www.bt.com.bn - BRUNEI Halal brand is hoping to introduce European-made products in Asia
under the brand name in future, as opposed to only having Asian
manufactured products distributed in Europe, said the brand's owners,
Brunei Wafirah Holdings Sdn Bhd.
Feby Latip, general manager of
Brunei Wafirah Holdings, said that the products made under the brand are
manufactured in Asia and are only sold in the region, but the company
is targeting a wider European scope where its subsidiary office in the
United Kingdom will act as a sales and distribution platform.
Feby,
in the Oxford Business Group's (OBG) "The Report 2011" for Brunei, said
that Europe is a "very self-serving and profit-orientated industry". (source)
"Consumers
have little confidence in many of the halal products in stores due to
the fragmented halal accreditation systems available," she explained.
The
GM said that halal meat sales in the UK make-up of 20 per cent but
Muslims only account for three per cent of the entire British
population.
Dr Mohammad Nazir OBE, chief executive officer of
Brunei Wafirah UK in a separate report, said that the European
demography is changing rapidly as the Muslim population is projected to
exceed 58 million by 2030.
"Muslims today account for about six
per cent of Europe's total population, up from 4.1 per cent in 1990 and
the size of tis market and forecasted trends strongly suggest that
Europe represents a substantial opportunity for the Brunei Halal Brand,"
he said.
The climate in UK and Europe is such that confidence in
halal certification is being challenged, raising "serious questions"
about the future of halal products.
"The halal meat sector in the
UK is worth close to US$1.6 billion, but the supply chain remains
fragmented at best and is open to abuse.
"Control over the
supply chain from, from abattoir to distributor, will be critical in
terms of delivering 100 per cent assurance to consumers of products that
are branded Brunei Halal," Dr Mohammad said.
The CEO said the
infrastructure being set-up in Saltley Business Park in Birmingham, UK,
will be the warehouse for the brand, and will ease the entry of the
brand into the UK market.
Feby shared the same sentiments of
European market, saying that it alone is "huge", and highlighting that
the halal food market in non-Muslim countries is substantial.
"Non-Muslim
countries offer huge opportunities for halal food producers, and we see
the UK as a gateway to Europe, where the market is fragmented and
current reliable suppliers of halal brands and certifications can not
meet the increasing demand.
Feby, however, stressed that the
strength of Brunei Halal's product branding is based on its
certification system, which is recognised worldwide and has the
advantage of a single accreditation body under Brunei's Ministry of
Religious Affairs.
"Whilst a number of accreditation bodies
around the world have tried to replicate this system, ours is different
as the ministry acts independently from our commercial entity," she
explained.
Feby added: "This difference has set the bar worldwide for us, and is something that distinguishes us from the rest."
Due
to Brunei's small size, it is unable to manufacture its own food
products on a large scale and are sourced from neighbouring countries.
"We
rely on imports for much of our foods, so essentially our system is not
new as halal as always been at the forefront of our religious
responsibility," she said.
Now, the brand merely has to take it
to the next level by bringing it commercially to the world through a
private label branding system that makes use of overseas companies and
manufacturers from nearby, and beyond the region.
The Brunei Times
Source: http://www.bt.com.bn/business-national/2012/05/26/brunei-halal-eyes-european-made-goods-asia - May 26, 2012
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