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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ibnanv" data-source="post: 14596162" data-attributes="member: 218596">Halal: a fragmented market In its simplest form, halal refers to a product that complies with  Islamic law and the teachings of the Qur'an. Traditionally, this stamp  has been restricted to meat, but the concept is now applied to a whole  host of items; from travel to finance, food and cosmetics. While certifying cosmetics halal, for example, an independent body  will look at the source of the raw ingredients and how and where it is  manufactured. It is a consumer myth that anything that is not certified as halal is  automatically assumed haraam. Halal certification is simply a  reassurance from an independent third party. “Halal is a default meaning  everything is halal except for these haraam items,” says Darhim Dali  Hashim, the CEO of the Malaysia-based International Halal Integrity  Alliance. Halal food standards, however, vary significantly depending on the  country of origin, simply because there are no global halal standards.  While all certifiers agree that a halal animal must have its throat cut  using a swift, deep incision which severs the neck, the jugular vein and  the carotid arteries on both sides but leaves the spinal cord intact,  that is usually where the similarities end. The process of stunning an animal prior to its death comprises one of  the biggest debates among halal certifiers. Other significant  differences include mechanical slaughter and whether or not gelatin is  halal. Brunei, which does not allow stunning, gelatin or mechanical  slaughtering, is one of the strictest countries in the world when it  comes to halal meat. Halal bodies in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Gulf  states, which do allow stunning, are less strict. The issue of stunning is a heated one among the Muslim community.  When the supermarket chain Ahold began selling halal food in Holland it  faced a backlash from animal rights activists for its use of non-stunned  meat. It was quickly forced to switch certifiers to a body that  permitted stunning, but then came under fire from conservative Muslims. Several countries, including Malaysia, are working to streamline  regulations but the industry remains deeply fragmented. In the UK, for  example, there are over 20 different certifying bodies and in France  there are more than 50, all of which have various rules and regulations.  The GCC Standardisation Organisation (GSO), which oversees the halal  process in the six Gulf states, has achieved a degree of homogeny. “The GSO covers all six [countries] but that’s only in theory. In  practice they do vary even within the emirates. Even from Dubai to  Sharjah there may be some issues,” says Hashim. In 2007, Turkey announced plans to develop a set of unified halal  standards, which it hoped to spin out across all Islamic countries. To  date, however, a global standard remains a pipedream. “Turkey acts like a gateway to Europe so there maybe neighbouring  countries such as Turkmenistan or Azerbaijan who comply with that  standard but I don’t see the stronger countries like Egypt, Saudi or  Pakistan going with it as I’m sure they feel that they have the best  standard,” observes Hashim. “The initiatives are there to try and  harmonise [the industry]. There may be a stage where there will be three  standards based on the largest trading blocs.”</blockquote>

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