São Paulo – Brazil already is a major supplier of halal products, made in conformity with Islamic rules, and could increase its manufacturing and market share. However, there needs to be an understanding of the rules and needs of this type of trade, and its requirements must be met. This is one of the matters the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce government relations manager Tamer Mansour will address in the lecture “Potentialities of the Halal Market,” slated for May 27th in São Paulo.
Halal products are those manufactured in accordance with what Islam deems licit. The opposite is known as haram, i.e. illicit, a category comprising consumption or utilization of pork and pork-based products containing alcohol and even the levying of interest on financial transactions.
“Halal is important to Arabs because for most consumers, halal is a way of life. And this holds true not just for food. Halal relates to the way one goes about their dress, demeanor, relationships and business,” said Mansour.
The executive says Brazil is the leading producer and exporter of halal products in the world. Most of these foodstuffs in Brazil originate from poultry and beef, with animals slaughtered observing halal guidelines. According to Mansour, Brazil could make progress in producing higher value-added halal foods.
“We need to display the importance to the industry that products like chocolate, candy and jelly have, among others. Here in Brazil, only a few jelly plants are halal accredited because they lack proof of halal origin,” Mansour explains. These are the areas that could see sales go up, if they provided proof, for instance, that their raw materials are not pork-based and alcohol-free.
With said proof of origin, he said, Brazil could sell as much as three times more to markets requiring halal attestation for all production processes. “The Asian and Arab markets in European countries are even stricter when it comes to halal products,” he asserted.
Some countries that are leading certifiers of said products are Malaysia, which is Muslim, and nations with large numbers of Islam adepts, like the United States, England and France. There are 1.8 billion halal product consumers worldwide.
Lecture “Potentialities of the halal market”
May 27th, 2015, from 8:30 am to 11:00 am
Renaissance Hotel, Alameda Santos, 2.233, Jardim Paulista, São Paulo – São Paulo
Registration is free for Arab Chamber members. Limited seats.
Information: +5511 3147-4115 or emattar@ccab.org.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
