Dow Food & Nutrition, a business of The Dow Chemical Company, and its Middle East distributor, REDA Food Ingredients, a division of REDA Industrial Materials, have paired up for Gulfood 2009, the region's largest and most important industry event of the year.

Dow Food & Nutrition and REDA Food Ingredients are showcasing Dow’s ingredients and technologies for food and nutrition solutions within the REDA booth at Gulfood in Dubai from 23-26 February...Read More

Farmers aim for halal meat market

BBCNEWS:West Midlands farmers hope to tap into the £2.8bn UK halal meat market with a scheme that will check animals are killed in accordance with Islamic law.

The project, which follows a two year trial, will ensure livestock are killed with a single cut to the throat in a halal abattoir...Read More