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Halal Wagyu Beef Of Japan Attracts Swath Of Visitors at Gulfood

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halal-wagyu-beefDUBAI — You might say wagyu beef stole the show here last month.

The show would be Gulfood, the Middle East’s largest food trade show. Some 5,000 businesses from around the world exhibited at the fair.

At the Japan pavilion, 27 businesses and organizations displayed uniquely Japanese offerings such as matcha green tea powder and fermented foods. But visitors were mostly fascinated by a wagyu-tasting event. Wagyu is a type of Japanese beef with an intense marbling that pleases the eye and a high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat that is a pleasure for both the tongue and the teeth.

“It’s very tender,” a Saudi Arabian visitor said. “The flavor spreads in the mouth.”

Wagyu’s high quality is recognized around the world, but Japanese businesses are struggling to offer the beef in Islamic countries at affordable prices.

It is that whole halal thing. Under Shariah, or Islamic law, only certain foods are permissible to eat. If beef is to be halal, the cow it came from has to have been slaughtered in a certain way and the meat processed according to certain rules.

Following these regulations in the production process is expensive and increases the price of wagyu beef, which is not cheap to begin with.

According to the Japan Wagyu Beef Export Promotion Committee, which exhibited at the Gulfood fair, halal-safe wagyu beef can cost more than five times as much as the Aussie beef that is widely eaten in the UAE.

Middle Eastern consumers, the council determined, are going to have to be convinced that the high price is worth it.

So the council decided to use the fair and cook up a show of persuasion. Masami Ando, head of the Dubai branch of Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro), was in charge of blowing the horn for beef at the Gulfood fair. He said the exhibit also might have been effective in promoting a variety of beef cuts.

Originally published on www.asia.nikkei.com

There Is A Market For An International Halal Brand

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halal-brandingOne of the main pillars of the Islamic economy, the halal food market, is in rapid expansion mode. Key factors contributing to this market growth is the increase in the Muslim population, more research and development in halal product innovations, as well as investments across the entire value chain and better access to Islamic finance options for halal food production.
The halal food sector has also spread widely to non-Muslim countries, namely in Europe and America.
Gulf Times talked to Dr Muhammad Munir Chaudry, president, chairman and co-founder of the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America, or IFANCA, one of the world’s leading platforms for halal consumers that also acts as an established halal certification body for the American market.
Dr Chaudry was a panellist at the Global Islamic Economy Summit 2015 held in Dubai last week.
Gulf Times: What is the current size of the halal food industry worldwide?
Dr Chaudry: Thomson Reuters and DinarStandard [a US-based research firm focusing on the Islamic economy] have estimated the global Muslim expenditure on halal food to be $1.3tn in 2013, and the expenditures are increasing at a rate of over 10% annually. That is probably a conservative estimate as many non-Muslims also enjoy the wholesomeness of halal food products. By 2019, it is expected that Muslim expenditures on food will be 21% of the global spending on food.
Where do you see the biggest growth potential?
Growth will be balanced among the populations, but on a percentage basis, we will likely see higher growth rates in regions where economic conditions show the biggest improvements. That is likely to be in today’s less affluent areas in Africa and South Asia. As far as the market segments are concerned, again we expect balanced growth with opportunities for higher growth in ingredients, nutritional supplements and food services; the latter due to increased attention to halal in the travel industry.
How can conventional food industries tap this potential at best?
Tapping into the halal industry is not much different than tapping into any new market. Newcomers need to study the marketplace, understand the requirements, develop a market strategy, partner with a reputable halal certifying body and execute the strategy. The challenge for global marketing would be to understand the different standards in different regions and finding the right halal certifying body that can help guide them through the different standards.
Is there a market for an international halal food brand?
Absolutely. With today’s mobility, consumers want to find products they trust wherever they happen to be. A global brand makes that easy. Whether it is a global halal restaurant chain, hotel chain, or even frozen food, a global halal brand will afford halal consumers peace of mind. And halal consumers are generally loyal to brands that comply with their needs.
How can halal food certification be streamlined internationally?
That is the big question! It takes two things: a global standard or a set of global standards and a centralised accrediting organisation. While the halal economy has been struggling with this for a number of years, there has been progress and we hope to see something emerge in the years ahead. The industry, consumers and regulators want to see this happen. It is just a matter of coming together to work out the details.

Originally published on www.gulf-times.com

Pakistan To Take Over Presidency Of ECO CCI

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Pakistan To Take Over Presidency Of ECO CCIKARACHI: The President Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) will take over presidency of Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) for a three-year period starting from September 4, trade officials said on Tuesday.

Zakria Usman, President FPCCI told the News that enhancement of trade through signing free trade agreements with promoting the transportation and tourism facilities among ECO member countries will be Pakistan’s priorities during the new term.

The ECO is the regional block of Islamic countries, including Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan and some of Common Wealth of Independent States.

“The members from ECO states are discussing various proposals on strategy and viable joint projects to promote economic, trade and investment activities and enhancing economic relations among the ECO member countries in general as well as bilateral trade between member states,” Usman said.

“In order to strengthen the working relationships between members, we are also planning to hold different ECO-CCI committees on a quarterly basis,” he said.

Usman said committee members also discussed the latest achievements about the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) route in the light of 8th meeting of ECO’s high level working group on container trains held in Tehran in March this year.

“Besides, the members also discussed the Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Iran (KTAI) train project,” he said.

“The committee emphasized on the establishment of a commercial working group for activation and marketing of ITI and KTAI trains. They also stressed on training workshops for transport operators of Pakistan on TIR Convention to enhance their skill and performance to the desired level,” he said.

The International Transport of Goods Under Cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention) is a multilateral treaty to simplify and harmonize the administrative formalities of international road transport.

The recommendations of the above committees will be presented in the executive committee meeting on 4th September for their endorsement.

Originally published on www.thenews.com.pk

Australian Firms Interested In Pakistani Halal Food Market

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1408737611-8469LAHORE – High Commissioner Designate to Australia, Naela Chohan has said that Australian companies are interested in investing in the Halal food market and want to enter the Middle Eastern region through Pakistan. It will benefit both the countries and Pakistan will be able to attract more countries for Halal food processing.
She was talking to Punjab Board of Investment & Trade (PBIT) high-ups during her visit to PBIT where she was welcomed by Chief Executive Officer, Mohammad Ilyas Ghauri. On this occasion, she was also given a presentation on the core functions and working of PBIT and the priority sectors that are in focus in Punjab. The High Commissioner Designate said that she will be working on image building of Pakistan, mainly, trade and export promotion of Pakistan to Australia. CEO PBIT extended PBIT’s full support and services to Mrs Naela Chohan in facilitating the Halal Food Exhibition in Pakistan to attract Australian companies. Industrialists from Sialkot Chambers of Commerce & Industry briefed Mrs Chohan about the potential of exporting sports and surgical goods to Australia. The meeting ended with the exchange of souvenirs.
APP adds from Karachi: “A lack of interest, information and prevalence of stereotypes about Russia have kept Pakistani exporters away from entering Russian market,” said chairman of Pakistan-Russian Business Council of FPCCI, Muhammad Farooq Afzal.
The Russian Government’s decision to ban fruit, vegetable, meat, fish, milk and dairy products from United States of America, European Union, Australia, Canada and other countries that have imposed sanctions on Moscow offers a great opportunity for Pakistani exporters to enter Russian food market.
In the wake of the imposed sanctions on Russia in late 1998, the resultant financial crisis and Russian debt default also, Pakistan could have become a major exporter of kinnow, mango, potatoes, rice, processed food and fruit juices there, Chairman, Pakistan-Russian Business Council of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) said in a statement here on Friday.
The Chairman, Pakistan-Russian BC, mentioned that it was precisely around that time Europeans, Americans and even Chinese moved back and captured the Russian market. He said that a visit to any supermarket in a Russian city will show how much the country depends on imported food. It would be very difficult for one to find anything of Pakistani origin except kinnow and certain specie of rice.
The PRBC can help Pakistani exporters of food products in finding space in Russian market. Many members of PRBC in the Russian capital have their counterparts and have a great degree of expertise about the complex market.
For Pakistani food products to do well in Russia, a combination of good marketing and attractive packaging is a must along with quality products.
PRBC has worked out a strategy to export 8 items that Russia usually buys from the US and European Union. These include fruit, vegetable, sports items, sports garments, leather garments and pharmaceutical and textiles etc, said M. Farooq Afzal.
Russia imports food products from UK, USA and EU worth dollars 10 billion and the Asian countries especially Indian firms are rushing towards Russian market to fill the gap, he said.
He suggested to Pakistan food exporters to fully participate in Russian food exhibitions in major cities of that country coupled with a combination of good marketing and attractive packaging along with quality products.

Originally published on www nation.com.pk/

Halal Malaysia: Malaysian Delegation Visits Ningxia To Get Halal Business

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halal food malaysia ningxia

Halal Malysia: Malaysian Delegation Visits Ningxia To Get Halal Business

Malaysia’s business and trade delegation visited lately the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Led by Ong Chong Yi, Minister Counselor (Economic) of Malaysian Embassy in China, the delegation brought halal business opportunities for Ningxia to export halal  malaysia products to the Muslims world.

Malaysia Port Klang Free Zone and halal malaysia companies of Ningxia signed two cooperation agreements on Aug. 3: the China-Malaysia halal malaysia products mutual authentication services framework agreement and halal malaysia products cross-border e-commerce cooperation framework agreement.

Those two agreements would introduce China halal malaysia products to the Muslims markets, bringing a win-win situation to all the participants.

Ong Chong Yi highly appreciated the signing of the agreements. He expressed that trade between Malaysia and China had developed fast through those years. In 2013, the volume of trade was 106.08 billion U.S. dollars. This year is 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China. Both governments support the business cooperation between two countries by setting the target of trade volume at 160 billion dollars in 2017.

Malaysia Port Klang Free Zone and China Council for the Promotion of International of Wuzhong branch, Ningxia, signed a memo of exporting Wuzhong halal products to Malaysia.

As a signatory to the memo, Xia Baowen, chairman of SM International Wholesale Center, expressed that it was a problem for Chinese business and product to go abroad in the past. The cooperation between Port Klang Free Zone and Ningxia would solve problems such as “How to go abroad?”, “Where to go?”, “How to launch products in foreign markets?” There are 1.8 billion Muslims around world. The halal product markets have great potential. Malaysia has advantages in three markets: ASEAN market, Muslims market and British commonwealth market. What’s more, Port Kelang Free zone is located close to ports. That makes Port Kelang Free Zone as a trade platform for Chinese halal products to export, he added.

The visit of the delegation has found Ningxia halal malaysia products a platform while helping Port Kelang Free Zone to obtain appropriate products. It is a model of win-win business cooperation. Teh Kim Poo, the president of the Port Klang Authority, said that they have made two great achievements during the visit. First, they have a clear understanding of the situation of Ningxia halal products base. Thus, they have faith to build Port Kelang Free Zone into a platform which connects China to Muslims world. Second, they are impressed by Muslims in China. They believe they could collaborate in more fields.

Originally published on www.ecns.cn

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