SGS courts food industry with halal awareness campaign

SGS, an inspection, verification, testing and certification company, is working in partnership with the Europe-based Halal Authority Board (HAB) to offer the food industry support for entering the global halal market. SGS’ halal audit, certification and training services are based on the HAB’s halal geographically neutral standard, the company said.

"Halal certification is not yet globally standardised but its need is internationally recognised," SGS said in a feature article dated October 8 on its website, pointing out that there are an estimated 122 certification bodies around the world. "Consumers have to largely rely on the seller and/or trust the information provided on the product label to guide their purchase."

The company noted that the global halal food and beverage trade is substantial, an an estimated US$1.4 trillion annually* (Farouk, 2013). It also quoted a 2012 estimate** that the global halal market is currently worth 16% of the entire global food industry and will soon account for 20% of the global food product trade in the near future with Asia accounting for 63% of the pie.

SGS has a presence in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, with individual office locations found here.

*Farouk, MM, 2013, Advances in the industrial production of halal and kosher red meat. Meat Science, 95, 805-820.

**Van der Spiegel, M, van der Fels-Klerx, HJ, Sterrenburg, P, van Ruth, SM, Scholtens-Toma, IMJ and Kok, EJ, 2012, Halal assurance in food supply chains: Verification of halal certificates using audits and laboratory analysis, Trends in Food Science & Technology, 27, 109-119.