4th International Halal Food Conference 2010

4^th International Halal Food Conference 2010

Sheraton Hotel Brussels, Zaventem Airport

26 March 2010

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh and a very good morning.

Prof. Dr. Hj. Mohamed Sadek,

Chairman, Islamic Food Council of Europe (ICFE),

Distinguished Participants,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Islamic Food Council of Europe (ICFE), the organizers of the 4^th International Halal Food Conference 2010, for inviting me to say a few words by way of welcoming you to the conference today. This subject is of great importance to Malaysia and I am very honoured to be given this opportunity to address you at this auspicious event.  The theme chosen for the Conference this year is “Establishing a Halal Quality Assurance System” and I congratulate the Islamic Food Council of Europe and the various religious authorities as well as those from the Halal food industry from near and afar for making this conference possible.

2.           With the concerted effort of everyone here, I am sure that Halal food would become more widely available and accepted especially in the European market.  I was made to understand that some of you have come all the way from Dubai, India, Singapore, South Africa, Indonesia, China, Denmark, Netherlands, United States, Switzerland and not forgetting Malaysia.  This shows that there is a keen interest in the Halal food industry and to expand the accessibility of Halal food throughout the world through setting of standards for production as well as for exports.

3.           I share the organiser’s hope that this conference will open up opportunities for market access, establishing networking for the various players in the Halal food industry world wide.  It is hoped that the networking would also contribute to capacity building of the Halal food industry in particular for the European market.

4.           I believe that there is great potential to further develop the Halal markets and industries in European countries.  The population of Muslims in the world is about 1.83 billion people comprising 25% of the world’s population.  From this number, 51.2 million Muslims live in Europe with France having the largest population of Muslims at 5.86 million people.

5.           The value of the Halal industry is currently estimated at USD 2.1 trillion and is still growing, with USD 457 billion in the food sector.   Malaysia is very much involved in the Halal food industry.  Malaysia is the major exporter of Halal products to both ASEAN and Middle Eastern markets of which exports to OIC countries in 2008 alone amounted to USD 1.1 billion, an increase of 72.5 percent from that recorded in 2007.  In this regard, Malaysia recognises the growing potential of the Halal industry in the European market which is currently valued at about USD 66 billion and is expected to expand by 20 to 25 percent in the next decade.

6.           The potential demand for Halal products in Europe could be attributed to the fact that Europe has the third largest Muslim population after Asia and Africa.  The purchasing power among the Muslim community in Europe has also increased due to a higher level of education and living standards.  The awareness of Halal products has also increased among the Muslim community.  By virtue of Halal products being regarded as a health product has also increased its consumption among the mainstream, regardless of their religious affiliation, making Europe a major consumer market for Halal products.

7.           Results of a research done have also shown that consumers are willing to pay premium price for products of better quality and higher safety standards as well as product integrity with Halal assurance, whereby 75 percent of the consumers are willing to pay 5 to 10 percent above the market price.

8.           The European household income, Muslim and non-Muslim, have increased steadily over the last 30 years.  Opportunities for “freezer to fryer” products have also increased due to the population’s busy lives.  In this regard, the potential Halal market size is increasing but the Halal food products are still relatively small in number and thus the market remains mainly untapped.

9.           On the part of Malaysia, we have taken many measures to contribute to the development of the Halal industry.  Malaysia has formulated an integrated long term plan to develop the Halal industry covering the entire goods and services related sectors namely, meat and meat-based product, processed food, cosmetic and personal care products and pharmaceutical products.  The Halal industry is one of the main sectors covered in the Malaysian Third Industrial Master Plan (2006-2010).

10.       Among global initiatives presently led by Malaysia are:

a.  Formulation of Halal Standards

• MS 1500 – production, preparation, handling and storage of halal food
• MS 2200 – Consumer goods for cosmetic and personal care

b.  Establishment of Halal Product Research Institute which is the first Halal research institute in the world

11.       The OIC has also entrusted Malaysia to lead the initiative to develop a uniform OIC Halal Standard with the Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM), of the Prime Minister Department taking the lead on Halal Certification. 

12.       I hope this conference will be a forum for constructive discussion, networking and collaboration that would bring a concrete outcome in order to stimulate the growth and development of the Halal market.  It would also provide the avenue to facilitate the resolution of problems and issues of concern within the Halal industry.  It could also contribute towards the development of a “world standard Halal industry” encompassing the entire value chain, right from the production house, transportation, slaughtering to processing; in short “from the farm to the meal table”.

Ladies and gentlemen,

13.       Since Brussels is the place where 65 percent of EU regulations are formulated, we also have to look into EU regulations with regard to Halal products.  The general rule where food is concerned in the EU is that all food in the EU supply chain and market must be safe, traceable and follow transparent process.  The regulations stipulated that food is not allowed to be on the value chain if it is proven unsafe in that it is detrimental to health and unfit for human consumption.  The same principle applies to Halal food according to Syariah law and only differs with regard to the slaughtering process to make it lawful for Muslims to consume.

14.       Once again, I would like to thank the organizers for this initiative and concern to make Halal food available to Muslim consumers in Europe and to other parts of the world.  It is my hope that Halal products could be made even more widely available with a comprehensive plan of action together with the relevant authorities present here today.

15.       Before concluding, I have the pleasure to draw your attention to a few international events pertaining to the Halal industry that would be hosted by Malaysia this year. 

• the first event is the 5^th World Halal Food Forum on 21 June 2010, Kuala Lumpur;
• the second event is the 7^th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) on 23 June 2010, Kuala Lumpur; and
• the third event is the 3^rd World Halal Research Summit 2010 on 23 June 2010, Kuala Lumpur.

You are all warmly invited to participate in these events.

Thank you very much and I wish you a fruitful and successful conference.