Islamic scholar sees growth of Halal industry

THERE is room for improvement in the halal food industry in the Philippines, said South African Islamic studies scholar Sheikh Thafier Najjaar.

The head of the Islamic Council of South Africa (ICSA) religious affairs is in Manila to attend a conference on halal industry in the Philippines.

«From the economic point of view, we speak about approximately between $2.5 trillion and $3 trillion worth of the [halal] industry [worldwide]. So it's big,» he said during a roundtable interview with Dante «Klink» Ang 2nd, The Manila Times chairman and chief executive officer.

Najjaar agreed with Ang that there is a huge economic opportunity in halal business ventures for Filipinos. «I think that is the way to the future.»

«So any businessman would love to look into it. Why not [take the opportunity]? You know it is estimated that [by] the year 2050 the majority of people in Europe will be Muslims, which means the demand [for halal food] will be a lot,» Najjaar said.

He added that the Philippine halal food industry could also generate jobs.

«When you find [halal food] in South Africa, it would be the same standard in Manila. There's only one standard. It's either halal or not halal. There is no in-between,» he said.

«It's all about the [halal] that we came here for. When we speak about [halal], we speak actually about the service that is provided to the people,» Najjaar said.

«Scientifically, it is proven that certain things that are claimed to be [halal] are very good to the health,» he pointed out.

Sen. Robinhood Padilla in September pushed for clearer regulations on halal certification as well as an intensified awareness drive on the dietary principles of Muslims to prevent incidents stemming from the violation of Muslims' beliefs.

The senator wanted some clarification on the role of agencies involved in the certification of halal food products and the detection and seizure of fake halal products.

He said the Department of Trade and Industry and National Commission on Muslim Filipinos are involved in certification and accreditation.

Padilla said the halal industry is significant, involving over $2.22 trillion, or over P121.28 trillion, based on the International Market Analysis