School canteens urged to serve halal food in recognition of Muslim population

MANILA, Philippines – How many schools serve their students “halal” food that Muslims are allowed to partake of under Islamic dietary guidelines?

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) recently raised this question as it urged the education sector to help advance the government’s peace process with Muslim secessionists by teaching students to embrace “inclusivity and diversity.”

OPAPP Assistant Secretary Jennifer Oreta said the education sector should take part in the government’s efforts to attain peace in Mindanao by “changing mind-sets, breaking symbolic and imagined barriers that divide and embracing inclusivity and diversity.”

Oreta spoke recently at a conference of educators nationwide organized by the Asia-Pacific Network for International Education and Values Education (APNIEVE) at the Miriam College.

According to a statement from the OPAPP, APNIEVE is an organization that aims to promote peace, human rights, democracy and sustainable development through values education.

In her address, Oreta emphasized the need for the education of young Filipinos to embrace multiculturalism, inclusivity and diversity.

“How much of the core message of our curriculum actually promotes inclusivity and non-discrimination?” Oreta said.

Oreta noted that teachers themselves should “reevaluate the ‘data’ being taught and the ‘language’ being used” in classrooms as these “can neither encourage or prevent discrimination and exclusivity.”

For example, she said, one uses the label “Muslim terrorist” but not “Christian terrorist.”

“Perhaps that is not the intention of the message; the subliminal message that it creates is also problematic,” Oreta said.

In promoting multi-culturalism in schools, Oreta asked the teachers: “How many of our schools actually have prayer rooms for other religions? How much of our food is halal? This is what we realize when we had some of our Muslim friends come over, they can’t eat anything at the cafeteria.”

(“Halal” is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permissible. Its opposite is “haram.”)

“So again, we talk about inclusivity. We talk about non-discrimination,” Oreta said. “Sometimes we look at them as trivial but these are actually big issues.”

Kosher and Halal Food Act would meet dietary requirements of faith groups needing disaster relief

Late last month, Rep. Joseph Crowley introduced the "Kosher and Halal Food Act of 2013," which "Amends the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 to: (1) provide for the increased purchase of Kosher and Halal food if such food is cost neutral as compared to food that is not from food manufacturers with a Kosher or Halal certification, and (2) modify the labeling of the commodities list under the emergency food assistance program to enable Kosher and Halal food bank operators to identify which commodities to obtain from local food banks." The bill was referred to the House Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, and Nutrition on May 22.
The bill follows the relief efforts during Hurricane Sandy.  William Rapfogel, Executive Director and CEO of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty and Mohammad Razvi, Executive Director of the Council of Peoples Organization observed that "…  an estimated 330,000 Jewish households in New York City and 300,000 Muslim households in the tri-state area live in poverty. Because of the dietary requirements of their faith, many families we serve are unable to rely on the federally funded network of food pantries to feed their families. As social service providers, it is not unusual for us to see dozens of families in a single day who are going hungry because there are no Kosher and Halal options in food pantries. And since the storm, we have had to double our efforts to serve families in the hardest-hit communities while continuing to help those in need outside of Zone A."
Rapfogel and Razvi hope that the bill will decrease the number of New Yorkers going hungry in 2013 and beyond.
So far, the anti-Jew, anti-Muslim conspiracy theorists have been quiet — but as Rational Wiki points out, hysteria has erupted before over foods — like when Campbell's Soup Company test-marketed a line of halal certified products in 2010 and Tea Party types viewed the test marketing as an example of Sharia law creeping into western culture.  In the far right's unending quest to identify strange new conspiracies that supposedly threaten America, Halal foods — that is, foods that that Muslims are allowed to eat under Islamic Sharia — were identified a couple years ago by Pastor Mark Biltz at World Net Daily  as foods that are  "sacrificed to idols" which will make Americans "catch Islam like a virus."  As God Discussion's Dakota O'Leary reported, by Thanksgiving 2011 the conspiracy had grown.  Butterball was accused of "waging a secret jihad on the nation by sneaking halal turkeys on unsuspecting American tables."
Kosher foods are foods that meet dietary laws, based in the Old Testament, on what is fit for people to eat.  According to News 7 in Denver, a growing number of Americans, particularly those who have food allergies or are concerned about food processing, are seeking out Kosher foods for their quality.  Of the consumers who purchase kosher foods, only 14 percent do so for religious reasons.  But anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists complain that the kosher label is a "Jewish tax" – an allegation that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) refutes. "The bizarre claim by right wing extremists that kosher certification markings on food product labels ("" "K," etc.) cost consumers extra money and represent, in effect, a 'kosher tax' to make rabbis rich, is a striking example of the propaganda used by anti-Semites to trick the uninformed into accepting conspiracy charges and stereotypes about Jews," the ADL writes in a piece that debunks the claim.

No action against halal firm

No action will be taken against a company accused of supplying halal burgers containing pork to schools.

Leicester City Council withdrew a lamb burger supplied to 19 schools by Doncaster firm Paragon Quality Foods last month after tests showed up to 50 per cent pork in a sample.

However, further tests on the company's products conducted at the request of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have found no trace of pork.

A spokeswoman for the FSA said: "We were notified of the findings by Leicester City Council and instructed colleagues at Doncaster Metropolitan Council to liaise with Paragon.

"We have received the report from Doncaster and are satisfied there are appropriate controls in place and no further action needs to be taken."

Peter Dale, director of regeneration and environment for Doncaster, said: "We have carried out an extensive programme of sampling and so far no traces of meat other than labelled have been detected."

Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO), in Leicester, which tested the original burger on behalf of the city council, declined to comment yesterday.

Paragon is considering legal action against Leicester City Council, saying its reputation has been "unfairly damaged".

A spokesman for the company said: "The test by ESPO wasn't a formal test under controlled conditions and all other results have come back negative for any traces of pork.

"Therefore we're seeking advice about possible legal action."

The city council was understood to be carrying out further tests on the burgers, the results of which are not yet known.

The halal burger had been available on its school menus since January.

A spokeswoman for the council said it was carrying out its own investigation and could not comment any further as this might prejudice any future legal proceedings.

Pat Heslop-Harrison, a professor of molecular cytogenetics at the University of Leicester, said the original sample could have proved positive for pork because of cross-contamination.

"It's a difficult process to get right and ideally tests would be carried out at the site prior to being taken away," he said.

"Cross-contamination can come from numerous sources and it only takes a tiny amount to create different results.

"This could be from a knife, juices dripped from packing or from the lorry used to move produce around. That's why taking further samples is always necessary.

"However, I believe the council did the right thing by removing the burger as a precautionary measure."

Regular tests on school food have been carried out on behalf of the council since February.

All other halal products used in the council's kitchens are supplied by The Punjab Kitchen Ltd. Tests have shown they are halal compliant.

Halal food production on the rise in Balkans

SARAJEVO: Trying to fight back against the persistent economic crisis in the Balkans, food producers here have turned towards halal food, targeting rising demand from markets in Western and Muslim countries.

At a recent three-day halal food fair in the Bosnian capital, the first of its kind in the Balkans, some 30 producers from the region gathered to present their goods—meat products, cheese, sweets, pastry, oils and even halal cosmetics.

“The halal market represents more than one billion people across the globe. It is a young market with an important purchasing power,” said Amel Kovacevic, one of the organizers of a halal food fair in Sarajevo.

The demand for halal products is “growing between 10 and 20 percent per year” globally, he estimated. In addition to low labour costs, he said Balkans-based companies can try to take advantage of their geographical advantage: located in the Mediterranean basin, they are near both European and Middle Eastern markets.

The Brajlovic factory, near Sarajevo, is among some 150 food producers in the Balkans which have obtained halal certificates for a total of 2,000 food products.

“Halal should not been seen as something that will immediately accelerate production and make profit grow in a day,” Asim Bajraktarevic, in charge of production in the processed meat factory, told AFP.

With its capacity to offer some 15 tonnes of products daily, the factory, which obtained a halal certificate three months ago, now aims to “improve product quality and create the conditions for growth once we enter foreign markets,” he said.

Halal, an Arab word meaning “lawful”, refers to all things and actions permitted by the Holy Qur’aan to practicing Muslims.

With regard to food, it notably concerns ensuring that approved types of meat have been slaughtered according to ritual, as well as ensuring that processed foods as well as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics do not contain any non-halal products.

Amir Sakic, head of a halal certification agency in Sarajevo, said that the number of companies getting the license for halal production in the Balkans is now growing by between 30 and 40 percent per year. The number of products they offer is also rising up to 40 percent per year, while annual sales are now estimated at around 550 million euros ($708 million), Sakic said.

The agency, in charge of the whole region, was founded in 2006 with the help of local Islamic community in Bosnia, where Muslims make up 40 percent of the country’s 3.8 million people. Few Bosnian Muslims had been following halal dietary restrictions, and until recently halal products were often not available in shops. Companies from other Balkan countries like Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia, where the Muslim population is tiny, are also seeking halal certifications.

All have the same goal: to try their luck abroad, as purchasing power is low throughout the region, and has been squeezed further by Europe’s economic crisis.

Halal food dishing out radical change in society

HALAL food is now sold at a dozen McDonald's restaurants and bacon is off the menu at some KFC outlets to accommodate the religious sensitivities of Australia's growing Muslim population.

The Muslim population has soared by 40 per cent to 476,291 in just five years - paving the way for a building program of schools, mosques and prayer rooms in the suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne.

Even the country's biggest sports stadiums, including ANZ Stadium and the MCG, have moved to offer multi-faith prayer rooms for devout Muslims.

A KFC spokesman yesterday said three of its restaurants, including two at Bankstown and Punchbowl, are certified to sell halal food prepared in a way that is acceptable to Muslims.

"KFC is mindful of responding to customer demand and cultural sensitivities in a balanced way," the spokesman said.

Eight McDonald's restaurants in Sydney and four in Melbourne offer halal food but, unlike some KFC outlets, they have not taken bacon off the menu.

"We are pleased to be able to offer halal menu items in restaurants where there is strong demand from the local community," media relations manager Skye Oxen ham-Lupul said.

"Our halal restaurants also provide non-halal menu items, however modified storage and food preparation procedures have been implemented to ensure that correct segregation is maintained."

Figures from the 2011 census show a long-term decline in the number of Australians who identify as Christians - down from 89 per cent in 1976 to 61 per cent in 2011.

But it is the push for official recognition of sharia law that worried many Australians who made submissions to the federal parliamentary inquiry into multiculturalism.

More than 200 submissions to the inquiry raised concerns about or discussed the question of Islam in Australia.

Paragon Foods denies halal burgers contained pork

A company accused of supplying halal food containing pork to schools in Leicester has said it is "completely innocent".

In April, Leicester City Council said a lamb burger from Paragon Quality Foods contained between 10% and 50% pork.

But the Doncaster-based firm said the sample tested by the council did not come directly from the factory.

A council spokesman said it would not comment further until the results of a second set of tests were completed.

The company said it was now considering legal action against the city council. 

The original discovery was made on 18 April and the product was withdrawn.

A DNA test found the lamb burger contained between 10% and 50% pork.

Paragon spokesman Metin Pekin said: "These allegations have upset us beyond belief. I am from a Muslim family and we have never ever entertained pork on site.

"It is paramount that we get our reputation restored.

"This initial sample was a customer test... and we did not have a retainer sample and we could not test it anywhere else."

Leicester City Council said in an earlier statement: "Because it was only one burger that was tested and the findings were so wide-ranging, we have ordered further samples of more burgers and when we have these results we will publish them."

The authority said it "hopes to be able to make a fuller statement next week".

Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO), which is responsible for testing the samples, said: "Paragon Quality Foods have challenged the test results and, on behalf of Leicester City Council, we are in the process of seeking verification and a second opinion of the test results."

The lamb burgers were served at 19 schools around Leicester but were withdrawn after the discovery was made.

Halal mark a must for all food products in UAE

Dubai: All food products claiming to be halal need to have a halal mark and certification from next year, a senior official from the Emirates Standardisation and Metrology Authority (Esma) has said.

The announcement comes as part of a halal regulations package, which will also include halal certification for cosmetics and perfumes as well as clothes and accessories.

“It is His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai’s dream to make Dubai the capital of the halal economy and this initiative is part of that project. Through this process we will make sure what people consume assuming it is halal is actually halal,” said Mohammad Saleh Badri, Director-General of Esma.

According to Badri, there is currently a system in place to verify halal compliance of food products but it has very limited scope.

Recently mandated by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to formulate halal codes for cosmetics and perfumes to be implemented in all Islamic countries, Esma hopes the halal food standards will also be adopted by other countries.

“Each emirate has its own system to verify halal compliance at municipal level but there are no general standards and regulations. We will be putting a whole new system in place which will not only be a point of reference for firms in the UAE but also for other Islamic nations,” added Badri.

Currently in the process of ratification, the standards will be in place by early next year, covering all types of food products and outlets.

“Every eatery and food brand that claims its food to be halal will come under the scanner and we will go into details of the ingredients used, the processing, the plantation, chemicals used, the packaging as well as the slaughtering of animals. Every process should comply with Sharia regulations,” said Badri, explaining the certification system.

The announcement comes following recent speculation about Western food chains not complying with halal standards, which led to the withdrawal of certain products in several countries.

“Once we have our system in place, there will be no place for speculation and scepticism. It will be clear to people what products are halal and what are not permissible. We will ban those products that don’t comply with the standards,” Badri said.

Paying attention to detail, the standards will even look into cases of food products being genetically modified or processed using chemicals or fertilizers that have traces of non-permissible products.

Having traces of pork, animals slaughtered in a non-Islamic way or the presence of alcohol in food products among other things is not allowed according to Sharia.

In the next phase, the authority will implement standards to ensure all clothing and accessories are also halal.

Leicester schools halal lamb burger contained up to 50% pork

A halal lamb burger made by a company supplying Leicester schools contained up to 50% pork, the city council has confirmed.

The products were made by Doncaster-based Paragon Quality Foods Limited, which said it had never knowingly bought or handled pork.

The discovery was made on 18 April and the product was withdrawn but details only became public on Thursday.

A DNA test found the burger contained between 10 and 50% pork.

'Criminal procedure'

A spokeswoman for Leicester City Council said: "Because it was only one burger that was tested and the findings were so wide-ranging, we have ordered further samples of more burgers and when we have these results we will publish them.

"The council's view is that whether it's 1% or 99%, it's still impure and unacceptable."

The horsemeat scandal prompted the council to test all meat served in its schools and one burger was taken as a sample.

The lamb burgers were served at 19 schools around Leicester but were withdrawn as soon as the discovery was made.

The revelation prompted outrage among parents and the city's Muslim community.

Suleman Nagdi, from the Federation of Muslim Organisations, said: "For people, this is touching at the very tenet of their faith, the very heart of their faith.

"There needs to be a criminal procedure against the company," he said. "At least it would bring some confidence into the community."

Faz Mulla, from the not-for-profit Halal Monitoring Committee, was at a meeting of imams on Thursday.

"What transpired is the total loss of confidence in the supply chain in Leicester. Imams are at a loss as to what to do about this matter," he said.

A vote was taken by the imams calling for halal meat to be taken off the menu, and for children to become vegetarian until confidence is restored.

Kyrgyzstan to develop halal standards

BISHKEK – Kyrgyzstan is becoming the second Central Asian country to introduce its own broader halal standards. Until recently, the Islamic Centre's Certification Committee had the sole authority to issue halal certificates in Kyrgyzstan. It issued the certification based on Malaysian standards. Conflicts arose when the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan (DUMK) started to issue its own certificates.

To resolve the conflict, Kyrgyzstan plans to issue uniform standards and to form a National Halal Association.

"We sense the full support and understanding of the state," said Myktybek haji Arstanbek, spokesman for the Eurasian Union for Halal Standardisation.

More products to fall under halal standards

The products now will be tested for halal inside the country because it has obtained the specific equipment. For example, a test will be performed on meat to detect the presence of pork. It is important for Kyrgyzstan to have its own standardisation system rather than just follow the Malaysian one, because Kyrgyzstan uses some products (horse milk, for example) that Malaysia has no standards for.

The move will also help the country expand its halal certification system. Until recently, halal certificates in Kyrgyzstan pertained only to meat products, Arstanbek said. Soon, halal standards will reach across more branches of the economy, particularly pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

For example, insulin for diabetics is one of more than 500 products sold in Kyrgyzstan that contain pork, he said, adding that the possible presence of banned ingredients in medicines puts many believers in a dilemma.

"Almost all of them have various additives that include components of pork and alcohol. … In these circumstances, how can a vendor, even if he is Muslim, guarantee the candy he's selling?" Arstanbek asked.

Protection of consumer rights

Halal certification is becoming important in Kyrgyzstan not only because more residents are turning to Islam and want to make sure they are consuming halal products but also because they in general think that halal products are being more carefully checked and are healthier.

The halal mark is gradually becoming a trademark going beyond strictly religious requirements, Kyrgyz Grand Mufti Rakhmatullah haji Egemberdiyev said.

"Unfortunately, many of our people naïvely believe that, if they buy some product with Arabic writing on it, it must mean it is halal," he said. "But this is not the case."

Kyrgyzstan has no modern laboratory that could quickly ascertain whether a product is halal. Many producers are now going to Almaty for analyses.

To protect consumers' halal rights, the local branch of the Eurasian Union for Halal Standardisation has acquired special testing equipment to determine the extent of a given product's halal standards.

Furthermore, it is going to request certificates from foreign producers of food products and necessities.

Economic benefits

Although halal standards are of a religious nature, the authorities are aware that their development can also help the economy.

"We will help the development of this standard in every way, because the halal industry today is one of the most promising industries ... of many countries," Berdimamat Adanbayev, chief of the Technical Regulations Department within the Economy and Anti-Monopoly Ministry, said.

In the long term, Kyrgyzstan could become an exporter of halal products, observers say.

"We could offer high-quality products for the meat and food-processing industries," Deputy Foreign Minister Askar Beshimov said. "Arab businessmen take halal certification very seriously, and they quite often back out ... when they learn that most of our goods lack halal certificates."

Poland bids to overturn ban on kosher‚ halal meat exports

WARSAW: For some, it was a barbaric way to treat animals. For others, it was great business.

Until January, slaughterhouses across Poland — a deeply Catholic nation — were the unlikely venues for the Islamic and Jewish slaughter of animals, which in both religions involves a swift cut to the throat of a conscious animal and death by bleeding.

Millions of euros were being made exporting the halal and kosher meat to countries like Egypt, Iran and Israel, as well as to Muslim and Jewish markets inside Europe.

In a victory for a growing animal rights movement, activists succeeded in getting a ban on such religious slaughter. But with economic decline deepening and exports seen as a possible salvation, the government faces pressure to get the practice reinstated legally — and is scrambling to do so.

Though Poland's own cuisine is heavy in pork, a meat banned by Jewish and Islamic laws, the country has cut out this niche business for itself in one example of the economic savvy Poland has shown since joining the European Union in 2004. Kosher and halal meat exports have grown between 20 and 30 percent per year in recent years as the largely agricultural country has capitalized on its low labor costs and a reputation for healthy farm animals.

"God gave us good food, good soil and good farm animals, and he gave the Muslim countries what they have under the surface — black gold," said Mufti Tomasz Miskiewicz, the top Muslim leader in Poland. "There are nations with big populations — like Egypt, the Arab countries, Indonesia — that need this food and don't have enough cattle to produce enough meat themselves."

The business has been overseen and encouraged by Poland's Jewish and Muslim communities, minorities that are very small but with a presence going back many centuries. Polish Jews once made up the world's largest Jewish population; though nearly wiped out in the Holocaust, the community is growing. Tatars, a Muslim people, also settled here centuries ago, and have been joined recently by Arab diplomats, businessmen and students.

The kosher and halal business had boomed until January, when the ban took effect following a ruling by the Constitutional Tribunal. Though the actual slaughter was carried out by specially trained Muslim and Jewish officials, the industry also created thousands of supporting jobs for others.

Animal rights activists argue that killing animals without stunning them first causes unnecessary suffering to the animals. Jewish and Muslim leaders strongly disagree, and insist that their method is actually more humane, in part became it causes the animals to lose consciousness very fast. They argue that standard industrial slaughter involves pre-stunning that is sometimes not effective, leading to even greater suffering.

Poland's chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, says Jewish tradition has always been concerned with the welfare of animals, noting, for instance, that it bans hunting and any senseless suffering.

"For close to 3,000 years, Jewish slaughter practices have been followed that minimize pain to the animal," Schudrich said.

Polish meat industry officials are hesitant to take sides on which slaughter method causes more suffering, with their focus firmly on economics.

The pro-market government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk is also eager to get the business going again and has recently drafted a law that would reinstate religious slaughter while also adding some new protections for animals.

The law's fate now rests with parliament, which is due to debate and vote on it in the coming weeks. It is expected to pass since the government enjoys majority support in the assembly, but probably not without some heated debate. Lawmakers are under pressure from all sides, including from an animal rights movement that has grown stronger as the ex-communist country grows increasingly Westernized.

In the meantime, industry leaders warn that millions of euros and thousands of jobs could be lost if Poland doesn't re-legalize religious slaughter soon.

"Banning ritual slaughter was a cardinal mistake with huge consequences," said Witold Choinski, the head of Polskie Mieso, or Polish Meat, an organization that represents the interests of meat producers.

Choinski said there are no official figures on the financial losses so far, but the number is high: the industry is worth about 500 million euros ($650 million) per year to the Polish economy and it has been largely frozen for nearly half a year. About 100,000 tons of kosher or halal beef and 100,000 tons of poultry were exported annually before the ban — making up between 20 and 30 percent of Poland's beef exports and about 10 percent of poultry exports, Choinski said.

He says there is currently no production at all of the religiously slaughtered meat, though Miskiewicz and others say there is some small-scale production taking place in a legal gray zone.

Many of the Polish meat facilities which handle kosher and halal meat — usually in addition to traditional slaughter — have had to limit their overall production because of the ban, while major contracts with traders from the Middle East have been suspended, Choinski said.

Poland had been close to sealing major long-term contracts with Saudi Arabia, but these were abandoned because of the unclear legal situation. Meanwhile, many Polish companies that produce halal and kosher meat are on the verge of bankruptcy, and up to 6,000 workers could lose their jobs, he said.

"Poland can't afford this. Most meat production facilities are in small places without other places for people to work and this is dooming the economic prospects of people," he said. "But I think there will be a resolution because no government can allow 6,000 people to get laid off during an economic crisis."

For now, business is being picked up by producers in nearby countries, including Latvia, Hungary and the Czech Republic, Miskiewicz said.

Bosnia is also working hard to position itself as an exporter of halal products. The country opened its first halal fair Wednesday in Sarajevo, welcoming representatives of the Islamic world to take a look at Bosnian products. Erdal Trhulj, Bosnia's regional industry minister, said the halal industry is growing worldwide, and that his country "aims to become a hub for halal industry in this part of Europe."

The debate surrounding the issue has lacked any overt anti-Jewish or anti-Islamic tones, though religious rights are also pressing concern for the minorities and a government that wants to maintain good ties with them.

Miskiewicz says there is a degree of unfairness in banning Jewish and Islamic slaughter when so many Polish Catholics follow a similar practice themselves at Christmas, when carp are slaughtered in homes across the nation without any pre-stunning.

Leicester MP wants inquiry into halal food pork find

MP Keith Vaz has called for a full inquiry following the discovery that a halal lamb burger made by a company supplying schools contained up to 50 per cent pork.

The Leicester East MP said: "I am deeply concerned by the reports meat presented as being halal contained pork and was served in city schools

The only right and proper response is any meat due to be served as halal is tested first.

"We need a full inquiry to establish how the companies concerned have been issued halal certificates and to make sure other public services serving halal food are not similarly affected. "

The city council said last week that the halal burger, supplied by Paragon Quality Foods, of Doncaster, had been removed from 19 school menus.

The firm has said it has never knowingly bought or handled pork, but a DNA test carried out on behalf of the city council found the burger contained between 10 and 50 per cent pork.

The burgers had been on Leicester school menus since January and are the only product supplied to the council by the Yorkshire firm.

All other halal products used in council kitchens are supplied by The Punjab Kitchen, of Tyneside.

Tests have shown it is halal compliant.

Further tests on other burger samples are being carried out. Results are expected this week.

Halal meat withdrawn from 18 schools in Luton

Halal meat has been taken off the menu at 18 schools in Luton after concerns were raised by Muslim groups.

Luton Borough Council, which has served the meat in schools for 15 years, said it had suspended the service while it looked into how the meat was certified.

The decision followed a meeting with Luton Council of Mosques and Sunni Council of Mosques.

A council spokesperson said it did not relate to the "safety of the food or whether it has been contaminated".

Children at the schools affected by the decision, which was made at the end of April, are being served vegetarian meals while the checks are being made.

"Our suppliers have provided us with certificates to show that the meat complies with requirements to be designated as halal," the council spokesperson said.

"The issue focuses on the interpretation of how halal meat is certified "We are therefore seeking clarification from the certification body."

Halal Market Potential swells to $1.3trillion

Halal export market offers $ 1.3 billion potential and EPZA should submit a detailed proposal, on priority basis for establishment of halal export processing zones in Pakistan. It is ironic to note that most of halal product demand is fulfilled by non-Muslim countries, whereas Muslim countries have a meager share in this very fast growing market. The demand of halal products in the western countries is mainly fulfilled by USA, Brazil, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and France. As far as the eastern countries are concerned, Thailand is the biggest supplier of halal certified products followed by Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and India. This was stated by Shahzada Ahsan Ashraf Shaikh, Federal Minister, Industries & Production during his meeting with Chairman Export Processing Zones Authority, Mr. Saadat S. Cheema in Ministry of Industries and Production in Islamabad.
 

Mr. Saadat S. Cheema, said that a large number of Non-Muslim consumers world over also prefer halal products due to reasons of cleanliness, hygiene and purity as quality assurance is considered a prime issue in those societies. Pakistan’s biggest competitive advantage in the region is the availability of an entire Halal production base coming from a Muslim country which has a direct access to a large base of halal consumers in Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Middle East.

Investors in Pakistan also need to recognize the fact that Halal market is not only constrained to food items. This segment includes products like Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, Leather Goods and Islamic Financial Services. Food only forms 2% of the Halal market.

Nestle Malaysia ready to help local players tap global halal market

KUALALUMPUR: Nestle Malaysia, the biggest halal food producer in the Nestlé Group, is sharing its expertise with local players to help the country become a global halal hub.

The company said it will continue to expand its manufacturing capabilities and increase the existing capacity for halal products to tap new opportunities. It is also committed to on-going investments in research and development, capacity building, consumer insights and communication.

“As Malaysia aspires to be a global halal hub, Nestlé Malaysia is voluntarily sharing its expertise and global networking with the relevant halal authorities — from sourcing to distribution.

“This sharing of knowledge includes working with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the local food industry on halal standards and collaborating with the relevant government agencies and non-govermental organisation, as well as local universities, to provide industrial exposure to halal and industry-related syariah programmes,” Nestle Malaysia said in a statement.

Nestle Malaysia exports halal products to more than 50 countries while providing expertise, resources and technical support to other Nestlé markets around the world. 

The company is also supporting the growth of SMEs in the country by sharing with them its knowledge and expertise in the local food industry.

This is to add value and raise their standards so as to enable them to compete in the global market and win consumers’ confidence in locally manufactured products, it said.

Nestle Malaysia has shared valuable insights on halal certification with food manufacturers who are interested in penetrating the global halal food market, which has grown exponentially over the past decade.The halal food market now serves an international market worth about US$600 billion (RM1.83 trillion).

Nestle’s compliance to halal procedures and certification encompasses sourcing and purchasing raw materials and ingredients right up to production level.

“Various systems and certifications are in place for food safety assurance,” it said, adding that strict compliance to food standards and regulations are practised, all of which are prerequisites for halal certification.

The company’s manufacturing capacity has also been expanding, in line with market needs. Its production and export of halal products have increased following encouraging demand globally.

Michigan's Muslim inmates being denied halal meals, lawsuit claims

A federal lawsuit was filed today against the Michigan Department of Corrections, alleging several Muslim inmates aren’t getting enough “nutritional” food during the month-long fast of Ramadan and are being forced to eat foods that violate their religious beliefs.

According to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit, the state’s “Ramadan Bagged Meal” contains about 1,100-1,400 calories, which is roughly less than half the amount of calories that the other inmates get on any given day. Under state prison policy, all inmate meals total 2,600 to 2,900 calories a day.

The lawsuit, filed by the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), is challenging a policy that it claims requires Muslim inmates to sacrifice an adequate diet when they participate in the Ramadan fast. The suit also challenges a policy that prevents Muslims from maintaining a religiously-mandated —or halal — diet. Halal is a term used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic teachings. Under the halal food diet, pork and pork-based food products are forbidden, an addition to all meat that is not slaughtered and prepared in accordance with Islamic law.

The lawsuit claims that the MDOC has refused to provide Muslim inmates with a halal diet, “despite repeated requests.” As a result, Muslim inmates have been forced to “violate their sincerely-held religious beliefs by eating foods that violate the restrictions of the halal food diet,” according to the lawsuit.

CAIR-MI is seeking a court order enjoining the department from denying Muslim inmates an adequate diet during the upcoming month of Ramadan, which is scheduled to start July 9.

“The Michigan Department of Corrections’ Ramadan policy is discriminatory and subjects Muslim inmates participating in the Ramadan fast to cruel and unusual punishment by denying them a proper nutritional and caloric diet on a daily basis,” CAIR-MI Staff Attorney Lena Masri said in a statement.

John Cordell, a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Corrections, said he couldn’t comment on pending litigation.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown by, among other things, abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking and having sexual relations. Ramadan is considered among the Five Pillars of Islam and is recognized by Muslims worldwide.

Govt Should Use ‘Boko Halal’ To Address Boko Haram – Soyinka

Prof Soyinka made this remark on Monday, while speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, where he noted that Halal is the opposite of Haram. He commended the state government for winning and hosting the World Book Capital city next year, stressing that both the state and the country will benefit from the festival. Prof Soyinka suggested that the slogan ‘Nigeria is Boko Halal’ should be adopted as the campaign slogan for the World Book Capital. “When they (Boko Haram insurgents) say Boko Haram, we say Boko Halal” he said.

He explained that Halal; an Islamic term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, means “virtue, goodness and peace.” Islamic fundamentalists that seek the imposition of Sharia law across Nigeria are known as Boko Haram which means ‘western education is sinful.’ Noting that he was in the state to pledge support to the festival, Soyinka declared that the ‘World Book Capital’ will spark literary activities and attract intellectual tourism in the state.

“Certain infrastructures will be left behind…there will be in transportation, in hotel facilities, because the whole world is coming to your door steps…..even catering businesses will boom including lots of literary activities- publishing, book sales and building of libraries.” With such activities the Professor of literature opined that terrorism and violence can be curbed through educational activities, as he claimed that “a country with high illiteracy levels breeds sinister groups like the Boko Haram.” 

Manipulating Judiciary

Asked of his view on the political crisis in Rivers State, he expressed his worries about the crisis, quipping that “as a citizen of the country he has the right to comment hence I am very worried over happenings in the state.” I’m very much concerned about the imbroglio which the state appears to be at the moment. My main comment is for heaven’s sake whatever happens internally between parties and so on, please don’t debase or manipulate the judiciary.” “That is my appeal to the governance at all levels” he affirmed.

He also spoke on the grounding of aircraft of the Rivers State Governor by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), saying the action smacks of ‘pettiness’ which is not expected in a democracy like Nigeria.

Gippsland council cops hate mail over halal efforts

The Facebook page uses the Baw Baw Shire official logo, contains anti-Islamic commentary and says the shire supports Islamic jihad and sharia law.

The group's co-founder, Drouin resident Dianne Summerfield, says she set up the page because she is against the shire's halal program, which helps local businesses become halal accredited.

She says people are sending threatening letters to Baw Baw Shire councillors and staff because they are frustrated.

"To really look into ... that having halal is the implementation of sharia law and once sharia law is instated into this country it brings on more problems than we know what to do with," she said.

"A lot of people are unaware in Australia of halal practices and sharia law and it's to alert everybody ... what this certification is all about ... because this is Australia, we're not a Muslim nation."

The Baw Baw Shire Council declined to comment because it is afraid its spokesman will become the target of threats.

The chairman of the Gippsland Ethnic Communities Council, Graham Dettrick, says the community should not tolerate discriminatory and inflammatory comments.

"It's the duty of every good citizen to live with respect, tolerance, harmony and understanding with their neighbours and with the wider community, whatever their ethnic origins, cultures and religions may be," he said.

"I'd like to remind everyone that it is a policy of all political parties and the law of the land that Australia is a multicultural nation, with no whatsoever, according to race, religion, colour of skin, gender and so on and so on."

The Federation of Islamic Councils is calling for calm over the issue.

Federation vice-president Ikebal Patel acknowledges that people are concerned about the growth of halal production.

However, he says non-Muslim companies are deciding to produce for the halal market.

"It's an individual choice," he said.

"I mean [I] absolutely agree that nobody should be forced to eat or consume something that they don't want to, they're not happy with or their conscience doesn't tell them to.

"I don't think as Muslims, the blame there is not on Muslims, then that's the unfortunate thing."

Underdeveloped: Pakistan a small player in global halal meat market

Pakistan is one of those countries in the world where climatic and other conditions support the livestock industry, but this industry lacks modernisation and is still a long way from becoming a leading player in the rapidly growing global halal food market.

In an attempt to give a boost to the industry, the government has made some efforts in the past few years, especially in Punjab, where the Punjab Agriculture and Meat Company (Pamco) has been established. However, it has yet to give desired results.

The private sector has been involved in this industry, but not aggressively because of issues like taxation, freight rates, energy crisis, etc. The industry needs modern and hygienic slaughter houses that can meet international standards for export of chilled or frozen red meat to countries where demand for halal meat is growing.

Pakistan is ranked 19th in terms of meat production with an annual output of 2.2 million tons. In the three-trillion-dollar halal product industry of the world, the meat segment is worth $600 billion. Pakistan’s share in it is only $115 million.

Meat exporters believe that this figure can be tripled with the right policies.

“The industry is in its initial stages in Pakistan, with literally 0% contribution to the global industry, we need relaxation in taxes, less interference from provincial departments and a clear policy to boost the industry,” said Nasib Ahmad Saifi, Chief Executive Officer of Anis Associates, a sister concern of Saifi Group.

The group is one of the largest exporters of meat in Punjab, whose export revenues have crossed $15 million annually.

“Rising tax rates, zero rebate, high freight charges and above all energy crisis are hitting us hard, otherwise our company has the potential to at least triple its export volume,” Saifi said.

He believed that total meat exports of the country could reach $500 million if the government started taking interest in this industry. Citing the example of India, he claimed that the neighbouring country, which is not even an Islamic state, was exporting halal meat worth $23 billion annually just by properly organising the industry.

He highlighted smuggling of live animals to Afghanistan and Iran as another problem that has been hitting the livestock market.

According to Pamco, around 2.5 million live animals worth $1.4 billion are smuggled every year, dealing a damaging blow not only to domestic meat sales, but also to exports.

Saifi stressed that if smuggling was brought under control, the export of red meat would grow and prices would also come down in the country.

This will also provide a boost to the local leather and tannin industry which will have access to high quality hides at lower cost. In fact it has been a long-standing demand of the local leather industry to limit livestock exports and to promote meat exports.

Does The GCC Ignore Halal Cosmetics?

As the cosmetics industry continues to perform strongly in the Gulf, it’s curious that halal products have not risen in conjunction with the wider beauty market. On the whole, citizens of the GCC take their appearance seriously with Arab women in particular not shy from spending their money and time on perfecting their immaculate looks.

Logically, one would assume halal products would be flying off the shelves; stores in the region would be sold out of products. But it’s not the case.

The interest in halal products is there, according to Ashley Batten, a research analyst at Euromonitor International, but the market is yet to respond.

“Muslim women in the UAE are increasingly interested in using halal cosmetics. General awareness of cosmetics ingredients and their health effects has increased in the last few years and more women are realizing that their commonly used cosmetics may contain animal products that are not halal,” Batten explains.

“However, the UAE halal-certified cosmetics market is currently very small and heavily fragmented; no major multinational cosmetics company offers halal-certified products.”

A big reason for this is the non-existence of a local halal certification body. While certification procedures for the food and beverage market are well established in the Gulf, there is no such process for personal care products.

This is due to change in 2016 when the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology is expected to launch worldwide halal standards for fragrances and cosmetics.

But until then, the few halal products that make it into the GCC market are likely to be from Europe or North America and certified by regulatory bodies in those countries.

So do the local cosmetics companies think they’re missing a trick?

Not according to Jim Ragsdale, brand director at giant Saudi cosmetics company Mikyajy, “At the moment we honestly have not found that halal products are something that is of primary importance to our customers,” he said.

“The brand is developed primarily for Arabic women but what those women are looking for are high performance make up products first and foremost, more than specifically halal products.

“We’re looking into it [halal cosmetics], but at this point we feel it is a relatively small market that’s actively seeking out these products.”

Instead, the brand director says women of the Gulf are more concerned with products that match the quality of names more commonly found in the aspirational cities of Paris, Milan and London.

“What customers mostly want from us, and what we’re giving them, is the quality they can expect from European production,” he said. As a result, while Mikyajy’s products are developed in Dubai, the majority of production takes place on the continent.

Even with no halal focus though, the brand’s European-tinged products, bearing that certain je ne sais quoi, are reaping big rewards for the Saudi business.

Mikyajy – which in Arabic means ‘my makeup’ – is a cosmetics giant in the GCC. Existing for 14 years with over 230 stores across more than 50 cities, Ragsdale reports 20 per cent sales growth last year – the business saw 30 per cent growth the year before – spurred on by 40 new store openings.

Earlier this year it launched its e-commerce website, which has performed well so far, and is planning to revamp all its stores with a new brand concept.

It also recently employed Lebanese singer Myriam Fares as its brand ambassador – a move reserved for businesses with expansion fixed firmly on the minds of its shareholders.

So has the time come for Mikyajy to look further afield?

“Outside the GCC, we’re beginning to look at other markets, moving in concentric circles around the Gulf and other Arab parts of the world; North Africa and Levant countries,” said Ragsdale.

“But I don’t think we’ve finished expanding in the GCC yet. We are one of the most prominent brands but I still don’t think we have tapped into all the resources the region has to offer. We have very aggressive growth plans in countries across the Gulf.”

By 2016 we will know if those growth plans include halal-certified products

Beef exporters face Halal certification hike

As Australia trade awaits confirmation of increased import quotas in Indonesia, issues surrounding halal certification and pre-slaughter stunning have underlined the ongoing challenges beef and cattle exporters continue to face in the market.

Qld exporters endure Halal certification hike

A number of beef exporters in Queensland have stopped supplying orders to Indonesia in recent weeks following the delisting by the Muslim clerical body Indonesia (MUI) of the State’s key Halal certifier Australian Halal Food Services (AHFS). Queensland packers have been told they must now use a Victorian-based Halal certifier, if they wish to continue supplying boxed beef to Indonesia.

The Victorian certifier has reportedly doubled the costs of certification to Indonesia for Queensland exporters, and has raised concerns about whether processors will now have to pay different Halal certifiers for different markets in future or whether a monopoly will exist for certification of all Halal markets.

Indonesian Halal certification is a state based system in Australia, where historically there has only been one certifier for Indonesia. The Indonesian MUI introduced a policy two years ago requiring that Australian-based Halal certifiers for Indonesia to operate within one state only.

The delisting of Queensland’s main Halal certifier on April 8 is believed to relate to internal disputes within the Muslim certifiers over the state based arrangements and opportunities for certifiers to expand their business across states.

Until this development, Queensland packers have been able to pay one certifier to handle all certification requirements for all Halal markets including Indonesia that they supply.

Certifiers are required to return some of the money they are paid by processors for Halal certification services back to their local Muslim community, such as through donations to Mosques or Islamic schools. It is understood that one of the reasons for the state-based rule was to ensure that money from certification services stays within the local muslim community.

One source explained to Beef Central that the Queensland certifier’s accreditation was delisted after it won a contract to supply Halal certification services in Victoria for a processor to cover markets outside of Indonesia. This development led to a dispute among local certification bodies about whether certifiers should operate across state boundaries, and resulted in the decision by MUI in Indonesia to remove the Queensland supplier’s accreditation and institute another certifier in Queensland.

The delisted certifier, which handles a bulk of the Halal certification work for Queensland exporters across all Halal markets, is understood to be trying to have its accreditation with Indonesia reinstated.

One of several Queensland based exporters who supply Indonesia, but asked to not to be identified, said some companies have switched certifiers to make sure their product got accepted, while others had stopped supplying Indonesia because of the costs involved.

Beef Central is aware that there have been discussions between Industry and the Federal Government around options to improve the current Indonesian certification system and to ensure competition in the market for these services.

Industry monitors audit of stunning in Indo abattoirs

Australian livestock export industry leaders say they are monitoring the situation in Indonesia after national MUI council confirmed it is conducting an audit of pre-slaughter stunning practices in Indonesian abattoirs.

Pre-slaughter stunning is deemed an acceptable practice under Halal, but must be performed appropriately to ensure an animal is not damaged or killed by the stunning bolt and remains alive at the point of slaughter.

Local MUI officials in the province of Banten neighbouring Jakarta have described stunning processes in local abattoirs as “imperfect” and have been meeting to discuss a possible ban in the province.

However, the push to ban pre-slaughter stunning does not have the support of the powerful central MUI council, which some media reports suggested yesterday.

Rather, KH Maruf Amin, national chairman of the MUI, told The Australian newspaper the national council had not issued any new fatwa on the use of stunning.

"A provincial ruling cannot contradict the central council's ruling. We will be calling on Banten MUI to explain their position," he said.

While five ESCAS accredited abattoirs are understood to be located in the province considering the pre-slaughter stunning ban, a department of agriculture spokesperson said Australian exporters had confirmed they have access in their approved supply chains to abattoirs that are not affected.

Under ESCAS rules, abattoirs that handle Australian cattle must comply with OIE standards as a minimum animal welfare requirement.

OIE welfare rules do require abattoirs to practice pre-slaughter stunning.

However, more than 90pc of ESCAS-approved  abattoirs in Indonesia have adopted the practice, largely because they are finding that stunning is not only better for welfare, but better for their bottom line.

After installing pneumatic stunning equipment in his Jakarta abattoir last year, Budiman Lakman told Beef Central that stunning had led to quieter cattle, better quality meat, happier customers, and significant time and cost savings for his business.

“I am very appreciative of the system applied for animal welfare,” he said. “I feel I get the benefit”.

Australian Livestock Export Council chief executive Alison Penfold said it was understood the national MUI council was very supportive of stunning as a Halal practice.

“We’re certainly aware of the audit, and we’re obviously monitoring the situation,” she said.

“There has been a significant increase in stunning across Indonesia, and we want to ensure that it complies with both ESCAS and Halal requirements.

“Industry will continue to work with authorities to provide any additional training, information or support that is necessary.”

Ms Penfold said Australian cattle were still required to be processed in compliance with OIE standards in Indonesia, and said that while that did not require stunning, the industry had no desire to see the strong uptake of stunning in Indonesian abattoirs reversed.

“We certainly want to work with the authorities, given the amount and significant number of facilities using stunning, which is now close to 90pc.

“We would not want to see a rollback

“This doesn’t need to be an either or proposition, we can achieve both (Halal and OIE requirements)”.