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The Philippines will launch its first guideline book on making halal
food in accordance with international standard, in order to promote
the country’s food industry, the official Philippine News Agency
quoted Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap as saying recently.
Yap said there is a huge international market
for halal food, so the country must promote the production of the
food for both home and foreign consumers, said the report.
The fundamental concept and practices of halal,
which means “lawful” or “permissible” as a broad term used
to describe how a Muslim must conduct his life, are embodied in the
Muslim holy book Koran, Hadith, the Shariah law, as well as other
Islamic jurisprudence, according to the report.
The requirements for halal products across the
globe are estimated to be more than $200 billion annually.
Yap said the guidelines will provide food
processors, traders, exporters and marketing logistic operators with
the necessary information in preparing, packing, labeling and
handling of halal foods.
Hence, people can rely on halal certification as
a seal of food safety and quality assurance, he said.
Muslim religious scholars and leaders in the
Philippines have also formed a board that will accredit halal
certifiers to ensure the strict implementation of the Philippine
General Guidelines on halal Food, according to the report.
The Philippines has 10 million Muslims, most of
them living in Manila and Mindanao.
-- Xinhua
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