Halal
Certification is a Prerequisite to Pre-empt a Quarter of the World Market
What
do Muslims eat when they go to Korean buffet restaurant? The answer is that
‘there is nothing to eat.’ If there is anything for them to eat, it still is
limited to fruits. Muslims do not eat pork, dog meat, alcohol, freshwater fish,
predatory birds, snakes, etc. in accordance with the Islamic law. Also, they do
not use products that contain by-product of those. The crucial reason why
Muslims cannot enjoy the buffet in Korea is that they are not sure if the
ingredients of the food, including condiments, contain something that they are
not allowed to eat.
The
Korea International Trade Association (Chairman, Han Duck-soo) held ‘A Seminar
on the Entry Strategy to Halal Market’ at the Trade Tower in Samsung Dong on
July 22 in order to enter into the 1.6 billion worth Islamic market, which is
highlighted as the promising market in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. One
hundred companies participated in the event.
Halal
means ‘permissible’ products that are allowed to eat and use according to
Islamic law. They are essential rules that play vital roles in the daily lives
of 1.6 billion Muslims, which accounts for 25 percent of the world population.
The Halal certification process is not simply completed even the products are
certified. There are the complicated and strict standards to be complied with.
For example, the Halal certified products have to be distributed separately
from the non-Halal certified ones. Also, in the case of processed products,
they are allowed to be distributed only when Halal certifications of the
ingredients are confirmed. Liow Ren Jan, CEO of the Halal consulting company
AYS Group and a bestseller writer of Marketing Halal, said in this seminar “The
annual growth rate of GDP per capita of Muslims worldwide between 1990 and 2010
showed remarkable growth by porting 6.8 percent, which was higher than the 5
percent growth rate of GDP per capita of the world during the same period.” He
also stressed “The consumption volume in Halal market is 2.1 trillion dollars.
It is an attractive and irresistible market for Korea which heavily depends on
exports. Therefore, it is vital for Korea to pre-empt the Halal market which
has a large potential for growth.”
The
Halal Committee of Korea Muslim Federation, the only Halal certification agency
in Korea, introduced the practical procedures for Halal certification in the
seminar. In addition, Pulmuone, whose noodle product (Ramen) obtained Halal
certification for the first time in Korea, presented its success story of
expanding the market through Halal certification and shared the real world
experience.
Jang
Ho-geun, head of the International Marketing Group of KITA said “Korea needs to
take an active approach and view the Halal certification as the 1.6 billion
worth export market rather than to passively take it as the lifestyle of
Muslims.” He also expressed concerns “If Korea hesitates to understand the
Halal market and to speed up obtaining Halal certifications, the opportunity to
pre-empt the Halal market in the Southeast Asia, where the Korean Wave is
spreading, will be missed.”
