MEXICO CITY, Mexico (April 10, 2014) — The Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA®) will discuss halal meat products and market opportunity at the Congreso Internacional De La Carne, also known as the International Congress of Meat, on April 10, 2014.

The Mexican Association of Feedlot Cattle (AMEG) and the National Committee for Beef Cattle Systems Products, supported by Mexico’s Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), are organizing this conference. This two-day program, starting on April 9, will feature 20 lectures and workshops on the meat sector, 100 exhibits, and 4,800 attendees.

Dr. Muhammad Munir Chaudry, IFANCA’s president, will join the Export Panel of meat industry experts that will cover case studies from Australia, the European Union and the USA. “Muslim consumers primarily drive the demand for halal certified meat. We expect the demand for halal meat to increase with the growing demand for beef,” says Dr. Chaudry. According to the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life, Muslims make up more than 20 percent of the world’s population at 1.6 billion and are growing at the rate of 1.5 percent, compared to the 0.7 percent growth rate of non-Muslim populations. “I am optimistic that education in the meat industry will help exporting companies understand halal compliance laws in Asia, the Middle East and the USA,” added Dr. Chaudry.

The Congreso Internacional De La Carne aims to bring together national and international stakeholders committed to the growth of the meat sector. In addition to regulatory education, the conference will also showcase livestock management and animal feed; packaging and refrigeration equipment; barbeques and grills; ingredients and seasonings; the art of meat cooking; education for butchers; and information for supermarket and foodservice buyers.

 

IFANCA®

A not-for-profit headquartered in Chicago, the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA) is one of the world’s leading 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 awarded the “Best Halal Related Service Provider Award” by the Halal Journal at the World Halal Forum in 2007 and the Islamic Economy Award for Compliance and Standardization by the Global Islamic Economy Summit (GIES®) in 2013. IFANCA is endorsed by many countries and organizations including MUI (Indonesia), JAKIM (Malaysia), MUIS (Singapore), Saudi Arabia (MWL), and GSM (United Arab Emirates), and IFANCA halal-certified products 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.