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Local producer secures Halal beef certification: COA

Locally produced beef has won Halal certification, which means it is acceptable for consumption by Muslims, the Council of Agriculture (COA) reported on Thursday.

Noting that Halal is an Arabic word meaning "lawful," COA officials said Taiwan-produced beef with Halal certification is now available from a local store.

The shop owner, with assistance from the COA, the Taipei Grand Mosque and a national beef trade association, only managed to make the Halal-certified beef available after months of painstaking efforts -- from the building of a special ranch where cattle are raised to the construction of a Halal abattoir and a Halal packaging facility, the COA officials said.

SANITATION

Officials from the Taipei Grand Mosque said the beef from the specially designated store meets high food security and sanitation standards and is absolutely free of excess water, which is sometimes injected by unscrupulous dealers into local cattle prior to slaughter in order to artificially increase their market weight.

The availability of the Halal beef will help meet the demand from Taiwan's approximately 150,000 Muslims, COA officials said.

OTHER MARKETS

"If the Halal industry flourishes, Taiwan might consider making inroads into other Muslim markets around the world with Taiwanese Halal products," a COA official said.

The idea of producing Halal beef locally came after the COA heard complaints from Muslims living in Taiwan as well as buyers from other Asian countries that they had seen very few Taiwanese food products carrying Halal certification.

Halal certification is recognition that the products are permissible under Islamic law and can be used or consumed by Muslims.
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