Nestle Malaysia Committed To Providing Halal Products

Bandar Seri Begawan – Nestle Malaysia is fully committed to providing quality Halal food products for the Muslim population.

In an interview, the Chairman of Nestle Halal committee, Othman Md
Yusoft explained the rules and procedures Nestle has to go through to
ensure its food products are Halal certified.

Globally, Nestle company has 400 factories of which 75 factories and
100 Halal production lines are certified Halal. To date, Nestle
Malaysia is the biggest Halal food producer in the world.

Nestle Malaysia has also been recognised as the Centre of Halal
Excellence for its expertise and proactive efforts in the promotion of
Halal products worldwide. Until today, Nestle Malaysia only produces
100 per cent halal food.

In 1996, Nestle Malaysia was the first group to voluntarily request
the Halal certification for all of its food products. However, this
does not mean that the food products were not halal prior to that.

Othman said, “During the early days, we pulled ourselves together
where all the Muslim senior executives would gather and look after the
halal affairs of the Nestle company. In 1980, we (had) already formed
our own halal committee just merely to take care of the integrity of
halal quality in our products. In 1992, they formed into a more
structured group.

“We started (to use) Halal knowledge way back in the 1970s. As early
as 1997, Nestle had already established internal guidelines on how to
manufacture Halal products.

“Today the committee’s 16 senior Muslim executives are from various
divisions of the company and from each Nestle factory. And each factory
has its own operational committee. So currently we have over 70 people
looking after the halal affairs of our products.”

Nestle is committed to ensuring that the products it distributes in
Brunei and Malaysia are certified Halal by recognised Islamic
authorities, Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) which
includes the Halal logo on the packaging.

Its products and premises are thoroughly and regularly inspected
under strict hygienic conditions in line with the Islamic faith.

Othman said, “If you make halal certification on products, a
thorough check will be made on the products. You must fulfill the
Syariah requirements. If the manufacturing premises is not hygienic, in
terms of safety, you will not be certified.”

Nestle Malaysia uses halal ingredients imported from all over the
country which are certified by the Islamic Food & Nutrition Council
of America (IFANCA). It follows the guidelines for intermarket supply
of halal food detailing established in 1997, which includes export of
halal products.

He also stated that even