Dubai: The Global Gateway to Halal Food

DUBAI: THE GLOBAL GATEWAY TO HALAL FOOD

A GULF NEWS SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT

MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019

Dubai central to global halal food industry Standardisation and quality control play their parts in the evolving halal industry in Dubai and the UAE he State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2017/18 by Thomson Reuters confirms the halal food sector to be the most diverse in the Islamic economy, expected to be valued at $1.93 trillion by the year 2022. And the UAE halal food industry, worth Dh69 billion in 2017, makes a strong case for Dubai and the country being central to the industry’s fortunes in the long term.

Published by the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre in collaboration with Thomson Reuters, the report found halal food to be not only the largest but also the most diverse sector of the Islamic economy. Quite a few factors were cited for the growth of the sector, of which the most important were new market entrants, the more established players who were also making inroads abroad through franchising deals, as well as the

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multinationals making major investments in Muslim-majority markets by anticipating demand.

Product offerings have also expanded beyond the traditional focus on meat to include candy, ready-to-eat meals, snacks and children’s foods.

GROWTH WITHIN THE SECTOR The UAE establishing itself as global market leader in the halal industry was a given considering halal food is more the norm.

Plans are currently underway to strengthen the UAE’s position as a global leader in the business of halal foods.

Abdulla Abdul Qader Al Maeeni, Director General of Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Meteorology (Esma), is confident about the UAE’s ambitions in see overleaf

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DUBAI: THE GLOBAL GATEWAY TO HALAL FOOD

MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019

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Dubai central to global halal food industry being the de facto hub for the sector. “In the UAE alone, we have a Dh69-billion halal food industry whose products are prepared for domestic consumption or for export and re-export to various countries around the world,” said Al Maeeni while speaking to Gulf News last year.

“As a strategic hub for halal products between the East and West, we process halal food products weighing a total of 16 billion kilogrammes, including meat and poultry, and a sizeable proportion is exported and re-exported abroad,” says Al Maeeni. Last May, the supervision of halal certification in the UAE was handed over to Esma by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.

As part of this transition, all halal certifiers had to undergo a lengthy re-accreditation process to continue certifying halal products destined for the UAE. Under the ambit of Esma, the UAE now

As per ESMA, UAE poultry producers conform to a Gulf Standards Organisation measure prohibiting stunning the poultry prior to slaughter also requires all poultry producers to conform to a Gulf Standards Organisation measure that prohibits the use of stunning poultry prior to slaughter.

The USDA’s Global Agricultural Information Network Report 2017 on the UAE elaborates on this in the Poultry and Products Annual section. “A series of factors including avian influenza, a food safety scandal in Brazil, and most notably, new halal certification requirements have caused serious challenges for the broiler meat trade in the UAE,” writes Rana Tarraf, author of the report. As a result, UAE broiler meat imports dropped from initial estimates to total approximately 372,000 metric tonnes (MT) by the end of the 2017 calendar year.

In counterbalance, the year saw the opening of a new poultry facility and expansions in several existing farms, and as a result the UAE’s total broiler meat production reach close to 47,000 MT in 2017, a 2 per cent increase on 2016.

Local production accounts for about 11 per cent of the UAE’s total poultry supply, and it consumes the total amount of supply available annually.

“Looking ahead, a combination of healthy economic growth, in-

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creased tourism and airport arrivals and a further influx of foreign workers are expected to reinforce consumer demand within the hotel, restaurants, and institutional (HRI) sector,” said Tarraf.

“Assuming a return to normal trade patterns, consumption is expected to rise to 429,000 MT in 2018.”

The UAE is addressing all aspects of halal food, from fresh to frozen and from HRI to HORECA (hotel, restaurant and café) and beyond, and Al Islami Foods

serves as an example of local progress.

The company’s new factory at Sharjah’s Hamriyah Free Zone is expected to increase its production capacity by 150 per cent to reach 18,000 MT a year of halal processed meat products. More notably, Al Islami Foods is also seeking to offer new solutions such as air culinary for the inflight catering industry, sous vide solutions for the hospitality industry, and cooked products for the HORECA sector, in addition to its 100 frozen products under three brands that already cater to various market segments.

As Managing Director Saleh Abdulla Lootah explains, the company’s main mission is to ensure that people enjoy gourmet and home cooking with healthy and nutritious halal meat products.

LEADERSHIP ROLE Lootah, who is also chairman of industry association the Food and Beverage Manufacturers Group, has no doubts whatsoever that the country — and Dubai in particular — is well on its way to fulfil ambitions for global industry leadership.

“The UAE has positioned itself with superior quality of production and works closely with manufacturing companies to raise standards for halal production,” he says.

“Together with Esma’s streamlining of standards and the halal

The UAE is addressing all aspects of halal food, from fresh to frozen as well as to that catering to the needs of hotels, restaurants and cafes. certification process, the UAE has become a major halal food producing nation.

“With increasing global demand for halal products, the many bilateral agreements that the UAE is signing with other countries and wider acceptance of ha-

lal certificates in these countries means that UAE products will experience an increase in exports.”

The global halal F&B industry will grow to nearly $1.9 trillion by 2021, and more countries are joining the bandwagon. South Korea, for instance, has made remarkable progress in about six years, and now exports halal food products to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, besides Indonesia, Malaysia and Iran.

In this scenario, forethought should be a watchword, says Lootah. “We must address some of the serious challenges in the sector: unifying the standards and interpretation of halal, building competent personnel to handle the whole value chain and ensuring that there is universal halal certificate harmonisation.”

DUBAI: THE GLOBAL GATEWAY TO HALAL FOOD

MONDAY, MAY 20, 2019

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ADVERTISERS’ CONTENT

MLA

Australian meat valued by Middle East consumers for freshness and halal guarantee ccording to surveys conducted in the region, consumers of red meat highly value the freshness of the meat, apart from its taste and tenderness. The average customer’s perception of imported meat is that sourcing meat from so far away can affect the freshness and quality of the product. According to Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), that is just not right.

Answering a media query, Nick Meara, International Business Manager, MLA (MENA) says: “State-of-the art technologies in Australia ensure that Australian lamb and beef Is packed fresh and chilled to very low temperatures so it can be delivered to supermarkets in the Middle East in just a matter of days, and is still as fresh as the day it was packed.”

Strict measures are taken across all stages of the supply chain including dispatch, where the Australian Government authenticates the process at every step. Cartons of meat are loaded into refrigerated containers at very low temperatures, which are then inspected and sealed under the supervision of the Australian government. The container is not reopened until it reaches its destination and the low temperature is controlled and monitored throughout the delivery process, ensuring the consistent freshness of the meat until it reaches shelves in Middle East supermarkets.

demand for a fresh product has increasingly been echoed by customers and Australia is proud to be a leader in the delivery of meat that is fresh from farm to plate. Our yearly increase in the exports of Australian meat to the region is a testament to the confidence and trust customers have for the quality, freshness and taste of Australian meat”

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VACUUM-PACKED MEAT An important factor to consider in the delivery of meat is how it

Nick Meara, International Business Manager, MLA (MENA)

Employing the latest technology and know-how in processing and packaging, Australia has been a trusted supplier of halal lamb and beef to the Middle East for quite some time is packaged. Australia employs the latest technology and knowhow with packaging, and one of the commonly recommended methods is vacuum packing. It involves removal of air and oxygen from the package before sealing it.

Fresh Australian lamb and beef are vacuum packed to maintain freshness and quality, prevent bacterial growth and ensure an extended shelf life. This process supports natural aging, and so en route to the consumer, Australian lamb and beef wet ages to retain

its natural moisture and flavour while further developing its tenderness.

A HISTORY OF SAFE MEAT EXPORTS Australia has been a trusted supplier of halal lamb and beef

to the Middle East. The Australian red meat industry and all levels of government have worked together to develop stringent standards and systems, designed to ensure the integrity and traceability of the product. These measures include the Livestock Production Assurance (LPA), an on-farm food safety and quality assurance programme that assists ranchers in recording and declaring the food safety of their livestock. The National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) consists of electronic ear tags and a centrally managed database providing individual identification and traceability from farm to plate, thus giving customers the confidence in knowing where their meat originated from and the entire life cycle of the animal.

Meara also adds, “We are committed to providing the Middle East with the highest quality of Australian lamb and beef. The

HALAL TO THE BONE Customers can be confident that Australian meat is not only fresh but also guaranteed halal.

With one of the strictest halal programmes in the world, the Australian Government Authorized Halal Program (AGAHP) is undertaken in collaboration with the Australian government’s department of Agriculture & Water Resources, and Australian Islamic organisations. Together they enforce the best practices of production standards, which have contributed to the worldwide recognition that Australia’s halal programme is among the most rigorously enforced halal systems’ in the world.

Master Chef Tarek Ibrahim, the first masterchef from the Middle East, commented, “I have personally been to Australia and seen first-hand how animals are raised and the halal process being followed. As a Muslim, halal meat is very important to me and in my 30+ years of experience travelling the world, I can confidently say that the Australian halal system is second to none!”

For more information about Australian meat, please visit www.lambandbeef.com

SEARA

Innovation and quality key to Seara’s new product launches for Middle East eara launched its innovative 100% Natural line of halal-certified poultry products in the UAE as it debuts in the Middle East. The range caters specifically to Islamic requirements and offers four different chicken parts: breast, breast strips, drumsticks and drumstick and thigh fillets. The products comply with strict international quality standards and hold animal well-being certification, attesting to the fact that none of the chickens received antibiotics or hormones at any stage in the production process.

Furthermore, all animal feed used throughout the chicken feeding process is 100 per cent vegetable-based.

The Seara 100% Natural line was developed after extensive research of UAE and Middle Eastern consumer tastes, eating habits and cuisines. “Before exporting to the UAE, Seara tested the concept with consumers within the region and the results were promising. The Seara 100% Natural line fits in well with the growing demand for natural, healthier and convenient products that is now a strong trend in the region. Governments here have undertaken several initiatives to spread awareness about healthier eating and lifestyle habits and consumers are calling for the availability of natural and healthier food,” says Guillermo Henderson, Managing Director of Seara MENA, based in Dubai.

The range was awarded the Halal Certificate of Conformity at

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Gulfood 2019 by ESMA (Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology), the sole official UAE authority for determining

quality standards and developing standards of excellence.

Marcos Delorenzo, Marketing and New Business Director of

Seara MENA, says, “Every product in the range carries ESMA’s National Halal Mark, certifying that our production processes

fully comply with halal rules and requirements. Our regular range of Whole Chicken and Chicken Parts received the ESMA Certificate of Conformity in 2018, also at a ceremony attended by the authority’s officials.

“Another line recently launched is Seara Perfect Cuts, which offers the finest, hand-cut quality chicken parts. Our objective is to bring more innovation and variety to our product portfolio in the MENA.” Joanita Karoleski, President of Seara, says, “Our commitment to innovation and high-quality products, coupled with conformance to international standards

and certification, dictates our production processes. Seara 100% Natural reinforces our commitment to enrich and nourish customers’ lives with healthy and high-quality products.”

Seara is part of JBS, the largest meat processing company in the world and that enjoys a presence in more than 150 countries. The company traces its business connections to the Middle East as far back as 1975, and set up an office in Dubai in 1999. For more than 60 years, Seara has been working to bring practicality, confidence and innovation to the consumer’s dining table, present them with all that is best in taste and quality.