<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" version="2.0"><channel>
                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
                        <atom:link href="https://tribune.com.pk/feed/halalproducts" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/>
                        <link>https://tribune.com.pk/feed/halalproducts</link>
                        <description>The Express Tribune keeps you up to date with all the latest happenings from Pakistan and across the world!</description>
                        <lastBuildDate>Sat, 30 May 26 20:42:03 +0500</lastBuildDate>
                        <language>en-US</language>
                        <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
                        <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
                        <generator>https://laravel.com/</generator><item>
			<title>Halal economy set to grow: experts</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/968344/halal-economy-set-to-grow-experts</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/968344/halal-economy-set-to-grow-experts#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 15 14:11:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category><category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=968344</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Range of halal products, from goods not containing pork or alcohol to financial and tourism services, is rising]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The halal economy is set to grow as the world's Muslim population expands and more products are certified to comply with Islamic sharia law, experts said on Tuesday.

The range of halal products, from goods not containing pork or alcohol to financial and tourism services, is rising as the global Muslim population grows.

"They are growing because we are increasing by 2.5 to 3 percent every year. Islam is the fastest growing religion," said Muhammad Chaudry, president of the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America.

Read: Swedish politician slammed for suggesting Halal food 'turns people into Muslims'

He said many products that were sharia-compliant by nature are now being certified as halal, contributing to the increase in the size of the halal economy.

"When we talk about the halal economy growing by 20 percent, it is the conversion from indiscriminate we-don't-know-what's-in-it economy to a definitely halal-certified economy," he told AFP at an Islamic economy forum in Dubai.

The rising demand for halal products has seen businesses, restaurants and hotels across the world cater for the needs of Muslim clients, Chaudry said.

"Halal is a lifestyle. Countries like Japan and Korea are taking the lead to convert their restaurants and hotels into halal-friendly so they can attract more tourists from Muslim countries," he said.

"Halal is a global entity. We are looking at 1.8 billion consumers," he said, referring to an estimate of the world's Muslim population.

The head of the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology, Abdulla al-Muaini, said the Muslim population, expected to reach 2.2 billion in 2030, is a "core market" for halal products.

He said the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation values the global halal sector at $2.3 trillion.

"Halal industry is expected to be one of the steady growing sectors across the global economy," he said.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/968344-halal-1444140124/968344-halal-1444140124.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Got halal: Advertisements for halal food on the rise</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/238076/got-halal-advertisements-for-halal-food-on-the-rise</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/238076/got-halal-advertisements-for-halal-food-on-the-rise#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 24 Aug 11 05:09:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[nadir.hassan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=238076</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Scientists believe drawing a distinction between halal and non-halal vaccines is a futile endeavour.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A recent advertisement, claiming to be a public-service announcement, features pop-star-turned-televangelist Junaid Jamshed explaining that multinational company Novartis now has a meningitis vaccine that is halal. Jamshed had previously also appeared in an advertisement for Lay’s assuring consumers that the potato chips they were eating were halal.

A spokesperson for Novartis claims the ad wasn’t made because of any pressure and that the pharmaceutical company had always been committed to producing halal-free meningitis vaccines.  He pointed out that in 2010 the meningitis vaccine produced by GlaxoSmithKline was banned in Indonesia for containing traces of swine products while Novartis’ vaccine was declared halal.

However, scientists believe that drawing a distinction between supposedly halal and non-halal vaccines is a futile endeavour. Dr Saqib Ahmed, a professor of chemistry at the Quaid-e-Azam University, says that the seed stocks for meningitis vaccines were developed in the 1960s in the US and included swine enzymes.  He said that replacing the swine enzymes with bovine enzymes would likely not be successful.

Still, claiming that products are halal has now become a part of the Pakistani advertising landscape. The story of how food and other products in Pakistan began to be marketed as halal is one of religious bullying and, more importantly, big business.

The religious bullying began in July of 2009 when a religious newspaper, Daily Ummat, published over a dozen stories on consecutive days claiming that Lay’s chips used pig fat as flavour enhancers. The reports were then picked up by a couple of television channels, Royal News and Al-Huda TV as well as on some radio stations. The campaign got so vicious, says a spokesman for the company, that Lay’s was forced to run the ad for fear of losing sales. The spokesman said that the newspaper was trying to extort the company and promised to stop the campaign if they were paid off.

In the ad, Lay’s claimed that their chips had been given a halal certificate by the Jamia Ashrafia. Jamia Binoria weighed in on the matter too and declared that Lay’s chips were halal. Other companies followed by getting halal certificates, including K&amp;N, which has certificates from both Jamia Ashrafia and Jamia Naeemia.

The certificates issued by religious seminaries, however, are not recognised internationally. The worldwide halal food industry is estimated to be over $600 billion, a market that Pakistan is only belatedly trying to enter. Over 90% of the global halal trade is in food, but the other 10% involves cosmetics, medicines and other items not usually associated with halal products

Currently, Pakistan has no laws on halal product certification but in March 2011 a team of Malaysian experts in halal certification visited the country to advise the Sindh government on creating a regulatory framework for halal certification. The training process, the Sindh Board of Revenue estimates, will take eight to nine months after which they will be able to provide certificates of their own

According to the Malaysian law, all foods are considered halal except those which come from pigs, animals that are generally considered repulsive like lizards and rats, animals which are amphibious and animals which are carnivores.

The Halal Industry Research Centre (HIRC) is the first and still one of the only groups whose certificates are accepted internationally. An executive at HIRC said that the company usually partners with foreign halal certification companies to provide Pakistani businesses an entry to the international halal market.  Tariq Iqbal Puri, the head of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, believes that getting proper halal certificates could lead to a 20 per cent increase in the export of meat products. The process of declaring a product halal, explained the executive, involves more than just the way meat is cut. Inspectors carry out visits to factories, random spot-checks and test the products in laboratories. The ultimate decision of whether to issue the certificate is decided by a Shariah committee made up of religious scholars.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24th,  2011.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/238076-Halal-1314128033/238076-Halal-1314128033.JPG" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Trade policy: ‘Pakistan should focus on non-traditional items’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/208225/trade-policy-%e2%80%98pakistan-should-focus-on-non-traditional-items%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/208225/trade-policy-%e2%80%98pakistan-should-focus-on-non-traditional-items%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 12 Jul 11 22:00:08 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=208225</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[High potential present in Far East and African region .]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The upcoming trade policy must focus on promotion of export of non-traditional items as the country’s concentration on a few items and on selected countries is hitting the export sector hard, said Pakistan Industrial and Associations Front (PIAF) Chairman Sohail Lashari.


In his trade policy proposals on Tuesday, Lashari said that auto parts, handicrafts, precious stones, herbal medicines and fruits have a huge potential in South East Asia, Far East and African region, therefore, a little attention towards these areas could do miracles.

He said that textile sector makes no more than 65% of total export earnings and despite the fact that Pakistan produces excellent quality fruits and vegetables, Halal meat, auto parts, confectionary items, sports goods and medical equipment etcetera, their exports are not up to potential.

He said that government should ensure availability of cheap energy for the industry as the energy is the engine of industrial growth. He said that prolonged power outages have also been hitting the export-oriented industry hard.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2011.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/208225-HandicraftsPH_1735627004/208225-HandicraftsPH_1735627004.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Halal exports: UAF inks deal for exploring new avenues</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/184468/halal-exports-uaf-inks-deal-for-exploring-new-avenues</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/184468/halal-exports-uaf-inks-deal-for-exploring-new-avenues#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jun 11 22:25:27 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[shamsul.islam]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=184468</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Thai and Pakistani food research institutes sign MoU to explore halal food science.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Halal Science Center of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand and National Institute of Food Science and Technology at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for exploring new avenues in the field of halal food science, through academic and personnel development programmes.


Thailand is currently the world’s sixth largest exporter of halal food, accounting for US $5 billion in international trade and responsible for providing food to 1.8 billion Muslims in over 157 nations, according to associate professor Dr Winai Dahlan.

As a large Islamic nation with strong agricultural capabilities, Pakistan is eager to become a player in halal food exports with a focus on Middle Eastern markets. Recently, Thailand was successful in using the knowledge of halal science as a selling point in marketing clean, high-quality halal food products internationally.

While Pakistan is aiming to become a global centre of halal food trade, the country still represents a high-potential market for the Thai halal food industry, due to its population, active consumption and strong interest in high-quality products.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8th, 2011.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Halal-31/Halal-31.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>‘15% GST to destroy Halal food export potential’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/174627/%e2%80%9815-gst-to-destroy-halal-food-export-potential%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/174627/%e2%80%9815-gst-to-destroy-halal-food-export-potential%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 23 May 11 22:08:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=174627</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Stakeholders concerned over likely rise in chicken meat prices.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The proposed levy of 15 per cent General Sales Tax (GST) on the poultry industry is likely to affect Pakistan’s chances of benefiting from the lucrative global Halal food market, said Poultry Association’s former chairman Abdul Basit. In a statement on Monday, Basit said that the international Halal food market was worth $1,200 billion and Pakistan was ideally placed to benefit from the market, but currently it had no share. “The levy of sales tax will destroy the industry in its infancy,” he added.


He said that the tax on the local poultry industry, worth Rs200 billion and providing jobs to 1.5 million people, would not only jack up the rate of unemployment but it would also turn the export potential into an import liability.

He said imposition of sales tax on poultry feed, which comprises more than 70 per cent of the cost, would result in a 100 per cent increase in the price of poultry meat, an alternative to red meat, providing a check on prices of mutton and beef.

He added that the levy of sales tax on the newly-launched poultry processing industry would wipe it off in its infancy. In Pakistan, currently only three per cent of poultry meat was processed, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24th, 2011.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Halal-31/Halal-31.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>The rise of Pakistan in the global meat trade</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/164694/the-rise-of-pakistan-in-the-global-meat-trade</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/164694/the-rise-of-pakistan-in-the-global-meat-trade#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 08 May 11 20:08:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[farooq.tirmizi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=164694</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The halal food market, is one of the largest opportunities in the food and agribusiness sector globally available.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan has begun taking the tentative first steps towards becoming a major international player in an industry in which the country has a strong competitive advantage: the global red meat trade.


At a time when Pakistani businessmen have a hard time selling even high-quality products to foreign customers due to Pakistan’s negative country brand, meat processing companies report customers practically begging for Pakistani red meat to be exported to countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

While Pakistan has extraordinary natural strengths, the country also faces massive infrastructure shortcomings which handicap the ability of many Pakistani businesses to effectively compete against firms from Australia, Brazil or even India.

Yet over the last few years, a new breed of Pakistani companies seems to be emerging, one that confronts the unique challenges of agribusiness in the country and seems to be determined to take on its global competitors.

“If we can’t compete in agriculture, then we should really just give up trying to do anything,” says Kazim Namazi, a partner at ASI Partners, a Karachi-based consulting firm that advises agribusinesses.

Size of the opportunity

The halal food market, at just over $640 billion a year worldwide, is one of the largest opportunities in the food and agribusiness sector. It is also one that plays to the unique advantages of being based out of Pakistan.

Halal meat is also one of the fastest growing segments within the global food trade. Between 2001 and 2009, the global beef trade grew at an average of 10.4 per cent to reach just over $30 billion, according to data available from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). However, the market for halal beef imports in the Middle East and Southeast Asia alone grew by over 18.2 per cent to reach just under $2 billion a year during that same period.

Pakistan’s market share within this rapidly growing market is a paltry 2.9 per cent. However, Pakistani exporters seem to be determined to make up for lost time. In the six years ending in 2009, Pakistani red meat exports have risen by an average of 68.6 per cent a year, though admittedly from a very low base.

Yet with the advent of more and more new players, and with surprisingly robust support from the government, Pakistan is on the verge of becoming one of the largest players in the meat trade, at least within the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Market dynamics

Perhaps the single biggest advantage that Pakistan has is proximity. The country is closer to the Middle East than any of its biggest rivals in the market. The three countries with the largest market shares are Australia, Brazil and India, each of which has considerably higher shipping costs to these export markets compared to Pakistan.

Brazil is particularly dominant in beef, accounting for as much as 39 per cent of the region’s beef imports. It absolutely dominates the meat market in Iran, with a share of 99 per cent in 2009. Yet, as Namazi points out, there is virtually no difference between Brazilian meat and Pakistani meat.

“The Brazilian animal is exactly the same as most of our breeds of cattle. The quality of meat is also the same. The only difference is their ability to market their meat better than us,” said Namazi. He argues that Pakistan can easily displace Brazil as the Middle East’s leading meat supplier.

Iran, in particular, seems to be keen for Pakistani beef. The Iranian government has invested 50 per cent of the capital in the Lahore Meat Company, a dedicated abattoir that will export meat to Iran.

Australian beef, with a powerful branding effort and a larger source animal, has a specific niche market that industry experts believe will be difficult for Pakistan to compete with in the medium term.

India, the one country that could completely destroy Pakistan’s potential in the meat trade, has placed itself outside the global beef market after a 2005 Indian Supreme Court ruling that upheld a ban on cow slaughter as constitutional.

Indian exporters only sell carabeef – meat from buffalo – which is considered inferior and commands lower prices and margins. Nevertheless, Indian exporters dominate the market in Malaysia for the lower end of beef, while Australians command the higher end.

“Malaysia is ripe for a middle-market meat supplier from Pakistan,” said another expert in the meat business. Malaysia has had a free-trade agreement with Pakistan since 2007.

Pakistanis in the business

Several companies from Pakistan have entered the red meat export business and even more are in the process of entering the market. The oldest and one of the most successful of these is PK Livestock, a Karachi-based abattoir which has been exporting red meat to the Middle East for over two decades.

Zenith, a Lahore-based exporter, became the first Pakistani company to sell beef to Malaysia, after the Malaysian government relaxed its regulatory requirements for Pakistani exporters.

Others, such as OMC and the Al Shaheer Corporation, have also successfully begun exporting to the Middle East and are aggressively seeking regulatory approvals for markets further afield in Southeast Asia.

Pakistan’s total meat exports may come close to $100 million in 2011 and could surpass the $500 million mark in about five years, according to projections by ASI Partners.

The challenges

Yet for all their successes, Pakistani meat exporters are severely handicapped compared to their Brazilian, Australian and even Indian competitors.

Despite having the eighth largest herd of cattle and the third largest herd of goats in the world, Pakistan’s animal population is very scattered, which makes procurement of the animals for the abattoir expensive.

But perhaps the single biggest challenge is regulatory: meat importing nations have strict health codes for the safety of the meat, including a requirement to be able to trace the meat of any diseased animal down to the exact location that it came from, so that the entire herd it was a part of can be slaughtered. This traceability is something that Pakistani herds lack, because the government has not yet invested in tracking and cataloguing the country’s animal population.

To their credit, the provincial governments of Punjab and Sindh have been actively promoting the livestock sector. Given the fact that the sector employs 17 per cent of the country’s workforce, an effort to improve the productivity and marketability of the industry’s products is a welcome attempt to help improve the incomes of some of the most vulnerable Pakistanis.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9th, 2011.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/beef_Pakistan2-PHOTO/beef_Pakistan2-PHOTO.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Malaysia to support Pakistan in Halal sector development</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/136488/malaysia-to-support-pakistan-in-halal-sector-development</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/136488/malaysia-to-support-pakistan-in-halal-sector-development#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 11 03:52:24 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[farhan.zaheer]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=136488</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Official emphasises on compliance with global standards.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Malaysia is ready to share its experiences with Pakistan to develop its Halal industry, according to Halal Industry Development Corporation Malaysia Chief Executive Dato Seri Jamil Biden.


Addressing an International Halal Conference on Tuesday, Biden said, “You do not need to spend 30 years, as we want to see you emerging as a big player in the global Halal market in coming years. We are ready to share all our experiences with Pakistan.”

Biden, part of a nine-member delegation, at the Halal Conference 2011, said, “Malaysia has made some very strict laws for the industry, keeping in mind that Halal means ethical.”

He also said Brazil and Australia constitute 65 per cent of the world Halal beef exports, informing that no Muslim country had made its mark in a $2.1 trillion global market.

“What is more noticeable is that Brazil, the world’s largest Halal chicken exporter, actually exports 65 per cent of its chicken to the Arab world,” said Biden.

He explained that the mindset of consumers was changing, as people now laid more emphasis on the origin of ingredients in halal products. “Halal standards must be better than global standards like in labour laws and environmental pollution, because halal means ethical,” he asserted.

Other Malaysian experts underlined that Malaysia exported more than $9 billion worth of Halal products – a figure that is continuously rising. They explained that there are currently more than 3,800 companies in the Malaysian Halal sector that are registered with the government.

Halagel Group of Companies Managing Director Mohamad Yakob Munshi Deen said that only one per cent of the world’s gelatin production is Halal, adding that it was fortunate Pakistan produced most of this.

He said that his company had witnessed phenomenal growth, and would now turn its focus to Halal manufacturing in order to produce toothpastes and coffee.

The held conference was the commitment of Sindh Board of Investment (SBI) and Halal Industry Development (HDC), to effectively implement the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on December 1, 2010 with a view of developing the Halal sector in Pakistan. The conference marks the first time that the Government of Pakistan has collaborated with Malaysia in the sector.

Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah offered his support to local investors in developing the Halal industry, saying Sindh presents huge prospects for investment in the dairy, livestock and fisheries sectors.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23rd, 2011.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Halal-conference-PPI/Halal-conference-PPI.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Pakistani beef enters Malaysian markets</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/123548/pakistani-beef-enters-malaysian-markets</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/123548/pakistani-beef-enters-malaysian-markets#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 25 Feb 11 05:28:34 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=123548</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[25,000kg will be exported every two weeks.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The first consignment of Pakistani beef has reached around 100 hypermarkets in Malaysia that will attract a significant number of consumers, a leading importer said.

Jejak Bakat Sdn Managing Director Zain Poteh, who is importing Pakistani beef, said he expects to continue importing 25,000 kg of beef every two weeks, keeping in view the encouraging response from Malaysian consumers.

Addressing a launching ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, he said a second consignment of meat from Pakistan was on its way to Malaysia. The exported beef comes from young breed of cows from Cholistan.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner in Malaysia Masood Khalid termed the response of the consumers an important development in the context of bilateral trade between the two countries. With the start of beef export, he added, Pakistan has entered the ranks of countries exporting meat to Malaysia.

“Our next target will be to export Pakistani mangoes through a formal channel to ensure their availability throughout Malaysia,” he said.

Khalid said in order to boost the existing level of trade and investment between the two countries, the Board of Investment (BOI) of Pakistan and the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) will organise a seminar in Kuala Lumpur on March 31.

The seminar will focus on four key areas, including agriculture and Halal products, infrastructure development, power and energy and IT and education, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 25th, 2011.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/beef/beef.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Govt shows support for halal industry</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/86048/govt-shows-support-for-halal-industry</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/86048/govt-shows-support-for-halal-industry#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Dec 10 23:23:27 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=86048</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Businesses and  experts explore potential avenues.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The government is cognisant of its role in establishing the halal industry and it will support all legislation for halal certification in the country, said Dr Fehmida Mirza, speaker of the National Assembly.

She also stressed the need for public-private partnership to increase exports of halal products. She was addressing the first global Halal Congress organised by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and Halal Development Council (HDC), a non-governmental organisation working for the development of the halal economy in the country.

“I hope today’s conference will help in drafting suggestions for future legislation,” she said.

Dr Mustafa Ceric, the grand mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that Muslims are consuming more and producing less — a trend that needs to change to make the future secure. He stressed that the halal industry can help Muslims all over the world in producing organic food which is equally popular among Muslims and others.

Nisar Ahmed Khoro, speaker of the Sindh Assembly and acting governor of Sindh, said that Pakistan needs to go a long way in matching other countries who have been working for halal certifications. Khoro praised the efforts of the public and private sectors in pursuing the concept of halal certification in Pakistan.

CEO TDAP Tariq Puri said that this is the first serious step in Pakistan towards halal certification. Halal certification adds value and allows the country to earn more from its present exports and since halal certification means quality. Pakistan should become the hub of halal goods and services because of its strategic position for the Arab world and Central Asian countries, he added.

Dr S Ali Khan, a director for Ethnic Focus, a UK-based research house said that if Pakistan wants to emerge as a leader in the trillion-dollar halal industry, then it will need technical knowledge, data insight, government commitment and public-private partnership among other requirements. He said that western multinationals want to reach Muslim consumers but need proper insight which Pakistan can provide to them.

“Pakistan needs to market itself as a committed player in halal certifications,” he added. He also informed that Muslim consumers are increasingly becoming brand aware which is why more and more large brands are localising themselves in different cultures.

Experts say that the halal industry is not limited to meat products only but it also includes cosmetics, pharmaceutical items and other services.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5th, 2010.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Halal-31/Halal-31.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Thailand eyes halal trade</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/83148/thailand-eyes-halal-trade</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/83148/thailand-eyes-halal-trade#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 29 Nov 10 05:04:43 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[farrukh.rahman]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=83148</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[And how Pakistan can benefit.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Isn’t it amazing that a country with a predominantly Buddhist population is organising the World Halal Congress early next month and projecting itself as a kitchen for the world.

Thailand relies heavily on exports, which make up more than 60 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP). Its domestic market is not that large and thus the country strives to penetrate untapped markets and diversify into new areas. The halal trade fits perfectly in this scheme of things.

According to a document produced by Dr Winai Dahlan of the Halal Science Centre, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, its share in the global halal food market is just one per cent.

Hence, Thailand is targeting Muslims across the word, particularly those living in Western economies – where those who have migrated tend to enjoy a higher amount of disposable income than in their home countries.

The higher purchasing power of Muslims in the US and European countries make them biggest halal consumers – in France, for example, the halal food market has grown larger than the market for organic food.

In 2008, the total food consumption of the more than 1.6 billion Muslims spread across 148 countries was valued at $520 billion while international Halal food trade was valued at $150 billion.

Thailand, one of the world’s leading food producers – with exports of rice, vegetables, and fruits – is not a Muslim country and neither are its food makers. In fact, producers from Taiwan, China and other countries are investing heavily in halal food production for export purposes.

Entrepreneurs, therefore, have turned to the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand for allowing them to use the ‘Halal’ logo on their products. Gradually, the certification is gaining acceptability across the world. The committee has assumed a pivotal role in the promotion of halal trade, which is also linked with high hygienic standards.

A member of a Pakistani delegation that recently visited the country to explore the possibility of joint ventures was informed of the strict conditions enforced at factories to keep them free from impurities that are shunned by Islam.

He was also informed that the ‘Halal’ food standard is an integrated system that covers the entire production process. From start to finish, the production chain has to be halal and food production safety systems such as GMP, HACCP, and ISO all conform to the ‘Halal’ food standard.

In their quest for new market outlets in the Middle East and Central Asia, Thai entrepreneurs are looking for joint ventures with Pakistani counterparts.

Prospects for bilateral trade

Thailand and Pakistan are both food producing countries but enjoy distinct terrains and weather conditions – they produce agricultural products that do not necessarily compete and may even complement each other.

With its economic infrastructure and industrial know-how in food production, Thailand could help us break out of the current predicament of being primarily a commodity exporter and move on to become a major exporter of processed foods.

At the ground level, this should mean more trade and joint ventures in food production to complement each other’s needs. The ventures could benefit from Pakistan’s stronger face as a source of Halal food at the international level since the country of manufacture is of paramount importance.

On the other hand, Thailand’s clout among international channels for processed food products could be used to source processed food products (Thai brands) from Pakistan through contract processing/packaging.

At the government level this could translate into collaboration between universities and research institutes.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29th, 2010.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Halal-31/Halal-31.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Halal: Pakistan ready to set up certification body</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/80895/halal-pakistan-ready-to-set-up-certification-body</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/80895/halal-pakistan-ready-to-set-up-certification-body#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 24 Nov 10 04:45:30 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=80895</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Move to help boost exports of non-meat products as well.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The government is all set to start certifying halal products as part of its efforts to target the worldwide halal market – valued at over $1 trillion. The project, aimed at fetching higher returns on exports, will be floated under a public private partnership (PPP) to ensure credibility of the certifications.

CEO Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (Tdap) Tariq Iqbal Puri announced this during a press briefing here on Tuesday.

“It’s not just about getting a higher price. We will also see an improvement in the production quality of goods since certified industries require more vigilance in quality maintenance,” said Puri. It is estimated that local industries can fetch between 20 and 50 per cent more revenues (because of higher prices) because of the ‘halal’ label.

Puri pointed out that the certification would be beneficial for all sectors, not just for those involved in the meat business. “Sixty per cent of the world halal market is of non-meat products, including cosmetics, food items and so on.”

It is interesting to note that Pakistan had no chilled meat exports till 1999 but exports under this head now exceeded $100 million. “Many companies have come in over the past few years that export processed products in frozen categories that have increased our exports manifold,” added Puri.

Pakistan is also preparing to host the Global Halal Congress on December 4 where 27 representatives from 17 countries have already confirmed participation.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24th, 2010.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Halal-3/Halal-3.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Global Halal Congress to be held next month</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/65667/global-halal-congress-to-be-held-next-month</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/65667/global-halal-congress-to-be-held-next-month#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 21 Oct 10 13:54:22 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ppi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=65667</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The Halal Congress is an international conference to introduce Pakistan to the leading Halal industry experts.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Halal Development Council (HDC) will be holding the first Global Halal Congress in Pakistan with the theme ‘Discover Pakistan’s Halal Potential.’

The Halal Congress is an international conference to introduce Pakistan to the leading Halal industry experts, global Halal agenda promoters and international Halal certifiers.

The congress will be held in Karachi on December 4, 2010, and will be attended by more than 30 renowned scholars, scientists and Halal authorities from more than 20 countries.

The congress will enable business professionals from banking, insurance, food and beverage, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, tourism, logistics, and packaging to identify the investment, joint venture and trading opportunities in Pakistan.

The Halal brand is globally recognised as a symbol of ‘good quality product.’ Although Pakistan is a Muslim country, it is not known to the world as a supplier of certified Halal products and thus its share in this trillion dollar global Halal business is negligible.

Pakistan’s strength is a 100 per cent Halal production base, with over 170 million consumers within Pakistan and a direct access to a grand total of 470 million Halal consumers in Afghanistan, Central Asia and Middle East. The conference will aim to propagate this to the Halal agenda promoters globally to see how to take advantage of Pakistan’s strength for the development of Halal trade.

Halal Development Council (HDC) is the only NGO in Pakistan that works for the development of Halal economy. Its main promoters include reputable scholars, technocrats, jurists, diplomats and entrepreneurs.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Halal-3/Halal-3.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Eating halal goes far beyond scientific reasoning</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/60950/eating-halal-goes-far-beyond-scientific-reasoning</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/60950/eating-halal-goes-far-beyond-scientific-reasoning#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 11 Oct 10 05:19:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=60950</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The global halal meat industry is valued at around $150 billion with over 1.6b Muslim consumers across the globe.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[While mostly overlooked, the halal industry is a key Islamic industry whose model is derived directly from the Quran. The model is even more fascinating when studied under an economic microscope which explains its simplicity and why it is unshakeable.

Foundation

The global halal meat industry is valued at around $150 billion with over 1.6 billion Muslim consumers across the globe. It thrives on the basic economic principles of supply and demand. As surely as the world population grows each day so does the demand for food.

Consumer demand

The Quran puts forth strict restriction on consuming only halal items.

This restriction is fundamental in ensuring continued demand for halal food proportional to the Muslim population. It also guarantees that the industry as a whole will continue to exist for as long as Muslims do and makes it a safe one to operate in.

The demand model is further strengthened by the celebration of Eidul Azha once a year. During this time, the slaughter of animals has been made mandatory on all capable Muslims. The day serves not only to reinforce the meat eating habits of Muslims but also guarantees a surge in demand as the festival approaches.

The base consumer demand projections are also made fairly easy and can be calculated as at least one goat or sheep for every capable adult Muslim be required, or one camel or cow for every seven.

Meat supply

The instructions in the Quran on the slaughter of poultry and cattle require that it be done by a Muslim and in the name of Allah. This alone is enough to ensure that the meat comes from a Muslim butcher. Consequently, the industry is enjoyed exclusively by Muslims yet open to all meat eaters.

However, there is another subtle factor that encourages vertical integration within the halal industry so that even cattle-farming is regulated by Muslims.

The Quran clearly bans pork on the basis of it being unhygienic. It is fair to say that well-intentioned halal meat that can be labeled 100 per cent only if comes from a Muslim farmer who understand the Quranic preference for hygiene.

Halal franchise

The halal franchise has also expanded into other industries such as pharmaceuticals and even clothing.

The halal industry simultaneously benefits participants by allowing for horizontal expansion into complementary industries such as condiments and confectionary. Retailers have the potential to expand into general purpose grocery chains.

Other subtleties include travel restrictions to countries that offer halal food or settling down only in halal-friendly communities.

Halal is just not about the way animals are slaughtered.

The writer is heading Online Strategy and Development at Express Media

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11th, 2010.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/eating/eating.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Britain’s first ‘halal’ cosmetics</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/31259/britain%e2%80%99s-first-%e2%80%98halal%e2%80%99-cosmetics</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/31259/britain%e2%80%99s-first-%e2%80%98halal%e2%80%99-cosmetics#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 26 Jul 10 17:38:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Life &amp; Style]]></category><category><![CDATA[Fashion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=31259</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A Muslim businesswoman in Britain has launched the country’s first range of halal cosmetics which are free from alcohol and animal products.

British entrepreneur Samina Akhter set up Samina Pure Make-up at her home in Birmingham after questioning the ingredients of many international brand makeup products, Sky News reported.

She was shocked to find out that some of the products she used contained fatty acids and gelatine from pigs. “As a Muslim, I was questioning what I was putting on my skin. I wanted to know whether it was permissible in Islam,” she said.

Akhter says her make-up products are made from plant extracts, minerals, essential oils and vitamins. “Many Muslim women like me have been frustrated by wanting to look good and follow their faith,” she said.

Halal cosmetics are an up and coming business. Malaysian singer-turned-entrepreneur Famiza Zulkifli began her company four years ago and now has an annual turnover of $1.6 billion. She exports dozens of beauty products to Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand and Brunei, and plans to expand her business to Europe next year.

A Malaysian research company has estimated the global halal business to be worth $635 billion a year, which has expanded from Muslim countries to Western nations with a growing Muslim population. The halal cosmetics business is estimated to be worth $560 million globally and is seen by analysts as next in line for growth after the halal food and Islamic finance sectors.

This trend is catching on in Pakistan but has not yet become the norm. While several local supermarkets stock halal cosmetics and perfumes, the demand for it is still less in comparison to regular make-up products.

However, skeptics claim that the halal stamp is a gimmick, and there are no checks in place to determine whether a product being certified is halal or not.

Abdalhamid David Evans, a British expert on the halal business, believes that more manufacturers will jump on the bandwagon as Muslims choose halal products to reinforce their identity while others become more eco-conscious.

“People are becoming increasingly concerned about those things and they become a marketing issue, and without a doubt, (the halal cosmetics industry) is going to be big,” said Evans.

WITH INFORMATION FROM AFP

Published in The Express Tribune, 27th, 2010.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Mackup/Mackup.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Pakistan survives global financial crisis</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/24177/pakistan-survives-global-financial-crisis</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/24177/pakistan-survives-global-financial-crisis#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 27 Jun 10 19:51:18 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sobia.shahnaz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=24177</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The global financial crisis and the accompanying global credit crunch had a minor but direct impact on Pakistan. The country’s economy remains out of the woods but the government still needs to find donors to bridge the whopping gaps created even after an $11.3 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The performance of Pakistan’s economy in the fiscal year 2008-09 had been greatly influenced by macroeconomic imbalances created in 2007-08. Persistent inflationary pressures and the weak performance of key sectors made it a demanding year. Add high global commodity prices to the mix and the dual impact shocked the economy with a gaping trade deficit, high inflation and crash in the value of the rupee.

For the first time in years, the economy will have to seek external funding to support balance of payments. The cost of protection against a default in Pakistan’s sovereign debt trades at 1,800 basis points. With the step up in operation against militants, an acute energy shortage and resource constraints, the domestic environment remained detrimental, threatening macroeconomic fundamentals. As a result of these pressures, the economy has not only been impacted with regard to overall performance but has also undergone a medium-term shift in policy orientation. Policy intervention has been geared towards stabilising the economy, with a targeted recovery phase which began in fiscal year 2009-10.

Inflation remains the biggest threat to the economy, jumping to more than nine per cent in 2005 before easing to 7.9 per cent in 2006. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) estimates that inflation should drop back to single digits this year and that growth should rise to over five per cent annually by 2011. While this is less than the seven per cent average over the past five years, it would represent a step towards overcoming the present crisis where growth is a mere four per cent.

The effects of the global slowdown have been transmitted through the trade balance with a slowdown in global demand and a fall in commodity prices with varying effects on capital account and a significant reduction in private inflows to Pakistan.

The global crisis has impacted Pakistan’s external debt through the depreciation of the US dollar against major international currencies leading to significant worldwide losses. A receptive debt policy is currently being formulated in order to monitor, assess and take steps to mitigate the currency risks.

On the other hand, the low interest rate environment amid the ongoing crisis has provided Pakistan with an opportunity to capitalise on lower servicing costs of its existing stock of floating rate external debt.

After recognising the economic challenges, the government and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) initiated an aggressive macroeconomic stabilisation programme with the help of International Monetary Fund (IMF) to put the economy back on track.

The crisis has also allowed the government and SBP to undertake some key reforms in the domestic public debt market. The government has started announcing quarterly targets for treasury bill auctions. The decisions on cut-off rates for auctions are now based on target and more importantly this cut-off is now decided by the Ministry of Finance instead of the central bank. The SBP is now aiming to adopt a transparent liquidity management framework including the announcement of an explicit corridor for money market interest rates which will be made public.

As part of monetary policy management, the SBP has also introduced a number of reforms in the foreign exchange market. Importantly, the SBP decided to gradually phase out the provision of foreign exchange for importing oil. Now the inter-bank market is meeting the foreign exchange demand for the import of furnace oil.

The impact of the global crisis has so far been very limited but a few credible threats still remain. The external sector still faces multiple threats in the form of a further reduction in international demand and secondly, a recent rally in international commodity prices as investors seek refuge could potentially reverse the gains registered in the current account balance. With regard to external financing if current conditions in international markets continue, the government will have to increase reliance on funding from multilateral and bilateral agencies.

Dealing with the crisis is difficult for Pakistan due to fiscal constraints. Balance of payments weaknesses forced the country to resort to an IMF standby arrangement that imposed further conditions on the budget. Subsidies on wheat, electricity, fertiliser and oil had to be phased out which in turn increased the inflationary burden on consumers. While there are some social safety nets at the federal and provincial levels, access to these has generally become more difficult.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2010.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Business-script/Business-script.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Are halal cosmetics the next big thing?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/11059/are-halal-cosmetics-the-next-big-thing</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/11059/are-halal-cosmetics-the-next-big-thing#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 05 May 10 17:57:52 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Life &amp; Style]]></category><category><![CDATA[Fashion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=11059</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Entrepreneurs producing halal cosmetics say the global market is booming as more Muslims opt for beauty products that have a ‘halal’ tag attached to it. 

Malaysian singer-turned-entrepreneur Famiza Zulkifli’s business has an annual turnover of $1.6 billion. It started only four years ago, when she made her first halal soap after searching in vain for the right products to bathe her baby. According to the AFP news agency, Zulkifli exports dozens of beauty products to Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand and Brunei and plans to expand her business to Europe next year The concept of halal, which means “permissible” in Arabic, is usually applied to food.

However, in recent years there has been a surge of products that have been branded halal Like their conventional counterparts, halal cosmetics can contain animal ingredients but they must be producd according to Islamic codes on slaughter and preparation. “Even the small amount of collagen in our night cream is derived from halal sheep raised at a Muslim-run farm in Australia,” Zulkifli told AFP. A Malaysian research company has estimated the global halal business company to be worth $635 billion a year.

The halal cosmetics business is estimated to be worth $560 million globally. This trend has been fairly popular in Pakistan for a while. The Saeed Ghani brand manufactures halal perfumes which are oil-based. “People in Pakistan are turning towards halal perfumes and the market is growing,” a salesman at Saeed Ghani’s branch at Park Towers in Karachi said. However, while a number of customers do buy these perfumes because they are halal, a large number buy them because of the price difference.

“A bottle of oil-based perfume will cost Rs300 as compared to a bottle of alcohol-based perfume which costs anywhere from Rs3000 to Rs5000. Additionally, the oilbased stays on the skin longer and does not evaporate,” the salesman said. Popular supermarkets in Karachi such as Agha’s and Ebco carry alcohol- based perfumes as “hardly anyone asks for non-alcohol-based perfumes.”

A salesperson at Ebco told The Express Tribune that the supermarket carries Ajmal Perfumes, a famous brand from the UAE, which, “dealers say is halal but it does not mention this on the packaging”. A representative of the global brand The Body Shop told The Express Tribune, “Few people care whether a perfume is halal or not but we have started importing an oil-based line from the UK. We have more variety in alcohol-based perfumes and these sell more.” While perfumes may be alcoholbased, all cosmetics are halal.

A representative from Karachi’s popular Agha’s Supermarket said, “All our cosmetic products such as lipsticks and creams are halal, and we make sure that whatever we import, Maybelline, Karaja or L’ Oreal, are all halal.” However, Mehrbano Sethi of Luscious Cosmetics believes that the halal stamp is a gimmick. “I recently flew to Malaysia where I met with suppliers who said that there are a few companies who put the halal stamp on products.

They are catering to North Africa and Saudi Arabia and to get the stamp you pay them a hefty amount and they will give you the stamp, without even necessarily checking out your product or the manufacturing methods,” Sethi told The Express Tribune. “You can put a halal stamp on a mattress and halal products have become a fashion rather than a religious choice in these countries. But in Pakistan what people care about is ingredients from animal parts.

Luscious Cosmetics does not use animal products in any way, although it is cheaper than the synthetic alternate, because we do not believe in cruelty to animals and because the halal question never arises. Most religious authorities agree to this.” Halal perfumes are not only popular amongst Muslims. Mah Hussain- Gambles, founder of the first halal cosmetics company in Europe, Saaf Pure Skincare, told AFP that the industry has also benefitted from a “green wave” and that 75 per cent of her customers are non-Muslims.

“The principles are the same; they want something that does not harm the body, the purity and that is exactly the same as the halal movement,” she said. “I created an eco-ethical brand which is organic, vegetarian and halal which are all important elements to me,” she said, adding that demand “is getting out of control”. Abdalhamid David Evans, a British expert on the halal business, said more manufacturers will jump on the bandwagon as Muslims choose halal products to reinforce their identity while others become more eco-conscious.

“People are becoming increasingly concerned about those things and they become a marketing issue, and without a doubt, (the halal cosmetics industry) is going to be big,” said Evans.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/cosmetics/cosmetics.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item>	</channel>
                </rss>
