Aussie’s Baby Royale halal food soon in Malaysian supermarts

Australia's premium branded halal baby food maker Baby Royale will soon put its products on the shelves of 350 supermarkets in Malaysia, reports The Australian.

It believes the rollout of its products in Malaysia's modern supermarkets such as Cold Storage, Giant and Tesco will boost its exports to the Asean region by A$2 million (about RM6 million) over the next 12 months, rising to A$20m a year over the next five years.

Baby Royale managing director Adam Moore said the company, based in the Victorian regional capital of Traralgon, saw the Asean region as being 50 per cent of its within five years, with bigger opportunities in the long term "The focus for food is moving away from being just China-centric.

"It is a lot easier for us to do business here (in Malaysia) than in China. That is the reality.

"There are a lot less barriers to entry and I think we should be taking more advantage of it."

Moore said the company had teamed up with powerhouse local market expansion services firm DKSH, which has developed a reputation for growing brands in the region. It is also listed on the Zurich Stock Exchange and operates through 27 Asean countries.

"They can bring some specialist abilities into what we are doing in terms of brand building and market building. For smaller exporters that is really important," Moore said, noting the deal had taken three years to conclude.

The announcement of the deal was made on the Victorian government's Super Trade Mission to Southeast Asia, which includes 85 food and beverage companies. The trade mission moves today to Indonesia before heading to Singapore.

Drug firms Eye Halal Certification

MUSHROOMING INTEREST: 39 firms have applied for certification from Jakim so far

KUALA LUMPUR: PHARMACEUTICAL Companies have shown overwhelming interest in obtaining halal certification, introduced earlier this year, from the Department of Islamic Development (Jakim).

Its director-general, Datuk Othman Mustapha, said so far, the department had received applications from 39 companies, of which four have already received the certification.

"Before the launch of MS2424:2012 certification, we used the MS1500:2009 standards where 71 companies that produce health supplements and 141 that produce traditional medicines were given the certification."

He said Jakim now had the expertise to be the main centre for the certification of pharmaceutical products.

"Our halal hub division is not only the centre for certification of eateries, slaughter houses and logistics.

"We now also have experts and specialists to certify pharmaceutical products.

"We have also been exploring new areas to improve our certification process," he said.

Jakim's halal hub division created history when it became the first accreditation body in the world to introduce certification for halal pharmaceutical products.

However, the MS2424:2012 standard only applies to over-the-counter medicines, health supplements and traditional medicines.

"Medicines prescribed by doctors are not given accreditation under this standard," Othman said.

Director-general of health Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said they have been working closely with Jakim in developing a more comprehensive Islamic health management practice.

"We are working hand in hand with them to introduce health management that follows Islamic requirements among medical practitioners.

"We have also discussed the use of doubtful pharmaceutical products and use of products that have received halal certification."

He added that the details were being addressed stage by stage.

Malaysia Medical Association president Datuk Dr N. Tharmaseelan said that the demand for halal pharmaceutical products around the world was increasing rapidly.

"The demand for healthcare and halal-certified drugs and vaccines will multiply as economies in Muslim countries expand.

"Malaysia is a well-known halal hub, thus, it opens up a huge market for the local pharmaceutical industry to fulfil the demand."

He said, in Malaysia, almost all medicines and vaccines were halal-compliant and where it is not possible to use halal medicines, the patients would be informed about it.

"Patients, especially Muslims, need to be assured that what they have been prescribed is derived from halal sources.

"Anxiety about the drug content must be addressed in an empathetic manner as confidence speeds the recovery process for patients."

He added that Malaysia had the expertise to become completely halal-compliant in a couple of years, provided there were adequate funds for research.

DEARBORN: Two McDonald’s outlets stop serving halal chicken after lawsuit settlement

DEARBORN — In the wake of a lawsuit settlement, the only two McDonald’s restaurants in the country that served halal chicken have stopped serving halal McChicken sandwiches and Chicken McNuggets.

The outlets are at 13158 Ford Road and 14860 Michigan Ave. A sign on the door at the Michigan Avenue restaurant tells customers in English and Arabic that the halal chicken is no longer served there. The electronic sign at the Ford Road restaurant was advertising a “buy one, get one free” special on Filet-O-Fish sandwiches Friday morning.

“Halal” refers to meeting Islamic requirements for preparing food. God’s name must be invoked before an animal providing meat for consumption is slaughtered.

On April 17, the final details of a $700,000 class action lawsuit against the Ford Road outlet’s franchise owner, Finley’s Management Co., was approved by Wayne County Circuit Judge Kathleen Macdonald.

Ahmed Ahmed of Dearborn Heights bought a McChicken sandwich at that McDonald’s on Sept. 2, 2011. It was advertised as halal, but apparently was not because the restaurant ran out of halal chicken.

He filed the lawsuit Nov. 23, 2011.

Under the agreement, Ahmed was to receive $20,000, Jaafar & Mahdi Law Group of Dearborn was to receive about $286,941, Health Unit on Davison Avenue Inc. in Detroit was to receive $274,000, the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn was to receive about $115,559 and JPMorgan & Chase Co. was to receive about $3,500 for overseeing an escrow account. The money was to be distributed within a month of the settlement.

Kassem Dakhlallah of Jaafar & Mahdi, lead attorney for Ahmed in this case, said Friday he hadn’t talked to Ahmed about it yet.

“It’s disappointing, if anything,” Dakhlallah said. “Our hope was that it wouldn’t be the message a corporation like McDonald’s would take out of this.”

He added that he figured dropping the halal sandwiches might be a byproduct of the lawsuit, and it isn’t what he wanted.

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.

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.

Halal products granted trade body licence

Sunday, April 14, 2013 - Karachi—The Ministry of Commerce, has granted license to ‘Halal Products & Services Association of Pakistan’ (HAP) as a trade body. HAP is the ‘1st’ and only trade association in Pakistan that is officially registered and authorized to represent the Pakistani Halal products & Services sectors, and find solutions to the existing issues for promotion of Halal trade.

HAP member companies are Manufacturers, Producers, Exporters, Traders, Importers, CBs and Service providers engaged in Halal products and services business in Pakistan. HAP will cover all type of Halal Consumables (Food, Confectionery, Dairy, Agro, Ingredients, Additives, Supplements, Beverages) and Non-Consumables including, but not limited to, Pharmaceuticals, Neutraceuticals, Cosmetics, Personal care, Herbal, Soaps, Leather, Animal Feed as well as Services such as Islamic banking, Takaful, Supply Chain, Hospitality, Tourism, Food services, Certification, Testing, Consultants, Shariah Advisors, Facilitators, etc..

Halal Products & Services Association of Pakistan Mission Statement is to make Halal industry a multi billion dollar export sector in Pakistan & establish Pakistan as the Regional Halal Hub. HAP Objectives are to Protect the interests of its members & provide an effective forum for negotiations with the government agencies; Solicit maximum subsidies for its members through effective interaction with relevant authorities and institutions for Halal certification, product testing, export freight, export marketing, import duties & taxes and for setting up Halal industries; Act as an international trade portal to facilitate exporters of Halal products & services; Identify & Promote Halal sector investment opportunities in Pakistan to facilitate JVs.

Five new halal products bearing fruit

PETALING JAYA: A number of university research initiatives on halal products are beginning to bear fruit, with some of them now on the verge of breaking into the market.

Five such products were highlighted during the recent World Halal Week (WHW) 2013 for the purpose of sharing and commercialising new research findings and innovations that are worth being marketed.

Being new and literally small players in the business industry, these halal products are from various industries like pharmaceuticals, packaging clusters, food and cosmetics, and had gone through deep research works before being turned into products that can benefit the consumer.

Excellent Icon Sdn Bhd director R Sathiyamoorthy said the two-year-old company was aggressively into producing nature-friendly tapioca-based tableware products.

“Our products are edible. They are alternative products for existing plastic and polystyrene tableware products,” he said, adding that the company has a production capacity of 100,000 per month.

Sathiyamoorthy, who is also a mechanical engineer, said its products could withstand heat for up to two hours and they are “eatable”.

Moving forward, the company eyed WHW 2013 as a platform to commercialise its products as a part of its strategic plan to expand business.

International Islamic University Malaysia’s international institute for halal research and training (INHART) invented a ready-to-consume beverage called Agarwood Hydrosol.

INHART director Hamzah Mohd Salleh said the younger generation was more attracted to such healthy beverages.

Starting small, INHART is looking to engage with small and medium entrepreneurs to market its products. Reszon Diagnostics International Sdn Bhd introduced a diagnostic system for malaria, namely PlasmoNex, which is pending intellectual property (IP) patenting.

University Malaya associate professor Chua Kek Heng said PlasmoNex is a highly sensitive substance designed to detect malaria at an initial stage.

Concerning rising malaria cases, he said in 2008, 247 million malaria cases were recorded globally, with close to a million ending in death, triggering the research team to come out with the ingredient.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia research institute team introduced its agricultural product called “CiliBangi”. The organic seed product is said to have a high resistance level against viruses with upgraded flowering and fruit maturity.

Another product highlighted at the conference was halal collagen and hydroxyapatite (HAp), an extract from fish scales, produced by Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris.

The patented invention technique is said to be economical and simple without the usage of chemicals and enzymes which yield 40% to 60% of collagen and HAp produced from the same fish scales.

All the products were nominated for a WHW 2013 award as potential halal products to be developed and commercialised.

WHW 2013, previously known as Malaysia Halal Week, aims to bring economic and wholesome benefits and services for Muslims and non-Muslims alike to establish Malaysia as a global halal referral centre.

Last year, six IPs were successfully matched and commercialised, including Beauticococa based cosmetics, an interactive courseware multimedia for umrah and haj, V-Haj and others within the food, pharmaceuticals and packaging clusters.

Moscow Halal Business Forum will pass in June 13-14 in Moscow

Moscow Halal Business Forum will bring together experts to discuss an emerging global interest in principles of Islamic economy

On June 13-14 Moscow will host the event which will bring together Halal industry players, Shariah experts and specialists in Islamic finance, academicians and government representatives. All of them will participate in Moscow Halal Business Forum, organized annually as an important part of International Moscow Halal Expo 2013.

Among the goals of the Business Forum are promotion of ethical principles in the economy, expansion of halal products market, sharing experiences in Halal certification and Islamic finance, strengthening of business relations between Russia and the Islamic world.

This year Moscow Halal Business Forumwill consistof IV MoscowHalalCongress and IV Islamic Finance and Investment Forum.

MoscowHalalCongress will raise questions of Halal standard unification, interaction with public authorities, increasing volumes of Russian exports and imports of Halal products, the industry development in Russia, CIS countries and around the world.

The composition of Islamic Finance and Investment Forum will allow participants to broaden their knowledge of Islamic financial instruments and markets in a special international seminar, which will take place on the first day, June 13. On the second day the experts will share their practical experience in the organization of Islamic businesses, discuss the challenges and prospects Islamic finance market development.

Moscow Halal Business Forum will take place on June 13-14, 2013 at All-Russia Exhibition Center, pavilion 75.

www.halalrc.org 

Spain Muslims Introduce Halal Culture

CAIRO – In an effort to accelerate integration of the sizable minority, a Muslim body in Spain is planning a seminar on Tuesday, March 12, to improve access of Spanish Muslims to halal food and services.
“Halal is a global concept that refers to the set of practices and conducts that are permitted, according to the Shari`ah or Islamic law,” the Halal Training School, a training center sponsored by the Islamic Council of Cordoba, said in a press release obtained by On Islam.net.
“For this reason, the “II Seminar: Halal, a global concept”, has been organized with the motto "A door to integration and the opening of new markets".
The seminar aims to help Muslims get due information about halal concept, its fields of application, standards, difficulties and developments in the market.
“The Halal Institute continues working, with this line of training and dissemination of the Halal concept, towards the normalization and social integration of the Muslim community, as well as improving their access to Halal food and services,” the release said.
The seminar is recognized by the University of Cordoba and sponsored by the Campus of international excellence (CEIA3) and the Halal Institute.
It will be opened by José Carlos Gomez, Vice Provost of postgraduate studies and continuing education of the University of Cordoba.
Leading among attendees are Librado Carrasco, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Cordoba, Mariam Isabel Romero, General Manager of the Halal Institute, Natalia Andujar, Director of Educaislam, Salud Serrano, lecturer at the UCO and Hanif Escudero, the Director of the Halal Training School.
The concept of halal, -- meaning permissible in Arabic -- has traditionally been applied to food.
Muslims should only eat meat from livestock slaughtered by a sharp knife from their necks, and the name of Allah, the Arabic word for God, must be mentioned.
Now other goods and services can also be certified as halal, including cosmetics, clothing, pharmaceuticals and financial services.
Halal food is consumed not only by 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, but also by at least 500 million non-Muslims in the $2 billion global industry.
Halal Culture
A series of lectures will be held as part of the seminar to spread comprehensive theoretical knowledge of halal production and services.
“For the Halal school it is important to guarantee high quality learning,” the press release said.
“For this reason, the training is imparted in an academic context, guided by experts in Islamic food legislation, in Shari`ah and Islam and by professionals in the food industry.”
Several lectures will be given by experts as Manuela Jodral, Professor of Food Science of Food, Said Bouzraa, Chief Auditor of Aud Halal, and Flora Saez, Director of Communications of Nur & Huda Travels.
The event will also conclude the second course of technicians in production of Halal food, which has been held since January 14.
Practical courses would also be offered to attendants.
“The day also includes activities such as Halal Cooking Show led by Ibrahim Romero, Halal chef who will prepare a menu, while telling us his tricks and techniques for cooking Halal.”
Spain has a Muslim minority of 1.4 million, making up about 3 percent of the country’s population, according to the Islamic Commission of Spain.
Islam is the second religion in Spain after Christianity and has been recognized through the 1967 law of religious freedom.