The importance and rising acceptance of halal meat will be highlighted during the upcoming Halal Congress Middle East that will be held alongside the second OIC Halal Middle East Exhibition in Sharjah.
Halal meat is gaining popularity across the world due to its scientific and hygienic slaughtering and processing methods, and is spicing up the $600 billion global halal meat market impressively. Globally, the halal market that spans from food to finance and tourism is worth $3 trillion. According to latest estimates, halal products have two billion consumers worldwide that are growing at over 20 per cent annually.
Studies have shown that halal slaughter methods protect consumers from a number of diseases, which is not possible with the conventional methods used in many countries.
Ahead of the key halal conclave in Sharjah, experts declared that the halal slaughter of animals has a great role in preventing infectious diseases, and is seen as one of the main reasons for the popularity of the product even among non-Muslims.
“The way the slaughtering process is carried out is of significant importance for both human health and safety and quality of the meat. Halal slaughter involves cutting the jugular veins, throat and esophagus, which facilitates draining of blood from the animal and thus prevents growth and multiplication of harmful micro-organisms,” said Dr Ibrahim Hussein Ahmed Abd El Rahim, professor of infectious diseases at the Umm Al Qura University in Makkah.
He will be attending the upcoming congress that will be held at Expo Centre Sharjah from December 16 to 18.
A panel discussion will be dedicated to the science behind halal during the three-day congress. Chaired by Shawky Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, Grand Mufti of Egypt, the discussion will take up issues of stunning, mechanical slaughtering, tasmiah and animal feed, among others.
Panelists for the discussion include Mufti Taqi Usmani from Pakistan; Mufti Mustafa Ceric from Bosnia; Mufti Shaikh Ravil Gainutdin from Russia; Nabil A. Molla, secretary-general of the GCC Standardisation Organization; and Dr Abdulqahir Mohammad Qamar of the International Islamic Fiqah Academy in Saudi Arabia. It will also feature representatives from the Standards and Metrology Institute for the Islamic Countries; the UAE’s Emirates Standards and Metrology Authority; Pakistan’s National Accreditation Council; Malaysia’s Halal Certification Authority; Majlis Ulema-Indonesia; and Thailand’s Halal Science Centre.
