As the global economy recovers from the effect of pandemic outbreak that has sent ripples across businesses worldwide, MATRADE remains committed to sustain the resilience of Halal industry in the face of adversary. Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), through its office in Rotterdam, highlighted the growing trends of the Halal industry during the Halal Quality Control Information Day 2023 (HQC ID 2023) taking place in Utrecht, The Netherlands on 13th March 2023, organised by Halal Quality Control (HQC).
The 3rd edition of HQC ID received overwhelming response from over 70 key Halal industry players in the Netherlands, from experts in the industry and business community in Halal Food and Non-Food sectors. The event congregated the Halal players as the meeting platform in sharing ideas on the industry demands, trends, challenges & opportunities.
HQC ID 2023 commenced with opening remarks given by H.E. Dato’ Nadzirah Osman, Ambassador of Malaysia to the Netherlands with introduction of Malaysia’s Halal ecosystem, Halal market potentials as well as Halal certification in Malaysia.
H.E. Dato’ Nadzirah Osman said, ”With about 1.9 billion Muslims representing 25% of world’s population, Halal industry plays a significant role in the global economy not limited to only Muslims but also to non-Muslims markets as well.”
H.E. Dato’ Nadzirah Osman emphasized the importance of halal certification, which shows a commitment towards greater transparency and showing confidence in its certification processes. The added value is a guarantee for consumers that the products are of high quality because the halal certificate is the ultimate proof of meeting those standards. The certification covers traceability across the manufacturing process chain from raw materials to the finished products.
During the event, MATRADE shared various business opportunities in the Halal industry across various sectors.
MATRADE’s Trade Commissioner based in Rotterdam, Emeliana Zainol (pic), said that “Halal industry has now expanded beyond food sector, although the food and beverages are surely of immediate importance. To the consumers in Europe, Muslims or non-Muslim, Halal is fast becoming a value proposition they prefer. Aside from halal, Malaysian companies should leverage on the emerging trends too, such as functional food; free-from-food categories such as gluten-free; sugar-free; lactose-free and others; vegan or vegetarian food; plant-based food as well as sustainable food”.
“MATRADE continues to spearhead the promotion of halal, especially through the iconic event, the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS). The session was also an avenue to promote MIHAS 2023, and also to encourage Dutch companies to source from Malaysia, taking advantage of the International Sourcing Programme (INSP) to be organised by MATRADE in conjunction with MIHAS 2023”, added Emeliana Zainol.
MATRADE will continue to take the lead in helping Malaysian companies to access international markets and capitalise on the benefits of globalisation. MATRADE hoped to get more participation from the Dutch halal industry players during the 19th edition of MIHAS 2023 taking place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 12-15 September. Over the past 18 years, MIHAS has earned a status as a premier global marketplace for the business community around the world to explore business opportunities in the Halal sector and to expand their network too.
The Netherlands is Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner in the Europe, with total trade of RM48.04 billion last year. In terms of exports, the Netherlands is Malaysia’s largest export destination in the Europe, with a value of RM42.08 billion, an increase by 35%.
