Recently, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) successfully launched a webinar about “Your Trusted Halal Australian Beef and Lamb, from Farm to Plate.” They invited Sanjay Boothalingam, Terry Nolan and Valeska Valeska while having a cooking demo by Chef Jason Manson to show how cost-efficient and cost-effective Halal Australian beef can be.
The land down under, also known as Australia are famous for their impeccable source of halal meat and meat products. Due to them being a halal meat supplier, Australia is a long-trusted supplier of Halal Beef and Lamb to over 100 countries, including the Middle East, Indonesia and Malaysia.
To meet the conditions of being a Halal beef and lamb production in Australia, the suppliers ensure that the livestock have enough space to roam, graze on lush green pastures and are well cared for while animal welfare is regulated by laws enforced by government. A recent study by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) has revealed that animals raised and processed in a stress-free environment produce better quality meat that are consistent, hygienic, safe and nutritious. These are the beneficial attributes that are permissible for consumption.
Since Australia is one of Malaysia’s biggest meat supplier, all cattle, sheep and goats processed in Australia for the Malaysia market are slaughtered under the Australian Government Supervised Halal Program by accredited Muslims. This program is administered by the Federal Department of Agriculture in Australia and only trained Muslim slaughter men from the Halal Certifying Bodies are employed in this program.
To convince the customers in Malaysia on the Halal standards, these Halal Certifying Bodies are recognized and approved by JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development of Malaysia) as they regularly audited the production facilities and the food safety assurance systems. These authorized representatives will confirm the manufacturing process adheres to JAKIM Halal standards. There are currently 7 Muslim certifying bodies in Australia for Halal certification export to Malaysia and the meat exporters will also need to meet other requirements under Australian regulations prior to export. Therefore, every shipment that exports the meat to Malaysia will carry a Halal and Health Certificate.
With the support of Malaysia’s JAKIM halal standard, it became a strong export opportunity for Australia and Malaysia by leveraging the increasing purchasing power among consumers in other Muslim markets like Middle East and neighboring country, Indonesia. This is because Malaysia is a member of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and Malaysia’s Halal certification is globally recognized by all Muslim nations, making it a perfect launch market for exporters.
With this, Meat and Livestock Australia took part in MIHAS (Malaysia International Halal Showcase), the world’s largest Halal exhibition. A hybrid event from 9 to 12 September, combining virtual and physical exhibition, with halal industry players from around the world. The virtual exhibition will continue till 31 December 2021.
During the MIHAS and the Global Halal Summit in 2019, nearly 30,000 visitors, 28 trade envoys and 2,000 delegates representing the entire Halal supply chain attended the showcase.
“Australian Halal beef and lamb work well with Asian and western cuisine, turning out delicious and nutritious dishes each time. With such quality, fresh and tender meat, it takes less time to cook, whether it’s a beef rendang or a spicy lamb stew” Valeska said.
