Trade department approves UAE-based Halalcertifier

A HALAL-CERTIFIER based in United ArabEmirates (UAE) was recently approved by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)to hopefully result into a more open and healthier competition for the halalcertification in the Philippines, said a committee official. 

Tourism CongressPhilippines (TCP) Halal Committee chair Marilou Ampuan said early this year,there is an addition to the existing five local halal certifiers of thecountry. 

Prime Group is a certification and inspection company based in UAE buthas an office at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. Because they already have aPhilippine business permit, Ampuan said it was easier for the company to beapproved by DTI.

 “You are not allowed to certify if you are not registeredlocally in the country where you were originally based. That’s the main reasonwhy the DTI acknowledged them as one of the local certifiers because they arealready compliant of the international halal standards,” she said. 

It wasstated on the official website of Prime Group that the company specializes onthe examination of food and beverage composition through tests to check for anytraces of non-halal elements such as alcohol, genetically modified organisms(GMOs), and pork. 

These tests include the Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy(GCMs) to determine alcohol content and the Polymerase Chain Reaction todetermine GMOs and pork content. 

According to Ampuan, this additional number ofhalal certifiers will bring about a healthier competition for the halalcertifiers in the country. 

Aside from Prime Group, the other halal certifiersof the country include Islamic Dawah Council of the Philippines, HalalDevelopment Institute of the Philippines, Mindanao Halal Authority, MuslimMindanao Halal Certification Board, and the Halal International Chamber ofCommerce. 

Prime Group does not only cater to halal certification but as well asother quality standard testing and certification procedures like ISO 18001,HACCP, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, ISO 22716, and EFFCI.

 “Based on the Republic Act(RA) 10817 [or the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Act of2016], the DTI is the policy-making body for this Halal Standard Scheme so theyare the ones who will accredit the certifiers. It is likely impossible that weonly have one certifier nationwide because it wouldn’t be what is stated on thelaw. Everybody is welcome as long as you are qualified,” Ampuan said contraryto her previous statement that there should be a centralized single halalcertifier in the country. 

She said she now believes that more halal certifiersis much better for the industry given that they would be qualified andcompliant of the National Halal Standard Scheme to be launched by the DTI. 

OnMay 4 to 6, during the Philippine National Halal Trade and Expo which will bedone at Marco Polo Hotel Davao, DTI will officially launch the National HalalStandard Scheme that they came up with. This scheme will be the national basisfor approval of halal certifiers and other related matters.

By. Jennie P. Arado

Link->http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/business/2018/02/12/trade-department-approves-uae-based-halal-certifier-588581