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Last Updated: Jun 25th, 2007 - 17:07:26 |
New Zealand ingredients innovator Keratec says it has received approval for its entire Functional Keratin products derived from sheep's wool are suitable for use in products for the halal market.
Food and supplement companies are increasingly positing their products to been the sensibilities of particular consumer groups, be they based on religious beliefs, such as Halal or Kosher, ethical such as vegetarians, or related top health concerns such as allergen-free or kosher.
Halal approval for an ingredient does not usually necessitate changes to the production process or ingredient source, it is necessary for a product to be labelled as meeting halal criteria and therefore be suitable for the estimated 1.5bn Muslims worldwide.
The halal market is an area of particular growth at the moment, as second- and third-generation Muslims who have grown up in Western countries wish to eat the same kinds of foods as their non-Muslim peers - but without compromising their Halal diet.
Nordin Abdullah, executive director of Malaysian Kasehdia, the media company behind the World Halal Forum, said last year that producers of halal foods should look to European markets for new growth opportunities.
"There may be only 30 million Muslims in Europe but they have huge purchasing power in comparison with those in the Middle East or North Africa," he said.
He stressed that although a growing number of Western food makers offer halal-certified products, particularly the larger ones, many fail to understand the requirements.
"When you go for ISO, you send people for training. Companies need to invest to get the halal certification," explained Abdullah.
Keratec's ingredients range is aimed at the personal care and dietary supplements market.
The halal food market has never been measured but estimates range from US$150 to 500 billion.
According to the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America, all foods are Halal (Arabic for lawful or permitted) with the exception of those considered Haram (unlawful or prohibited) - that is: swine or pork and its by-products; animals improperly slaughtered or dead before slaughtering; Animals killed in the name of anyone other than ALLAH (God); alcohol and intoxicants; carnivorous animals, birds of prey and land animals without external ears; blood and blood by-products; and foods contaminated with any of the above.
Foods containing ingredients such as gelatin, enzymes, emulsifiers, are considered Mashbooh (questionable) because the origin of the ingredients is not known.
Other companies in the nutrition and supplements sector with halal certification include Carotech, Fortitech, Naturex and Marinova.
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