RP takes steps to hasten entry in $200-B Halal food global market

The Philippines is hastening its efforts to tap the $200-billion Halal food global market.

"A team of Halal experts from Malaysia and Singapore are coming over to the Philippines to provide technical expertise to local food manufacturers venturing into the Halal market," said Agriculture Assistant Secretary Romeo Recide.

Recide said there is a big potential for local food processors to export Halal food especially with the approval earlier this year by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of the entry of Halal-certified food products from the Philippines.

He said however, that there is still a need for food manufacturers to acquire technical know-how in Halal food processing and be able to comply with specific requirements of importers.

The UAE-General Secretariat of Municipalities (UAE-GSM) last year allowed the entry of Halal-certified products. Initially, the UAE will issue a list of approved food products.

The Da’wah Council of the Philippines was accredited by the UAE-GSM to supervise beef/goat and poultry products manufacturing and to verify whether processors comply with UAE Halal rules.

Foreign companies manufacturing beef /goat and poultry products imported from other countries other than the Philippines will be allowed to export their products to the UAE, provided that raw materials from UAE-approved processing plants were used in the manufacturing of food products.

Related products will be allowed to export their products to the UAE under the Islamic Sharia Rules on slaughter.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is urging the establishment of the Halal Food Regulatory and Accreditation Board to speed up the accreditation and certification process for local food exporters.

The proposed accreditation board could work closely with the recently-created DA-Halal Food Industry Development Committee in crafting strategic and operational plans for the Halal food industry.

Another organization, National Halal Fatwa Council of the Philippines (NHFCP) was also formalized to support in the formulation of plans and programs for the industry, he added.

Earlier, Agriculture Secretary Domingo F. Panganiban said potential exporters requiring financial assistance could tap the Islamic Development Bank which opened a $100-million credit window of which $20 million will be used for road network projects and the remaining $80 million will be utilized for viable agricultural programs and projects in Mindanao.

The DA has been seeking accreditation with food and trade regulatory bodies of the European Union in its bid to tap the growing Halal markets in Eastern Europe.

The demand for Halal products is increasing annually to meet the needs of some 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide or about one-fourth of the world’s population. Currently, the Halal market is estimated to be generating sales of $200 billion annually.

Muslims are required to consume food items that are considered Halal , which means lawful or permissible. Halal food products undergo meticulous preparation and hygienic processes.

Countries in the Middle East, North America, Asian and the large Muslim populations of Eastern Europe have been contributing to the growth of the Halal food industry.

Several Filipino food processing companies are seeking Halal certification for their products to be able to snag a share in the billion-dollar international market.

Some of the companies that already have Halal certifications are San Miguel-Purefoods, Alaska Milk, Splash Corporation, Mega Sardines, RFM Corp., Silver Swan and Macro-Asia Eurest.

In the Middle East alone, the Filipino overseas workers already comprise a market of close to two million.

In the Philippines, there are about eight million Muslims, with close to one million residing in Manila.