Shihkang ponkan orange cake gets Halal certification

A new snack made from ponkan mandarin oranges grown in central Taiwan's Taichung County has obtained Halal certification, which will pave the way for it to enter Islamic markets abroad, a farmers association said.

Halal certification is recognition that products are permissible under Islamic law for use by Muslims.

The ponkan mandarin orange cake was developed by Taichung County's Shihkang Farmers Association in collaboration with a food company, an association spokesman said, adding that the association was forced to try to add value to its ponkan mandarin oranges — a major crop in the Shihkang area — following poor sales in 2009.

After much trial and error, it came up with the orange cake, the spokesman said. As the cake uses purely natural ingredients and is moderately sweet and full of orange aroma and flavour, he said, it was an instant success when it hit the market in April.

“All of the cakes have sold out and we are now preparing to produce another batch, part of which will be exhibited at a food fair in Malaysia in July,” the spokesman said.

Besides Malaysia, the association will also explore markets in other Southeast Asian countries with large Muslim populations, the spokesman said, adding that the association will try to create as much commercial value as possible for second-grade locally grown oranges.