NEWS FEATURE\\\


Halal standards in the food supply chain


Time was when most consumers of Halal products were happy with a simple sticker to say that it was certified, but today people take a much a greater interest in the integrity of the supply chain – all of which have implications for the logistics industry. Phil Hastings reports from the recent Cool Logistics Conference 2011 in Antwerp.


T


he idea of globally-recognised standards designed to ensure


the integrity of Halal product supply chains – along the lines of those established for ISO (International Organisation


for Standardisation)


quality, environmental and security certification – is gathering momentum. That was one of the key points to


emerge from a presentation given at the recent Cool Logistics Conference by Mohamed Amin Kassim, deputy managing director of Century Logistics, a leading Malaysian logistics provider active in the warehousing and distribution of Halal products. Halal products are those deemed permissible, under Islamic Law, for Muslims to eat or use. Halal supply chain integrity primarily revolves around the need to prevent cross- contamination of Halal products by non-Halal items and hazardous substances, said Amin. Worldwide demand for Halal goods was growing rapidly, he added and estimates put the potential global market for consumers of Halal goods, which included toiletries, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals as well as food, and services at about 1.5 billion, “and that is probably a conservative figure”. Amin continued: “More and


more countries are requesting Halal- certified products. Today, when I visit Europe, in particular, I have no problem getting Halal products. If you walk into the stores of some of the leading supermarket chains, especially in the UK, you will see areas selling Halal products.” In the past, explained Amin,


many consumers had simply looked at the Halal logo on a product and been satisfied with that. They had not asked how the product had been brought to market, whether it might have been contaminated by non-Halal products while in the supply chain or whether or not it had been handled by suitably qualified people. Today’s consumers, though, he


suggested, were more demanding and looked at the whole supply chain picture. That meant producers


whose logistics operations were Halal-certified had a competitive advantage. The issue was how to achieve the required supply chain integrity and provide supporting certification. Amin said current major


challenges in that context included politics, “which is not easy to overcome” (within days of the conference, the right-wing Dutch government announced a ban on Halal and Kosher products, allegedly on animal welfare grounds), red tape and officialdom, and the high cost and uneven return on investment associated


with investment in


warehouse facilities dedicated to handling Halal products. Other problems arose from the


fragmentation of producers and sources of supply, he continued. That was particularly an issue where intermodal transport operations were involved if there were no proper critical control points and the logistics was not managed correctly. There was a requirement for proper logistics companies with the right trained personnel and understanding of what the Halal supply chain was all about to handle the products and ensure their integrity. “The biggest issue, though,


is non-standardisation and the differing concepts, philosophies and


interpretations (of Halal


requirements) in various countries. Some countries are very liberal while others are very conservative,” stated Amin. “At the end of the day we are talking about the requirement for an acceptable endorsement of process, production and logistics integrity – and there lies the problem because every country has multiple agencies claiming they should be the one to certify that.” One major positive development,


though, was the establishment of the International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHI), a Malaysian-based international non-profit organisation created in 2007 to, in its own words, “uphold the integrity of the Halal market concept in global trade


Multimodal 2012 is already 75% sold out and there are only a limited number of stands available. To enquire about sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities contact Jenny Moore today and see how you can benefi t from meeting and doing business with the leading shippers in the UK.


Tel: +44 20 7370 8957 Lead sponsors include Email: jenny.moore@clarionevents.com


Multimodal is the UK and Ireland’s only event dedicated to more effi cient supply chain management.


Multimodal is the only trade show that allows our members display their services and products. The show is growing year on year. The value of the networking opportunities that come out of the show are immense. All in all, it’s really good value for the effort and investment.


Roger Williams, CEO, United Kingdom Warehousing Association


We have exhibited at Multimodal 3 times and believe it’s a really good opportunity to promote our brand. When the exhibition launched 4 years ago it was the fi rst of its kind on this scale and size and it has grown each year.


Nick Lowe, Managing Director, Dachser


This is our 3rd year at Multimodal. It’s really an opportunity to present the organisation as four modes under one brand; Air, Ocean, Road and Rail and our customers can come and talk to us across all modes. I believe the format of the show improves year on year.


David Harrison, Commercial Director, DB Schenker


Excellent and focused event. Saw who I wanted to and got all the responses needed. I went with a specifi c agenda and all went to plan!


Logistics Director, Whitbread Group PLC


through recognition, collaboration and membership”. Expanding on the reasons


for its formation, the IHI Alliance claimed at the time that the global Halal industry had no significant non-government


organisation


presence or position which could provide accreditation to certification bodies. The main reason for that, it continued, was the absence of a constructive platform which could be used by the industries involved to communicate and network.


Issue 6 2011 “The absence of a credible


reference centre for information has resulted in industries and consumers being bombarded with various interpretations of the meaning and application of


Halal which


often contradict each other. Initial feedback has indicated that there is a significant need for a neutral platform established based on studies carried out worldwide.” Over the last 18 months the IHI


Alliance has published a series of Halal-standard modules,


including


19


one relating to logistics, which it said were designed to “address all activities in the supply chain” and also be “a starting point for companies which are clueless as to where to start”. Commenting on those recent


developments, Amin added: “IHI is developing a more standard practice for achieving Halal certification, very much like the ISO standards, and is looking to licence proper people to carry that out so there is no hanky- panky in terms of coming up with the endorsement.”


2012 Supply Chain Management & Logistics for Cargo Owners NEC Birmingham • 1-3 May 2012


Freight • Transport • Logistics • Supply Chain Management 1 – 3 May 2012, Hall 4, NEC Birmingham, UK


www.multimodal.org.uk


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