Indonesia has become the first country to suspend US beef imports, following the discovery in California this week of a dairy cow infected with mad cow disease.

Indonesia has become the first country to suspend US beef imports, following the discovery in California this week of a dairy cow infected with mad cow disease.

According to Agence France-Presse, imports of boned US meat and innards would be banned, however the import of boneless meat remained unaffected.

“We will lift the ban as soon as the U.S. can assure us its dairy cows are free of mad cow disease,” the Associated Press quotedIndonesia’s Vice Agriculture Minister Rusman Heriawan as saying.

“It could be one month or one year. It depends on how long it takes to resolve this case.”

US Health authorities have said the diseased animal was never a threat to the nation’s food supply, in the first case of mad cow disease in the US since 2006.

Major buyers of US beef have said they will continue with American beef imports, meaning Indonesia’s partial ban will have little impact, according to Reuters.

There were no immediate signs that some of the biggest consumers, South Korea and Japan, would follow suit.

The EU has said that it has no plans to impose restrictions on imports of US beef products, according to AFP.

In 2011, the United States exported nearly 18,000 tones of beef products to Indonesia, valued at $28.2 million, according to AFP, citing figures from the US Meat Export Federation.

Indonesia imports most of its meat from Australia and New Zealand.

The US trade representative Ron Kirk said Thursday that there was “no reason to fear” that a Californian mad cow case had tainted food markets.

“There’s been no evidence (in) this one reported instance that any contaminated product has entered our food chain or any international food chain,” Kirk said.

“There is no reason, from my understanding of the analysis… for any consumer to be concerned about the consumption of US beef.

“Thus we would expect that Indonesia would quickly reopen its market for its consumers for US beef products.”

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The intention was conveyed to Indonesian Ambassador to Russia, Djauhari Oratmangun, during a visit to the Tatarstan capital city of Kazan on Thursday, the Indonesian Embassy in Moscow said in a media statement sent on Saturday.

Minnikhanov emphasized Tatarstan’s intention to increase tourism cooperation with Indonesia.

Djauhari also met with several ministers, Tatarstan chambers of commerce and industry, as well as delivering a general lecture at the Kazan University.

Officials from both countries agreed that Tatarstan and Indonesia had complementary potential and each country could become an entrance for goods from the other country. Tatarstan could become the entrance for Indonesian products to the central and eastern part of Russia while Indonesia could become the entrance for Tatarstani products in the ASEAN region.

Tatarstan is also the entry point for halal products from other countries, having a Muslim majority and the largest Halal industry in Russia.

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“We don’t want an institution to produce the rule and execute it as well,” Ledia told Tempo yesterday.

The MUI argues that is should be involved in guaranteeing the suitability of halal products in the Halal Product Guarantee Draft. According to MUI chief in charge of fatwas (religious edict) Ma’ruf Amin, halal labeling is a written fatwa. The MUI, he said, should be involved in the assessment process, from the initial audit stage until the fatwa issuance.

ANANDA BADUDU | RAFIKA AULIA

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Jakarta (ANTARA News) – Indonesian Ambassador to Brussels Arif Havas Oegroseno has opened the 5th International Halal Food Conference at Sheraton Hotel in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday.

Government, business, private and public representatives discussed global halal (lawful according to Islam) standards, Information, Social, Cultural and Diplomatic Coordinator of the Indonesian Embassy in Brussels Palupi Sukiyantini Mustajab said on Saturday.

She said the ambassador in his addressed dwelled on business opportunities and challenges in the Halal market and related matters Indonesia has and is being done.

She said Halal products are very promising to the 1.7 billion Muslims in the world since one fifth of the food trade in the world are halal food, and this segment is growing by 500 billion US dollars each year with an economy worth 1.2 trillion US dollars in 2010.

This figure continued to increase with the growing number of Islamic countries or countries with a Muslim majority becoming world economic powers.

The ambassador said the many challenges in the trading of halal products including high competition between suppliers and business players, for instance Australia and New Zealand, have made Indonesia a main livestock product export destination.

Other matters posing an obstacle are the different views on halal.

In these cases Indonesia adopted several laws while the Law on Halal products is in the making.

The ambassador also said that the creation of global Halal standards are very important. Indonesia will continue playing a neutral role in the internationalization of Halal standards.

Also taking part in the 5th International Halal Food Conference is chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) who has been asked by the organizers to make an explanation.

The MUI chairman dwelled on the application of halal certificates in Indonesia and provide information on MUI networks in other countries.
(ZG)

http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/80852/ri-envoy-opens-halal-food-confab-in-brussels

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“On behalf of Ningxia’s foreign affairs office, we express our desire to establish a sister city relationship with one of Indonesia’s cities,” Zhang Yexing, vice director general of Ningxia’s foreign affairs office, told journalists yesterday.

The Hui ethnics form the majority of the population in Ningxia, one of China’s five autonomous regions and inhabited by 6.3 million people, of whom 2.3 million are Hui Muslims. There are some 4,000 mosques in Ningxia.

Yexing said the Ningxia government is eager to establish cooperation in Halal food production with its sister city in Indonesia.

He said the Chinese government has designated Ningxia as a Halal food hub, with an office dealing with Halal food certification services in the province.

“We want to look for a city that could complement Yinchuan. We want to establish cooperation with a city that provides Halal food in Indonesia,” said Yexing.

The official expressed hope that Yinchuan and its Indonesian sister city would one day export Halal food products to respective regions and other countries as well.

Ningxia has developed trading partnerships with more than 120 countries and entered into sister city relationships with 23 provinces from around the world.

Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to make a state visit to Beijing on March 22-24 along with a 30-strong business delegation.

– BERNAMA

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THE live export industry is facing fresh pressure to clean up its act with new vision of cruelty in Indonesian abattoirs uncovered by animal activists, despite strict new rules for exporters being in place for nearly six months.
The fresh allegations will place pressure on Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig – who was criticised for mishandling the controversy last year – ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle.

The footage, seen by The Age, includes a slaughterman at Temur Petir stabbing at the face of a cow with a blunt metal file while it is in a restraint box. The animal jumps onto its hind legs as it attempts to climb out of the box. Animals Australia is confident the abattoir is part of an accredited supply chain.

The video, a complaint and a report from the RSPCA was handed to the agriculture department last Friday who are now investigating. RSPCA chief scientist Bidda Jones identified dozens of breaches of the new supply chain assurance rules, which were introduced to protect animal welfare following the crisis last year.

The breaches include; failing to check the animal is dead before processing its body, keeping the animal in restraint for too long, interfering with the wounds after the throat cut and hosing the animal with water prior to and just after the throat cut.

At a second, run-down, abattoir in Cakung an animal is put into the banned Mark I restraint box to be slaughtered, as workers restrain the animal it repeatedly bashes its head on a concrete plinth.

<http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201106/r779740_6700498.jpg>
An Indonesian restraint box used for holding cattle supplied my MLA at the cost of millions and is quite useless.

“The idea that Australian cattle are being slaughtered in Mark I boxes, after they were proven to be inhumane last year, is appalling,” Dr Jones said.

The group does not believe Cakung could be part of an accredited supply chain given it is in a run down state and use of “appalling slaughter practices”, but has serious concerns that Australian cattle are going there anyway.

It has based this view on information from the investigator who saw ear tags that may relate to an Australian exporter as well as the slaughter of one animal that resembled an Australian breed of cattle – local cattle are much smaller.

Animals Australia’s campaign director Lyn White told The Age that it was clear the new regulatory system cannot and would not provide protection for Australian cattle.

“The government hoped that this new system would quell public concerns. It has failed its first independent test,” Ms White said.

She believes 62 abattoirs have been approved to slaughter and she said to suggest that there would be daily compliance with basic standards of welfare in all slaughterhouses was “ludicrous.”

Ms White said there needed to be more severe penalties.

A meat industry source said Caking was a large, old, government-owned abattoir in East Jakarta. It was highly unlikely that it was Australian cattle being slaughtered there, he said.

Temu Petir was a newer abattoir in north Jakarta. The source said he believed whatever wrongdoing the video showed were “not major animal welfare incidents, but they are things that are going to require corrective actions”.

Critic of the industry and Labor MP Melissa Parke agrees with Animals Australia that there needs to be harsher penalties for breaches.

“This will be a test for the new regulatory regime. I continue to hold the view that pre-slaughter stunning should be mandatory and that there should be clear and serious consequences for breaches of the exporter supply chain assurance system,” she said.

Senator Ludwig, the Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council and the Cattle Council all acknowledged the investigation but declined to comment on the allegations until the inquiry was complete.

Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon last night seized on the fresh evidence saying it should be the responsibility of the Australian government to monitor and audit the abattoirs.

“Instead it is left to courageous and committed animal rights activists such as Animals Australia to expose the continuing cruelty in the live export industry,” she said.

Senator Rhiannon called on the government to put more resources into monitoring live exports.

“To maintain any public confidence in the system, the government needs to apply the full force of sanctions in this instance. Ultimately live exports should be banned.”

Last Friday, Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Phillip Glyde said officers in the department are reviewing footage of the alleged animal welfare issues and are checking if the abattoirs operate under an exporter supply chain assurance system.

He said the embassy had informed relevant officials in Indonesia of the receipt of the complaint.

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For Muslims, eating and drinking is an activity that has a value of worship so that halal become non negotiable. Therefore, the existence of the Halal Food Guarantee Act is expected to provide clarity and avoid restlessness in the community about the halal products. This was stated by Ahmad Mukri Aji, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs Faculty of Shari’ah Law of State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta in DPD RI Building, Senayan Jakarta.

“With the Halal Food Guarantee Act, halalan thoyyiban is no longer engineering, there is a scientific spirit, worship, and theology,” Ahmad explained. The Act which is the implementation of Article 28 UUD 1945, according to Ahmad will also strengthen the LP POM MUI who had been dealing with halal certification.

Director General of the Ministry of Islamic Guidance Society of Religious Affairs of the republic of Indonesia, Ahmad Jauhari said that when people are not able to protect themselves from the illegitimate product, then the government must step in to provide protection. “It’s true that our country has the majority of halal food, but many are still mutasyabihat (doubtful), haram lidzatihi (forbidden because its substance) and haram lighairihi (forbidden because of other causes) that the people are not able to detect it,” Jauhari said. “So there must be a legal certainty for those doubtful things,” he continued.

Jauhari also convinced that the future existence of this Act will not cause any trouble because there is already a sophisticated technology. Government together with MUI should be determined to protect the people and should be carried out periodically. “Muslim communities need protection. The middle way out is to do the cooperation, “concluded Jauhari.

At the end of the meeting, Secretary of the Director General of Islamic Guidance Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia stated that the government in this case the Ministry of Religious support for Halal Food Guarantee Act will be passed soon. “This is the needs of community to ensure all the food eaten by the people is Halal,” said Abdul Karim. Responding to the suggestion of some members of the DPD RI that haram labeling is more effective, Abdul has a different view. “If it used halal labeling, this will offend certain parties,” he explained. (Af)

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TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) has criticized Nahdlatul Ulama’s (NU) plan to draft halal and honesty certifications for its members.

Lukmanul Hakim, MUI’s food, drug and cosmetics study agency’s (LPPOM MUI) director, said it was unnecessary for NU to issue its own certifications because the LPPOM’s halal certificate was transparent and practical. However, he said, the certificate arrangement was subject to fees because the office is not subsidized by the government.

NU Businessmen’s Association (HPN) chairman, Abdul Kholik, questioned the ban. He said the NU’s certification plan aimed to protect its members under stricter NU references for determining whether a product is halal.

“It’s true the MUI is the head of all Islamic organizations, including NU, but we don’t feel that we’re represented by its halal certificate,” said Abdul.

MUI Secretary General Muhammad Alkhathath said that in the certification process, an audit must be conducted by an expert to check whether a product was halal. “In principle, it’s like the food and drug monitoring agency,” he said.

AFRILIA SURYANIS / FATKHURROHMAN TAUFIQ

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REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Indonesian vice president, Boediono, opened Annual General Meeting World Halal Food Council (AGM-WHFC) and International Workshop on Indonesian Role for Strengthening Global Halal 2012, at his office, Monday.

The meetings among Muslim scholars, he said, would promote understanding and expand experience on how to implement the system of halal product in an effective way. Halal means food or other things prepared in accordance to Islamic law.

“The forum will be a great opportunity to open discussions and exchanging ideas among policy makers, practioners, academicians, and stake holders,” Boediono said.

For Muslims, food, drink, medicine, cosmetic and other products are not only to fullfill physical needs, but also should be in accordance to religious principles.

Indonesia has 200 milions Muslim in its population. The number is equal with six other countries in total, namely Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Uni Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, and Turkey. The huge number reflects a great potential for halal product.

“Therefore, we need to work hard to write, implement, and monitor the policy on halal products. We also need to promote implementing these policies to achieve global standardization in halal product,” he said.

Furthermore, Boediono explained that halal standardization was the duty of Indonesian Muslim Scholars Council (MUI) and Drug and Food Enforcement Body (BP POM). The bodies task to certify halal products in Indonesia.

“We need to enhance cooperation with other countries. Hopefully, The World Halal Food Council can facilitate such cooperations,” Boediono said.

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