Strong growth in halal, organic forecast in Middle East

There are great opportunities for food manufacturers and processors, particularly in the meat and poultry sectors, to meet the strong demand for halal foods, according to a report in Zawya. Companies based in the Middle East and Southeast Asia regions are in a strong position to meet this demand as the result of their location in or near established Islamic economies, and many of these firms are expected to attend the Gulfood Manufacturing exhibition in Dubai.
Among the rapidly growing trends in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are packaged foods, organic foods and food retailing, according a report in Arabian Gazette, citing a report from Frost & Sullivan. By 2018, the markets are forecast to reach US$37.6 billion, US$1.5 billion and US$155 billion, respectively. The study also highlights the region’s ambition to reduce its dependence on food imports; 70 percent of food products in the GCC are imported, with cereals accounting for about 55 percent of the total. There are also opportunities for allied industries such as processing machinery, packaging and logistics when imported foods are processed locally for consumption or re-export.
Healthy and innovative packaged foods, organic fresh meats, dairy and poultry, and selling these products in modern and innovative retail spaces are the segments presenting attractive growth opportunities in the GCC food and beverage industry, according to the report. Furthermore, it adds, GCC governments are taking the initiative by establishing an organic farming department in the ministry of agriculture and an organic farming association to develop local farms.
Some of the challenges of poultry farming in GCC countries were outlined in a recent report on the sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by the USDA. High feed prices, low biosecurity and diseases combine to push up the costs of production, and there are no subsidies for UAE producers. Nevertheless, poultry meat output is forecast to reach 45,000 metric tons in 2015, 5 percent more than last year. This covers 15 percent of the total consumed in the UAE, and Brazil was the leading source of imported poultry in 2014.
Gulfood Manufacturing 2015, the region's largest sector-specific trade show for the food and beverage manufacturing, processing and packaging industry, takes place at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from October 27-29. As well as the trade show, there will be a series of high-level panel discussions on the impact of new regional rail, ports and air transport hubs on supply chains, and achieving quality and safety across the food chain.

1Stop Halal takes over 2 Sisters poultry plant

U.K. company 2 Sisters Food Group ceased operations at its poultry plant in Eye, Suffolk, U.K., and transferred the operations over to Scotland-based company 1Stop Halal, effective June 5.
An estimated 215 people work at the plant, and all employees will become employees of 1Stop Halal, according to a report from East Anglian Daily Times.
1Stop Halal has already taken over operations at one plant previously run by 2 Sisters Food Group. In July 2014, the 1Stop Halal began production at the former 2 Sisters plant in Stowmarket, U.K. 2 Sisters had earlier stated that it discontinued operations at the Stowmarket plant because it felt business there was “unsustainable.”
2 Sisters Food Group, according to the WATT Global Media Top Companies Database, processes 500 million birds annually. In addition to processing chicken, 2 Sisters Food Group also lists beef and lamb as key product categories. The company was recently ranked eighth out of the 100 largest private companies in the U.K. by the Sunday Times HSBC Top Track 100 annual survey.
Formed in December 2013, 1Stop Halal has ambitions of becoming one of the leading providers of quality Halal poultry products across the U.K., according to the company’s website. 1Stop Halal’s flagship wholesale brand is Mitchell’s.

Aldi sells product falsely labeled halal, apologizes

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  Roy Graber

  Aldi has apologized after selling a product containing pork blood and skin that was falsely labeled as halal.

  From WATTAgNet:
  Grocery chain Aldi has apologized and is offering a refund to U.K. customers who purchased a black pudding product labeled as Halal that actually contained pork blood and skins, which is forbidden by the Muslim community.
  According to WATTAgNet’s meat and poultry labeling glossary, products prepared by federally inspected meat packing plants identified with labels bearing references to "halal" or "Zabiah halal" must be handled according to Islamic law and under Islamic authority.
  The product was supplied to the grocery chain by Punjab Pakora, a Scottish company that produces a variety of authentic Indian dishes. The company’s owners said that the misleading labels were used because a manager that was assigned with approving the labels including a U.K. Health Code stamp failed to notice the mistake.
  “We are issuing a notice about the recent discovery of halal being advertised on the black pudding sleeve as being a printing mistake, and have rectified the issue immediately, we sincerely apologize to the public who have been affected by this mistake and would like to thank everyone who brought this error to our attention,” Punjab Pakora stated on its website.
  A spokesman for Aldi said the company regretted the error, which resulted in the outrage of Muslim customers. It welcomed customers who purchased the product to return it to the store where it was purchased for a full refund.

Russia plans to export halal poultry to Middle East

Russia plans to start exporting halal poultry meat to the Middle East in 2015, with the first shipments expected to be sent to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), stated a spokesman for Rosselkhoznadzor, the Russian federal service for veterinary and photosanitary serveillance.
“Like all Arab countries, Qatar is interested in grain import from Russia. However, now we’re discussing their ability to purchase poultry production, cattle and small cattle. They are certainly interested in production that has passed halal control and meet the demands allowing Muslims to eat it,” Alexey Alexeyenko, assistant to the head of the Rosselkhoznadzor, said in a report published by the Mi’Raj Islamic News Agency.
Alexeyenko said he believes the export of halal poultry from Russia is a promising trend, not only because growth in the halal market would help further increase poultry production in Russia, but also because it could help create new jobs in Russia.
Rosselkhoznadzor stated that as of June 2014, all meat produced in Russia was officially certified as halal, but by the year 2020, as much as 20 percent of the meat and poultry produced in Russia could gain halal certification as the largest agricultural holdings plan to start production of halal poultry, beef or mutton.

Halal labeling won't help animal welfare, says BVA

Calls to label meat products with information about animal welfare at slaughter must not be hijacked by prejudice, says the British Veterinary Association (BVA), which is campaigning for an end to non-stun slaughter.
U.K. MPs are debating an amendment to the country’s Consumer Rights Bill calling for compulsory labeling of halal and kosher food. BVA president Robin Hargreaves has written to the three main political parties’ leaders urging them to support the association’s call for food labeling to state whether the animal has been stunned in line with welfare legislation or not stunned under the derogation.
Hargreaves says labeling of all halal and kosher products will do nothing to inform the public, but could fuel further confusion and potentially feed prejudice. 
Halal labeling does not recognize that around 88 percent of halal slaughter in the U.K. is prestunned. At the same time, the 12 percent that is not stunned, along with the hindquarters of animals slaughtered by the shechita method that are not kosher, could continue to enter the mainstream food chain unlabeled.
“It is very disappointing that so much confusion remains over the issue of labeling. Calls for products to be labeled as halal or kosher will do nothing to help consumers who want to make a pro-animal welfare choice, but could fuel prejudice.
“The answer is very simple. Food should be labeled as stunned or non-stunned -– a measure that was also supported by the European Parliament in June 2010. This important animal welfare issue must not be hijacked by other agendas,” Hargreaves says.

Qatar looks to Portugal for poultry imports

Looking to fill a growing demand for chicken as its population grows, Qatar has reportedly entered talks with Portugal to export poultry into Qatar. Presently, Qatar depends on imports to meet about 85 percent of its poultry meat demand. 
Qatar Chamber Board Member Eng Ali Abdul Latif al Missned told the Qatar Tribune that Portugal's meat and poultry products are high in quality and follow slaughtering procedures that are in line with halal standards, therefore, it is hoped that Portugal can become Qatar’s main supplier of poultry. 
Reciprocal opportunities for trade between Portugal and Qatar are being sought in the negotiations, as Qatar hopes export timber and building materials, as well as certain agricultural commodities, to Portugal.

K&N’s Foods progressing with plans to open poultry plant in New York

K&N's Foods, a Pakistan-based poultry company, is progressing with its efforts to convert a former Birds Eye vegetable processing plant into a poultry plant in Fulton, N.Y. K&N's Foods has yet to process any poultry products in the facility it purchased in 2013, but it has already employed 43 people in the Fulton community.
The plant in Fulton is K&N's Foods' first facility in the U.S. When K&N's Foods receives approval from the USDA to begin operations, possibly by the spring of 2014, it will begin making Halal chicken products like nuggets, sausages and cold cuts. Adil Sattar, CEO of K&N's Foods USA, told WRVO Public Media the company plans to sell its food to specialty stores, supermarkets and foodservice companies in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Sattar said there is currently a dearth of options currently available in those locations.
K&N's Foods has invested more than $5 million into the building it purchased from Pinnacle Foods. When the poultry plant is open and running at full-capacity, the company expects to employ 183 workers.
The Fulton facility is one of two plants shuttered by Pinnacle Foods with a possible future in poultry processing. Allen Harim Foods is in talks with Pinnacle, hoping to convert the former Vlassic pickle plant in Millsboro, Del. into a poultry plant.

Leiber brewer's yeast products receive Halal certification

Leiber GmbH, a German manufacturer of yeast specialty products, announced the company's refined brewer's yeast products are now Halal-certified.
The family-run company relies on monitoring, certifying and monitoring every process when manufacturing its special brewer's yeast products, starting with production, transport and ultimately, further processing. Halal certification by the Halal Food Council of Europe was dependent upon a comprehensive audit, which included certification of production as well as all raw materials used.
"With this important milestone, we are looking forward to meeting the international requirements and the growing trend in safe and high quality animal nutrition products, and are making one further step in this growth market with the successful Halal certification," said Nikolaus Jungbluth, head of Animal Nutrition.

Poultry processor to open halal plant in Maryland

Tauherr Poultry has made plans to open a halal-certified poultry processing plant in Princess Anne, Md., bringing 15 to 25 jobs to the area.
Tauherr is looking to serve a niche market, said part owner Terrence Nichols. The plant is still in the preliminary stages; according to Nichols, it may be six months to a year before the plant is up and running.

Vets ask companies to rethink all-Halal menus

Following a recent news investigation into the widespread use of meat and meat products from animals not stunned before slaughter, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) is writing to the companies involved to express its concern that the use of this meat in the wider food chain may lead to an increase in the number of animals slaughtered without stunning.
The BVA has also renewed its call for clearer food labeling so that consumers are aware when they buy meat or meat products how the animals were slaughtered.
The report found that meat slaughtered under certain religious rules without pre-stunning (including kosher and some halal meat), is entering the mainstream food chain without being labeled as such, and is being used in schools, hospitals, pub chains and sporting venues.
The investigation follows news reports that GateGourmet, an airline caterer, is considering making the majority of its meals halal.
The BVA supports moves by the European Parliament to introduce mandatory labeling of meat from non-stunned animals, including use of the meat in other products. The BVA also supports the concept of an EU-wide label to indicate higher welfare throughout the food chain.

Over 30% of Brazil's poultry meat exports go to Middle East

Gulf alone imports close to 1 million metric tonnes of Halal poultry meat annually. To this promising market Brazil sends more than 30 per cent of its poultry meat exports. The South American countrys leading markets for the commodity are the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. ...Read the full blog on www.animalagnet.com.