DGFT notifies policy conditions for exports of certain halal meat, products

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The government on Tuesday notified policy conditions for export of certain halal meat and its products and this will come into effect from October 16 this year.

Notifying the conditions, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said specified meat and meat products will be allowed to be exported as halal certified to 15 countries, only if such goods are produced or processed and/or packaged in a facility certified under the 'India Conformity Assessment Scheme (I-CAS) - Halal' of the Quality Council of India (QCI).

The 15 countries are Bahrain, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Jordan, Oman, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Turkey, and the UAE.

After the shipments, the exporter will have to provide the valid certificate to the buyer in the importing country.

"Policy conditions for export of specified halal meat and meat products are notified," the DGFT said.

In April 2023, with the aim of streamlining the halal certification process for export of meat and meat products from India, the detailed guidelines on halal certification for export of meat and its products were notified by the directorate.

DGFT is an arm of the ministry that deals with exports and import-related issues.

Earlier there was no mandatory halal certification system in India regulated by the government as India does not have a national regulation for the certification. The global halal food market reached a value of $ 1978 billion in 2021. Looking forward, the market is projected to reach $ 3,907.7 billion by 2027.

India's large Muslim population represents huge opportunities for halal-based entrepreneurs. In the country, the country's halal industry is still in its infancy. There are no specific labelling requirements for halal food products imported into India.

Halal certification is given by many private companies in India which marks the food or products permissible. The major halal-certifying organisations in India include Halal India Pvt Ltd and Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Halal Trust.

The International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF) is an international network of accreditation bodies mandated to enforce halal standards in their economies.

Countries across the globe, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, the UAE, Pakistan among others, have their own halal standards; however, so far there have been no global halal standards.

The rapid growth of halal industry has not only led to the halal technologies and innovations but also the halal related laws and regulations which are still not harmonised globally. Due to changed consumer perception, the halal market not only attracts Muslim population but also non-Muslim consumers.