The
Philippines will be aiming for a larger share of the global halal
market worth $150bn by adopting the Australian standards on halal
products. The government and the industry have taken such a decision
after the trade delegation comprising of government officials and
industry representatives visited Australia recently to study the
process of producing halal food products.
The Trade and Industry
Senior Undersecretary Thomas Aquino led the team to Australia, and were
able to gain a first hand knowledge on the best practices of
Australia’s halal meat processing system. Aquino observed that the
visit gave in depth knowledge about how proper halal procedures on the
slaughter of cattle, sheep, goats and chicken were conducted.
The
term ‘halal’ means goods or actions that are ‘permissible’ as per
Islamic laws. The halal standards are complementary with other food
standards, such as the Good Manufacturing Practice and the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards.
However,
the team was of the opinion that all features of the Australian system
could not be adopted as the Australian government’s regulation was
centered on halal meat exports to gain access to overseas markets. It
has been recommended that an export certificate for halal products by
introducing a modified veterinary quarantine certificate of the
National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) would strengthen the
acceptability of halal certification issued by Philippine Islamic
organizations.
The Philippine delegation had sought technical
assistance from the Australian counterparts in acquiring the knowledge
on halal certification process. The Philippines is expecting to start
the certification program through the training of Filipino Muslim
butchers and the workforce involved in the meat industry.
The
global halal market has about 1.6bn consumers from 112 countries, and
is valued at around $150bn. Indonesia with 212mn is the largest
consumer of halal products among Muslim nations followed by Pakistan
with 158mn, Bangladesh with 127mn, Egypt with 69mn, Iran with 67mn,
Turkey with 66mn and Nigeria with 64mn. The non-Muslim countries with
sizable Muslim consumers include India with 174mn, China with 38mn,
Russia with 11mn, the US with 7mn, the Philippines with 5mn and
Thailand with 4.5mn.
By Jose Roy
