& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Europe's food business seeks S'pore aid on halal standards

ANN/ THE STRAITS TIMES
The halal food business in Europe is a growing pie and those who want a slice of it are asking Singapore's Muslim officials for help on setting halal standards.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) has been invited by its European counterparts to talk about its halal certification process at an international conference in Brussels, Belgium, tomorrow.
Chairman of organiser Islamic Food Council of Europe, Dr Mohamed Sadek, said in an e-mail interview with The Straits Times that Singapore's halal processes are world class.
"Muis has done tremendous work in highlighting the issues on halal and has been very focused and instrumental in promoting halal certification,'' he said.
Food that is halal must be free of pork and alcohol, and prepared in a prescribed way. Muslims can only partake of halal food.
To sell to the Muslim market, manufacturers and distributors have to abide by established standards and certify that their foods are halal.
In Singapore, Muis has mastered the process, down to the smallest
details, since it was first introduced in 1978.
Companies apply to Muis for halal certification and usually get a response in less than two weeks, said Shahlan Hairalah, head of Muis halal certification programme.
Applicants are screened and told the steps involved, such as cleansing of equipment or types of food permitted. After they adopt the guidelines, Muis officials will inspect the company's premises and products before granting approval.
The steps are open and transparent, and the information is also on Muis' website (www.muis.gov.sg).
Swensen's area manager Karim Atan, whose company's monthly sales jumped by 20 to 30 percent after being certified halal last June, said he found the application process smooth-going.
"So long as we follow their guidelines, it is not a difficult process to go through.''
With 19 outlets here, Swensen's took just over a year before getting its halal status.
Shahlan, who has a degree in biotechnology, will share Muis' "halal know-how'' at the Brussels conference.