Halal exports: UAF inks deal for exploring new avenues

Thai and Pakistani food research institutes sign MoU to explore halal food science.

FAISALABAD:

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 8^th, 2011.