Malaysian Halal Exporters Urged To Meet Europe’s Stringent Halal Standards

Malaysian Halal Exporters Urged To Meet Europe’s Stringent Halal Standards


KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 (Bernama) — Malaysian halal manufacturers have
been urged to meet the stringent standards set by Europe in order to
penetrate the growing halal market in Europe.

It is important for the exporters to have the right certification,
transport documentation in order to meet the demands of the European
Muslim consumers for “safe, healthy food,” said the managing director
of Eurofrigo B.V, Derk van Mackelenbergh at a seminar jointly organised
by the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands Embassy and the Netherlands
Foreign Investment Agency here Tuesday.

“We are encouraging exporters from Malaysia to get global
standards in terms of certified logos and transport documents,”
Mackelenbergh said at the seminar which highlighted the facilities at
the Port of Rotterdam.

“Right now Malaysia and Indonesia are strictly following their own regular halal standard,” he said.

He said there was a great demand for halal products in England,
France and Germany where there was a large population of Muslims.

Malaysian exporters should seize the opportunity to network in
Europe and build up partnerships with the right European suppliers in
order to cater to this growing demand, he said.

Right now it is difficult for Muslim consumers in Europe to get
halal goods from hypermarkets and many halal products are sold at
smaller shops due to the lack of supply chain, he said.

He said currently only three percent of the capacity at the Port of Rotterdam was utilised for halal products.

By producing halal products that met the required standards and
having a good business plan, Malaysian exporters have a good chance of
supplying their halal goods to the European market, Mackelenbergh.

He said discussions were already ongoing in Netherlands at the
government level to import halal products especially from Malaysia and
Indonesia, he added.