KUALA LUMPUR: A packed two-day programme awaits the 700 participants attending the World Halal Research (WHR) 2012 conference beginning today (April 4).
This is the 5th edition of the annual event, hosted by Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC), custodian for the development of the local halal industry since 2006.
This year, the event has attracted delegates from 24 countries and a great section of the audience will comprise research and development communities from universities, academicians, business and industry players representing both food and non-food sectors.
Twelve speakers both local and international will deliver presentation papers on a wide array of innovation-related topics and issues that will affect and positively impact the halal industry.
Industry players will be encouraged to seize the opportunity to business match with prototype products that are presented and exhibited during the WHR Innovation Exhibition, collaboration between HDC and Agensi Innovasi Malaysia alongside the two-day conference. Thirteen universities and research companies will be showcasing their prototypes in the exhibition.
Highlights of this year’s event include a special announcement of this year’s recipient of the Halal Science Award, to be made during the event’s Gala dinner as well as the announcement of winners of the Poster Presentation in Halal Science and Innovation Excellence 2012, a programme that drew the participation of nine local and international universities.
“Through business matching, interested halal companies or venture capitalists will be brought closer to the mainstream innovation process.
“HDC will set up certain criteria to enable new interested companies to take up and transform new identifiable technologies under HDC’s Business Transformation Programme into a profitable source of income,” said Datuk Seri Jamil Bidin, chief executive of HDC on the expected outcome of the exhibition.
Four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) will be inked for the attainment of synergistic halal development objectives during the two-day summit. The first MoU will be signed with KFC Holdings and KFC Education.
The KFC-HDC arrangement signifies the start of collaborative activities between HDC and KFC Holdings and KFC Education to ensure growth and development of halal education programmes and halal industry development in general.
The second MoU will be signed between Halal Products Research Institute (HPRI) of University Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Agilent technologies for identifying the need of porcine-gelatin in processed and finished food, using Agilent’s own analytical instrumentation known as the Agilent 6490 Triple Quadrupole Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry system. Agilent will also provide competency training through a formalised research assistantship.
A MoU will also be inked during the Gala dinner between HPRI (UPM) and MIFF Group Marketing, which covers the area of research, product development and safety testing of “CLAYMIFF” products.
These include ‘samak’ clay powder, an industrial cleansing product that is graded under both food and pharmaceutical categories. It is also classified under universal oil cleanser and personal care, as soap ‘samak’ and deodoriser which are products that will be soon in the market.
MIFF Marketing (M) Sdn Bhd was established in 2006 and provides Islamic cleaning services and the manufacture of Islamic cleansing products to shipping lines, machinery, storage facilities and factories. The company also provides cleaning services for kitchen, equipment and storage areas in hotels and restaurants according to shariah and halal requirements.
The fourth MoU is between TPM Biotech Sdn Bhd and Perkin Elmer, which aims to establish halal analysis using the Perkin Elmer technology. The collaboration will see to the setting up of validation methods of halal analysis (fatty acid, triglyeride and polypeptide) using Perkin Elmer. It is designed to validate Porcine Detection Kits too.
The Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir will be delivering the welcome remarks at the summit on the first day.
Former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, will grace the Gala dinner and present the Halal Science Award to its 2012 recipient, as well as the prizes to the winners of the Poster Presentation.
Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohammed will be present at the dinner. He will also officially close both the WHR 20112 and WHR Innovation Exhibition on the second day.
