By Mark Hotton
Invercargill will host the New Zealand Halal Slaughtermen Union’s seventh annual meeting today, with between 30 and 50 members from throughout the country expected to attend.
The union is made up of 191 halal slaughtermen, who kill animals at meat processors in accordance with halal regulations so the meat can be exported to Muslim countries.
A spokesman said a celebration was also planned to mark New Zealand winning the Halal Journal Award, the first non-Muslim country to achieve this. The union nominated the New Zealand Food Safety Authority for award, which recognises New Zealand as having the best halal system in place.
The estimated annual value of the New Zealand halal industry was about $800m, including $250m in meat and $400m in dairy products, he said.
The union’s role is to represent the religious and working rights of New Zealand halal slaughtermen, as well as training.
The Southland Times
