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USA: The future of ritual slaughter
Last month a plan for an outright ban on ritual slaughter in the Netherlands failed to pass the Dutch Senate. The move prompted the deputy minister for agriculture to present a compromise asking slaughterhouses and the Islamic and Jewish communities to agree on the length of time an animal is conscious before dying, opening the door for more discussions about stunning the animal before slaughter – something long opposed by many in the Jewish and Islamic communities. Prof. Dr. Joe M. Regenstein, professor in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University, was interviewed to discuss recent issues and the future of ritual slaughter in the United States.
BRAZIL: Brazil company to expand ME chicken exports
BrazArtis Assessoria em Comercio Exterior, an import-export company based in Brazil, has announced a campaign to expand chicken exports to the Middle East. The endeavour is aligned with the growing Brazilian poultry exportation to the region, a statement from the company said. The total Brazilian poultry production reached 13 million tons in 2011, almost 6.9 per cent increase from 2010. At the same time, the exportation is expected to total 3.937 million tonnes, over 30 per cent of the total production, according to Brazilian Poultry Union (UBABEF).
U.S.A: Where Kosher Meets Halal
“Shalom. Salaam,” Dr. Joe M. Regenstein said while greeting an audience at the Jewish Museum of Maryland. It was fitting that Dr. Regenstein used both Hebrew and Arabic to say hello, as he is an individual who straddles the worlds of both Jews and Muslims. Dr. Regenstein, a professor of food science at Cornell University, is head of Cornell’s Kosher and Halal Food Initiative. He is an expert on the rules for fit and proper food in the Jewish and Muslim communities internationally. He was at the museum recently to present a lively talk titled “Everything You Wanted to Know about Kosher and Halal but Were Afraid to Ask.” Dr. Regenstein’s talk at the Jewish Museum was cosponsored by the Baltimore Jewish Council’s Jewish/Muslim Dialogue Group.
U.S.A: Reality TV catches up to reality with Muslim show
Among the themes of “All-American Muslim,” a cable reality show about the daily lives of five families in Dearborn, Mich., is the suspicion and bias that ordinary Muslims face in a nation uneasy about all things Islamic after Sept. 11, 2001. As it happens, reality has caught up to reality TV. Peppered by a conservative group’s complaints about the program, the Lowe’s home-improvement chain last week pulled its sponsorship — and has been fielding counter complaints that the company had caved in to the very prejudices faced by the program’s protagonists.
Global Nuclear Generation Capacity Falls
Due to increasing costs of production, a slowed demand for electricity, and fresh memories of disaster in Japan, production of nuclear power fell in 2011, according to the latest Vital Signs Online (VSO) report from the Worldwatch Institute (www.Worldwatch.org). Despite reaching record levels the previous year, global installed nuclear capacity----the potential power generation from all existing plants----declined to 366.5 gigawatts (GW) in 2011, from 375.5 GW at the end of 2010. Not surprisingly, this drop in installed capacity corresponds with a decline in global consumption of nuclear energy. Nuclear's share of world commercial primary energy usage fell to around 5 percent in 2010, having peaked at about 6 percent in 2001 and 2002. Only four countries----the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom----increased their share of nuclear power by over 1 percentage point between 2009 and 2010.
Malaysian, Chilean Firms Set To Explore Business Opportunities
Malaysian and Chilean firms are set to cooperate and explore opportunities in the seafood, fruits, dried fruits, olive oil, wine, malt, gourmet and Halal product sectors, said the country's Ambassador to Malaysia, Christian Rehren. Rehren said the recent business matching session, organised under the "Flavours of Chile" event, had received excellent response. According to him, about 20 Malaysian companies and 11 Chilean firms attended the session, which allowed them to explore business opportunities in both countries. The business matching session saw one-on-one pre-arranged meetings between the Chilean firms and Malaysian businesses.
Filed Under: Trade & Investment
U.S.A: NY Farm Raises Organic, Halal Turkeys and More
Norwich Meadow Farms sold all its turkeys two weeks before Thanksgiving, something that comes as no surprise to owner Zaid Kurdieh. He said he has heard of no other farm in the nation doing what he does: raising certified organic, Halal and kosher-friendly turkeys. Kurdieh didn’t grow up on a farm, but his entire adult life has involved agriculture. He studied agriculture, worked for the USDA and later worked at Cornell.
USMEF: Required or not, Halal beef products popular in Asia
Halal products represent one of the fastest growing segments of U.S. beef exports. Halal certification, which indicates that products have been processed and prepared according to Islamic guidelines, is required for export to most markets in the Middle East, as well as to Indonesia and Malaysia. But the popularity of Halal beef is also growing is some areas in which Halal certification is not required for entry, but is in high demand due to customer preference.
U.S.A: Non-alcoholic Beverage by Scottish Distillers Appals World
First of its kind alcohol-free ’Halal whisky’, is out on sale heralding the party season. ArKay, the world’s first alcohol-free whisky, will be sold worldwide from Dec 1, and is said to look and taste just like traditional whisky. It has been declared as Halal certified, which opens up the markets in Muslim countries and the Middle East. Whisky distillers in Scotland are said to be in a state of revolt over the ’alcohol free’ creation. A Florida-based company called Scottish Spirits Ltd manufactures the non-alcoholic whisky in its Panama factories, and will be priced at 10 pounds a bottle and 4 pounds for a can.
Filed Under: Products & Services