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| | HALAL FOOD ACCREDITATION | | | | The Halal market is growing at a fast pace and has drawn so much attention and interest from all around world that further development initiatives and strategies are essential for the promotion of the Halal economy in Pakistan. Latest research from the world Halal forum estimates that the Halal food alone has the global market size worth USD 635 billion. It is interesting to note that the size of the Halal food market in the non-Muslim countries is substantial i.e., the market in Europe stands at USD 67 billion. This means it is wrong to say that the potential of Halal food only lies within the Muslim countries; Non-Muslim countries offer huge opportunities for Halal food producers. | | | | The current global Muslim population stands at 1.8 billion, this represents 28 percent of the total population, however the total global Halal food market is significantly low i.e., at 16 percent as compared with the size of global food market, meaning there is a significant gap. In this regard OIC member countries are keen on exploring the possibilities of developing its society and economy via the Halal industry away from its dependence on conventional oil and gas sectors as Halal has become one of the fast growing industry that can be developed in order to diversify the economy. | | | | In Pakistan, despite rigorous efforts of various national organizations for many years, the situation has not been significantly changed. Presently there are few local accredited bodies in the country complying with Halal quality standards. This situation requires an immediate and immense stir in the prevailing outlook of our entrepreneurs, industrialist and other stake holders. There exists a dire need for an effective campaign among these stakeholders to shift their point of view. In this regard Government of Pakistan is also playing a vital role to enhance the Halal food industry as it has been announced that a 50 per cent subsidy shall be provided in order to enable businessmen and producers to explore the Halal market which offers a big opportunity to Pakistani products as spelled out by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Karachi. | | | | There are several reasons for low market share of Halal products like : | - Most Muslim countries especially those in Asia and Africa still rely on basic and non-tradable food products which are largely supplied locally and not internationally traded.
- While Halal certification is a necessity, it is insufficient on its own to succeed in international trade.
- Halal markets are not similar everywhere. Each is a fragmented market by ethnicity, location, income and few other determinants.
- Halal products are universal products, the quality, safety, packaging and labeling must represent world-class standards. It has been seen that most Halal products in the middle-east have failed due to poor packaging, inconsistent supply and lack of sustained branding.
- Integrity in the Halal supply chain must be preserved. Once consumers lose confidence in the status of Halal, sales and trade will be affected.
| | Accreditation now is being considered the crown of quality moves. All quality tools, devised during the last half century, have been adopted in one way or the other, in various quality standards management systems. Accreditation is nothing but the assurance that the standards are fully implemented and complied with, in true sense and spirit.To meet the WTO requirements of testing, certification and inspection essential to facilitate exporters, regulators, industrialists and consumers, Pakistan National Accreditation Council function is to accredit 'Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs)' such as Labs, Certification Bodies (CBs), Inspection Bodies (IBs), Medical Laboratories & Personnel Certification Bodies etc. according to international standards. PNAC has also successfully achieved the peer evaluation for attaining the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) status of Asia Pacific Lab Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC)/International Laboratory accreditation cooperation (ILAC). | |
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