Certification
MALAYSIA: List out Medicines without Halal Certification -- FOMCA
The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) called on relevant authorities to list out medicines that do not have Halal certification issued by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim). Its communication director, Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman, said the move was vital to prevent Muslim consumers from purchasing non-Halal medicines.
AUSTRALIA: Meat industry on live cattle exports
The meat industry has joined animal welfare groups in opposing the religious slaughter of sheep while they are conscious, amid calls to ban the "unnecessary and unconscionable" practice in Australia. At least 15 Australian abattoirs have government approval to slit sheep’s throats without stunning them for halal and kosher markets. The RSPCA and Animals Australia criticised the absence of mandatory stunning in the federal government’s proposal to Indonesia last week to restart the live cattle export trade.
Filed Under: Slaughter
TAIWAN: Local restaurants obtain Halal certification
Fourteen local restaurants obtained Halal certification last Friday; the first time Taiwan issued such certification in an effort to attract Islamic tourists worldwide. Halal certification is recognition of products that are permissible under Islamic law for consumption by Muslims. Chiang Ming-ching, a division chief of the Tourism Bureau, said the campaign promoting Halal cuisine helps Taiwan reach Islamic markets more easily. He said Islamic tourists, especially those from Malaysia and Indonesia, have contributed significantly to Taiwan's travel industry.
AUSTRALIA: O'Brien pushes for stunning
South Australian Agriculture Minister Michael O'Brien is leading a push for the mandatory stunning of all livestock before slaughter in Australian abattoirs. At the national meeting of Primary Industries Ministers held in Perth last week, he tabled a discussion paper seeking the same animal welfare standards Australian authorities are encouraging in Indonesian abattoirs.
Filed Under: Slaughter
MALAYSIA: Jakim, Main Won't Endorse Non-Halal Products Using 'Halal' Label
The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and the respective State Islamic Religious Councils (MAIN) will not give recognition nor issue the 'Halal' certificates and logo for non-Halal products using the 'halal' label. Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Deputy Minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim said this was because such recognition would be contrary to the 'Halal' standards specified by the authority concerned. This was among the conditions contained in the Trade Description Bill 2011 which was passed by the Dewan Negara earlier this week.
AUSTRALIA: Live export issue requires real change
Australia needs to do more to help resolve animal welfare issues in Indonesia following the lifting of the ban on live export to that country, a University of Adelaide researcher says. Dr Risti Permani is a Postdoctoral Fellow with the University of Adelaide's School of Economics. Her main area of research is economic growth and trade in Indonesian agriculture. Dr Permani says the Australian government should take more of a hands-on leadership role with Indonesia in the regulation of animal welfare for cattle that leave Australian shores.
KYRGYZSTAN: There are only two kinds of Halal sausages in Kyrgyzstan - Maksat Mambetaliyev
“In Kyrgyzstan, there are only one or two kinds of sausages that satisfy the Halal-standards,” the Spokesman for Religious Department of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan, Maksat Mambetaliyev, stated at the panel discussion on Halal-industry. According to him, there are many products with Halal emblem on the market but there is no guaranty that they meet manifested quality.
KYRGYZSTAN: Kyrgyzstan adopts Malaysian Halal production standard
“Kyrgyzstan adopted the Malaysian Halal production standard,” head of Halal-industry department of Ministry of Economic Regulation KR Urmat Dzholdoshev said at a round table conference. According to him, the standard works on nine areas, including tourism, education, medicine, and food industry. “Recently, the production of meat products under “Halal” label increased in the KR. The Malaysian standard, which regulates the manufacture, storage, transportation of products by the single rules, will allow our producers both meet the needs of the domestic market and enter the international one. Today, the work of many producers is not regulated, creating certain risks. Using the sign “Halal”, buyers can be misled,” said Urmat Dzholdoshev.
Filed Under: Standards
MALAYSIA: ‘Certs only for Halal products’
The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and the respective state Islamic religious councils will not give recognition nor issue Halal certificates and logo for non-Halal products. Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Deputy Minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim said this was because such recognition would be contrary to the Halal standards specified by the authority concerned. This was among the conditions contained in the Trade Descriptions Bill 2011 which was passed by the Dewan Negara yesterday. She said among the products involved were bak kut teh, beer and bacon which had previously used the Halal label and could confuse the people.
AUSTRALIA: Backbencher revolt over lifting of live export ban
The Gillard Government has another problem with the live cattle export debate, this time with nine labour backbenchers signing a letter outlining concerns over the decision to lift the ban on live exports to Indonesia. They say they want all cattle that leave Australian shores to be stunned before being slaughtered. Under the Government's requirements, Indonesian abattoirs have to comply with OIE standards which do not include stunning. Labour backbencher Kelvin Thomson says industry should collectively agree to only export cattle to abattoirs that stun.
Filed Under: Slaughter