Opinion: Horsemeat scandal companies can learn from Halal

Shelina-JanmohamedShelina Janmohamed is vice president of Ogilvy Noor, a part of Ogilvy & Mather.

The horsemeat scandal has raised significant consumer questions: what is in the food we eat, how can we be sure it’s properly labelled, and most importantly, who can we trust?

For Muslim consumers who wish to observe halal in their food and beverage consumption – an industry worth an estimated $661bn a year – these are questions they ask daily. For them, halal certification from a trusted authority is vital, otherwise they simply won’t buy. No trusted halal logo, no sale.

This means that getting your products halal certified is crucial. A sampling of news stories demonstrates that halal certified food is on the upswing in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Kenyan businesses are remaking products with halal certificates. Brazil exports over 85,000 metric tonnes of halal certified meat products each month.

The Canadian halal meat market is estimated at $214 million and Muslim households spend double weekly average on meat products. The UAE halal food industry will hit $8.4bn by 2020. A lack of certification can keep you out of the market, like in Oman where meat without a halal stamp isn’t allowed to enter the country…….read more

For the full article go to:

http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/02/22/guest-post-horsemeat-scandal-companies-can-learn-from-halal/#ixzz2MCwXQtGm