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Last Updated: Jun 25th, 2007 - 17:07:26 |
Meat and Livestock Australia has launched a new Halal brand for Australian red meat in the Middle East. The brand is aimed at reinforcing Australia’s strict Halal standards in one of the world’s largest Muslim markets.
Under Islamic law, for meat to be permissible for consumption, it must be Halal, or lawful, and animals must be slaughtered by a Muslim in accordance with the Islamic ‘Shariah’, or law.
MLA’s regional manager for the Middle East and Africa, Ian Ross, said the development of the new Australian Halal brand is an important development in reinforcing the integrity of Australia’s strict Halal meat processing systems.
“This new Halal brand, which will appear on retail meat packs and point of sale, is the Australian red meat industry’s guarantee that the meat it exports has come from an animal that has been slaughtered according to the strict Islamic Shariah,” Ross said.
“Australia is the only non-Muslim country in the world that underpins the integrity of Halal animal slaughter through government legislation, and this is something we will be strongly promoting in the Middle East.
“Australia has the most robust Halal meat processing system in the world and Muslim consumers need to know, and more importantly need to trust, that the lamb, mutton or beef they are purchasing is Halal. We hope this level of trust can give us a distinct competitive advantage in key Muslim markets like the Middle East.
“Competition in the Middle East’s red meat market is increasing and we need to gain a competitive advantage whenever we can. The new Halal brand shows that the Australian red meat industry is culturally aware and that we respect the laws of Islam,” Ross said.
In Australia the Halal process is regulated through the Australian Government Muslim Slaughter (AGMS) program by government employees and is supervised by independent Islamic organizations.
All Australian Halal meat is labeled as having passed through the AGMS program. This certification is only allowed to be placed on meat that has been processed at a registered Halal certified abattoir.
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