First European Halal Conference

Too many different halal certification bodies the decision of the manufacturer did not easy, whom to trust and who enjoys the best market acceptance. The call for a uniform settlement grew louder, especially as consumers showed irritated because of many scandals.

The 1st European Halal Conference, jointly organized by Messe Düsseldorf and DTFood eV and supported by many committed authorities and system providers from the Halal sector od Control, brought around 150 manufacturers, dealers, service providers, institutions and organizations, certifiers, Muslim scholars, Authorities and auditors from all over Europe come together in Düsseldorf. The aim of this meeting was to bring together the experts on a subject that is increasingly coming to the fore in the European food industry, but also in public awareness - halal food - in working groups in a constructive manner and in a result-oriented manner with regard to the possibility of a uniform certification standard for Europe. 

Around 25 participants in the “Market” working group - manufacturers, logisticians, analysts, service providers and consumer representatives from France, England, Denmark, Italy, Germany and Turkey demanded at least the further development of the subject of Halal and Halal certification in Europe a minimum consensus on questions of faith. A uniform certification standard is less important to them than a uniform certificate and a uniform European logo. 

For representatives of the market, the inclusion of Turkey in further discussions and developments of a uniform Halal standard for Europe is important. The “Certification” working group essentially called for the introduction of a protected Halal label, more legal security when exporting food to the Islamic world and closer cooperation with the Turkish government. In the “Religion” working group, it quickly became clear that the question of a contemporary interpretation of the Qur'an and its specifications for Qur'an-compliant nutrition still needs much more discussion.

Despite the differences in the content of the three main topics, all three working groups agreed: What was initiated in the discussions of the various experts and stakeholders in the context of this first operational working meeting is worth pursuing - with the aim of ultimately creating the basis for a consensus to be created.

The working groups, coordinated by the initiators of the conference and controlled by the working group spokesmen, will continue the dialogue that has begun. The 2nd European Halal Conference will take place at the same time as the food trade fairs of Messe Düsseldorf - the "InterMopro", "InterCool", "InterMeat" - from 23.9. will take place in Düsseldorf until 26.9.2012. 

Elrezgui Adel, conference speaker and representative of the Islamic Center in Munich, illustrated with practical examples: “The IZM is one of the oldest Islamic institutions in Germany and a founding member of the most important Islamic associations in Germany. We have been trying for years to find a consensus here and we very much welcome the platform that has been created. We have been certifying halal food for decades, mostly for export goods that go to Iran, the Gulf region and the UAE, among others ”. The IZM works very well with a company in Upper Bavaria that has been producing turkey delicacies since the 60s, he continued.

Source: Düsseldorf [Reuter PR]