BRUSSELS, Belgium (March 23, 2012)  — The 5th International Halal Food Conference organized by the Halal Food Council of Europe (HFCE), an IFANCA sister organization, was held on March 23rd, 2012, and was extremely well attended. The theme of this year’s conference was “Halal Market Potential: A Global Force.” This one day event was endorsed by the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA) and the World Halal Food Council (WHFC) and co-sponsored by Abbott Nutritionals.

In attendance were dignitaries, HFCE client companies, importers, exporters, and representatives from government halal regulatory bodies such as JAKIM (Malaysia) & MUI (Indonesia). The conference began with recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the Welcome Address by HFCE Chairman Prof. Dr. Hj. Mohamed Sadek. The official opening of the conference was done by H.E. Dato’ Zainuddin Yahya, ambassador of Malaysia to Belgium.

15 speakers from various client companies and representatives from government regulatory departments shared insights on subjects associated with the increasing potential of halal products in a global economy. Many views were exchanged ranging from halal certification to global halal standards.

The speakers from Indonesia & Malaysia were especially well received as attendees were eager to hear their point of view regarding the criteria and standards of halal in their respective countries.

The most well attended presentations were on the topics of Halal Traceability by Dr. Heiner Lehr, Halal Food Certification: Opportunities and Challenges by Dr. Abdulla Ruwaida, and Mr. Othman Yusoff of Nestle Malaysia. Equally popular were speakers from Givaudan Flavors and DSM Nutritionals.

Given the tremendous response and large number of attendees this year, the HFCE staffs looks forward to an even stronger showing at the 6th International Halal Food Conference to be held in the Spring of 2014 in Brussels.

 

IFANCA®

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA®) is one of the world’s leading and well-respected not-for-profit halal certification organizations. Featured in various media such as the Wall Street Journal, Prepared Foods, CNBC, and CNN, IFANCA® has been promoting halal since 1982. IFANCA® was recognized in the “Best Halal Related Service Provider Award” by the Halal Journal at World Halal Forum 2007. IFANCA® certified halal products are recognized by Indonesia (MUI), Malaysia (JAKIM), Singapore (MUIS), and the United Arab Emirates (GSM) and are sold in nearly every country of the world. IFANCA’s halal certification expertise covers all food industry categories. For more information about IFANCA®, visit www.ifanca.org.