WEDNESDAY, 01 APRIL – Halal food for Muslims must adhere to some set criteria according to the tenets of Islam such as food that does not contain animal products or materials from non-halal animals or not slaughtered according to Islamic requirements, contains no banned substances, questionable food preparation etc.

Awareness on the importance of halal food creates a new dimension, especially for non-Muslims to learn more about the methods and types of food according to Islamic law.

Dean of the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition (FSMP), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Associate Professor Dr. Sharifudin Md. Shaarani said, halal had become a phenomenon in the world of food and nutrition, and many countries had shown a keen interest on halal for health and tourism factors.

“Many people are aware of the process on the preparation of halal food in food producing but no organisations or nutritionists involved in the process of auditing halal products.

“Thus, UMS in cooperation with AO Consultancy will have a Certified Global Halal Auditor (CGHA) programme developed on the basis of its urgency in understanding the aspects of a comprehensive halal management system,” he said.

He further added that there were three main components that will be highlighted in this programme which included the understanding of halal matters related to Islam itself, eg. GMO, HACCP and others and the correct auditing method.

“This programme hopes to develop a world-class standardising system thereby consolidating any disagreement as soon as possible, besides upgrading the halal system in the world ranking so that those who are involved in the halal industry will be more competent and knowledgeable,” he explained.

The CGHA programme will be held at UMS from 6 April to 11 April 2015.

Among the experts who will be sharing their expertise were Associate Professor Dr. Sharifudin Md. Shaarani, Associate Professor Hjh Mariam Abdul Latif, Nor Azlan bin Sulaiman @ Oppier and Nor Amin bin Mohd. Nor.

Any enquiries regarding this matter can be forwarded to Associate Professor Hjh Mariam Abdul Latif (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or at 017-8729749 or Nor Azlan bin Sulaiman @ Oppier (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) at 018-7813721. – CD (fl)


Media and Citra Division