KU holds seminar on food and hygiene

KARACHI:

The agriculture and agribusiness management department at the Karachi University (KU) organised a seminar titled ‘Halal: Symbol of intolerance in hygiene, safety and quality’ on Sunday.

The university’s vice chancellor, Prof. Muhammad Qaiser, chaired the seminar. He said that halal certification was a symbol of quality and hygiene for Muslims as well as people of other faiths.

Mufti Ehsan Ahmed Waqar of the Halal Foundation and Mufti Saad Shamim of the Halal Industry Research Centre explained the Islamic method of preparing animals for consumption.

The speakers said that it was important to know everything about a product and its ingredients. They added that that minute differences in storage or supply could make food haram.

Expressing regret over Pakistan’s negligible share in the international market for halal foods, the speakers said that a competent authority’s certification would improve health standards and increase the number of exports. They also stressed that consumers had the right to inquire about halal certification. Other prominent figures from the industry, including Muhammad Akram Khan and Raheel Iqbal from the Hilal Industry Research Centre, also spoke at the seminar.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9^th, 2012.