Trends
SAUDI ARABIA: Scientists, scholars to redefine Halal
Riyadh Gov. Prince Sattam inaugurated the first international conference on Halal food and a related exhibition in the Saudi capital on Sunday. The program held under the aegis of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah is being organized by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). On arrival at the Prince Faisal Conference Hall, the prince was received by SFDA Chairman Mohammed Al-Kanhal and other senior officials of his organisation. Speaking on the occasion, Prince Sattam said it is fitting to note that the king had given his support to this conference, which had attracted global as well as local leaders in the Halal food industry. “The conference will provide an effective platform for Islamic scholars and dieticians and others involved in the food industry to exchange their experiences and viewpoints on the production of Halal food in the world,” the prince said. He hoped the recommendations of the conference would reassure Muslims the world over on the quality of Halal food consumed by them. “Islam gives us the guidelines as to what we consume in our daily life,” the prince said.
Filed Under: Riyadh Halal Food Conference 2012
FRANCE: After Halal products and Halal stores, here comes HALAL Logistics
After Halal products and Halal stores, here comes HALAL Logistics. The Port of Marseille, with the strong support of the Malaysian government, is actively developing this sector. Intense lobbying is in place in order to convince logistic companies to move into this sector. There is no religious aspect for this move to Halal logistics; it is only about the business of working in the Halal sector. The idea was officially launched in 2012 by the Port of Marseille, when the launch of the ‘Hub to Hub Halal Logistics’ was set up with Port Klang. At the time the director of business development, Dick Becquart was highlighting the potential of the sector and how the Halal logistics required specific set up that is not yet available. The idea is to set up Halal logistics in the way it is already available for the kosher industry. Indeed if the product is certified the logistic service should also be certified. For the Port of Marseille, the market and opportunity is huge, since it could allow the Port to serve a potential target of 220 million consumers across Europe and the Mediterranean region.
Filed Under: Logistics
Building Halal Brand
The race is on to establish powerful international ‘halal brands’. The stakes are high: by some estimates, the global market for halal products is worth $500bn a year. But it’s a market strewn with confusion, as separate Muslim countries try to establish recognised standards and producers from outside the Muslim world also hurry to enter the market. That leaves many Muslim consumers crying out for reliable brands that will help them guide their choices. First, for the uninitiated, what is halal? In its broadest sense, it applies to anything that is “permitted” or “lawful”and covers everything from food to finance to logistics. In a narrower sense, it covers anything made from animal products, especially food, personal care products and pharmaceuticals.
UK: Ethical fashion on the rise
Ethical fashion is slowly but surely gaining momentum and it's about time too. TellusFashion are the latest in the industry to 'go green', with the launch of their brand new ethical boutique. Following on from the successful launch of their website, which stocks emerging designers from around the world, they will soon be helping consumers find fashionable fairtrade and eco clothing. With a focus on the style conscious with the added benefit of socially and environmentally conscious, the TellusFashion ethical boutique aims to sell only the most wearable, modern and luxurious pieces on the ethical market.
UAE: Social trends survey suggests that UAE residents eat out 11 times a week
UAE residents are eating out a whopping 11 times a week according to a new report by LivingSocial and YouGov. The social trends survey suggests Italian and Chinese are the restaurants of choice after local Arabic cuisine and that friends are beating family to the table as our preferred dining companions outside the home. The report commissioned by local commerce company LivingSocial as part of its ongoing efforts to discover and share information about local social trends and behaviour, quizzed 1,131 members on their dining habits. The results provide an insight into the tastes of local residents and a rundown of the nation’s favourite ways to satiate their appetites.
Top 10 Halal-Friendly Airports in OIC and non-OIC Countries
Crescentrating, the Singapore based world leader in Halal-friendly travel, announced the top 10 Halal-Friendly Airports among the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) and non-OIC countries. With the rapid growth of this segment of travellers, travelling not only for Hajj and Umrah, but also for leisure, business and healthcare, more and more airports are beginning to cater to their basic needs. The 2012 ranking was compiled based on the surveys and feedback on Halal-friendly facilities available to Muslim passengers such as availability of Halal food, and prayer and ablution facilities in these airports.
MALAYSIA: Malaysia ranked top Halal-friendly holiday destination amongst 10 OIC countries
Malaysia is ranked as the top Halal Friendly Holiday Destination for 2012 among 10 member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Crescentrating.com, a travel portal for Halal-conscious Muslim travellers, said that Malaysia was placed on the top spot because it has much to offer to Muslim travellers. Second was Egypt, followed by Turkey, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Brunei and Qatar, according to the survey conducted by the portal. Crescentrating.com said that the rankings were compiled based on the facilities and services provided by those countries to Muslim visitors, such as Halal food, Halal-certified restaurants, availability of mosques and family-friendly attractions. The portal also conducted a survey of Halal Friendly Holiday Destinations in non-OIC countries for 2012.
Food prices may ease this year
Food prices may ease in 2012 due to a slowing global economy, though no drastic drop from high levels is expected, the new director-general of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation said on Tuesday. Jose Graziano da Silva, the Brazilian who replaced Senegal's Jacques Diouf at the helm of the FAO at the start of 2012, said volatility in food markets was likely to continue and that more people would be a risk of hunger due to economic instability. 'Prices will not be going up as in the sense of the last two to three years but will also not drop down. There may be some reductions but not drastic,' Graziano da Silva told a news conference in Rome. Global food prices measured by the FAO hit a peak in February but have been falling since June as crops have improved and concerns about global economic turmoil have reined in demand growth. High food prices have helped fuel inflation and contributed to civil unrest and the Arab Spring earlier this year.
EGYPT: Egyptian tourism workers reject proposal for Halal tourism
Egyptians in the tourism sector are worried that proposals by Salafi political leaders advocating Halal tourism would hurt a sector that is already in decline following the wave of political protests this year. Several Salafi leaders recently discussed implementing Halal tourism, which would ban alcohol and bikinis on the beach, and conceal statues. Salafi political groups, particularly the Nour Party, fared well in the first round of parliamentary elections. Egyptians working in the tourism sector said the statements made their customers uneasy.
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.