A growing worldwide demand for halal products, combined with a lack of worldwide standards, is causing the Muslim world to take a serious look at the need for standardization.
Halal, like kosher, is the principles of Islamic law governing goods from production through consumption.
The halal industry is now worth an estimated $2.1tr, with more than $20bn of that in the Middle East.
Ram Menen, divisional senior vice president cargo for Emirates, notes that halal products account for the majority of meat transported through Emirates' hub in Dubai, and "are a very important segment for Emirates SkyCargo."
As a result of a lack of uniformity in how halal products should be handled in the logistics supply chain, the International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHI Alliance) has been tasked to harmonize these standards worldwide, according to Marco Tieman, CEO of LBB Teams, a Kuala Lumpur-based company created to assist companies in organizing networks of suppliers and manufacturers.
"Halal logistics is the process of managing the procurement, movement, storage and handling materials, parts, livestock and semi-finished inventory, both food and non-food, through the organization and the supply chain in compliance with the general principles of Shariah (Islamic) law," he says.
Source: Air Cargo World