Humza Halal Frozen Food News and Blog

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A butcher who lives in South West Australia has caused a stir by refusing to sell halal meat. He claims that the reason he has removed the meat from his store is that he believes there are animal welfare issues in relation to the meat and also that the quality of the halal meat is not up to standard.

Mr Jaremczuk stressed he was not anti-Muslim, saying one ofhis best friends was a practising Muslim. He admitted his stance had attractedplenty of comments.

He said "Primarily we don't want to sellhalal meat, second to that is the science behind it and thirdly we believe thatwhen an animal is dispatched, that religion should not come into it."

 

The Johor Government of Malaysia has warned the country's contingent of Muslims that an imported beer from the Middle East that has been branded halal by the manufacturers, is not in fact halal.

"The halal classification for the beer was issued by a private company and lab tests have certified that it contains more than the permitted amount of alcohol,” state Religious Committee chairman Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman said.

The government will not be taking action against the manufacturers however, with Osman continuing "Unlike agencies such as the Customs Department, we do not have the authority to restrict the import of the product."

This means that anybody found consuming the alcohol in the country could be hit with a fine or two years of jail time. Osman stated "Those found selling and buying alcohol, however, face a maximum fine of RM5,000 or jail term of up to three years, or both.

"The state government has also suggested the setting up of arehabilitation centre for hardcore offenders to help them reform and stay awayfrom repeatedly breaking syariah laws."

The Kingdom is to host a conference of scholars who are meeting to discuss the state of Halal foods in Saudi Arabia. The conference is scheduled for February of next year and will be the first summit to be held in the Kingdom.

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority's chairman Mohammed Al-Kanhal commented "There is around 1.8 billion people in the world who consume halal food and its global market is valued at SR2.5 trillion."

Who claims the conference will act as a platform for both scientific and religious scholars to allow them to find a common platform to discuss the expanding global halal market and will also incorporate a host of private institutions and global organisations to have their say on the various issues being presented.

Explaining the objectives of the proposed summit, Al-Kanhaladded "Besides boosting public and private sector cooperation in the relevant food industry at national, regional and at global levels, it would also serve as an ideal platform for exchange of experience between countries in the field of supervision and control of halal food."

 

Kraft foods Philippines has received an award for its compliance with Halal principles according to executives of the company. The Halal Leadership Award was given by the Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines (IDCP) to the company in recognition of their compliance with halal guidelines.

The company have been making food for the Filipino market for nearly 50 years and has developed a number of well known brands in the country, including Tang and Kool Aid powdered beverages; Maxwell House coffee; Kraft Eden Cheese, Kraft Cheddar Cheese and Cheez Whiz cheese spread; Oreo, Chips Ahoy! and Tiger cookies; Toblerone and Cadbury chocolates and confectionaries; Miracle Whip all-purpose dressing, Kraft Real Mayonnaise and Sandwich Spread; and Halls, Dentyne and Clorets candies.

"On behalf of Kraft Foods Philippines, I would like to thankthe Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines for this great honor,” says SudipMall, the Company’s General Manager. “Two of our corporate values are toinspire trust, and to be open and inclusive. This Halal Leadership Award showsour commitment to making our products delicious in every way we can, for allour consumers.”

A number of members of the halal meat industry have formed a new association specifically for the owners of non-stun halal abattoirs. Director of Pal Mecca Meats Birmingham and Chairman of the new Association of Non-Stun Abattoirs Ltd Mohammed Akram Gill commented "This was long overdue the non-stun halal industry was without a voice.

"The lack of industry leadership and cooperation,especially given the state of the current economy the association aims tocreate and raise awareness of the halal industry according to the teaching ofthe Quran and the prophetic tradition."

Ghulam Mustaffa, of Premier Halal Meat, continued "This is good news for Muslim consumers especially Muslim House wife's. The ANSA logo will give them assurance that the meat they will be consuming is truly halal and is ritually halal slaughtered according to Islamic principles."

Ejaz Najib, Vice Chair of the association, added "Thehalal word is most misused word in the UK for labelling of meat and poultry,ANSA will be able to offer cleans and wholesome product that the Muslimscommunity wants."

Increased Resistance is growing amongst Dutch Muslims to a recent ban on ritual slaughter that looks set to halt production of both kosher and halal food in the Netherlands.

The Dutch paper the Volkstrant claimed on Thursday that VVD party supporters are claiming that the government should focus on the industrial slaughter sector due to their opinion that animals actually suffer more during industrial slaughter than they do ritual. 66 members recently voted against the proposed ban at the party congress.

Cees Loggen, who is the chairman of the VVD in the Noord-Holland provincial council, claimed that around 1 in 10 animals are not properly stunned during industrial slaughter.

He continued "That is equivalent to 20 million animals in theNetherlands alone, making it a much more serious problem than in slaughterwithout stunning. So why just tackle ritualslaughter?"

An organisation in Australia which provides halal certification to various meat products that arrive in the country has claimed that the slaughter methods utilised by an Indonesian abattoir are to brutal to be permissible under halal law.

Live Austrlian cattle exports to the country have been suspended after the revelation of animal cruelty at 11 different Indonesian halal foods slaughterhouses.

Cattle were being beaten and dying prolonged deaths at the eleven different slaughterhouses, which is not in accordance with halal procedure. 

Dr Mohammad Lotfi from Australian Halal Food Services toldSBS that the treatment shown in Indonesia is unnecessary and inhumane.

Malaysian Muslims have been warned against drinking a new type of beer which claims to meet halal standards, amidst claims that the beverage contains an alcohol content that is higher than permitted under Islamic law.

Jamil Khir Baharom, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, claims that the beer has an alcohol content of 0.5%, rather than the 0.1% the distributor claims it to have.

He states that the government may seek to restrict the beverage's sale to Muslims because of this, stating "We will consult the Customs Department to seek more information on the matter."

The Australian Premier Ted Baillieu has stated that taxpayer money will not be used to fund the expansion of halal food outlets and Islamic schools in the region, despite calls from the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, which claims the country's Muslim population are forced to live in small enclaves near the schools.

"The Government should invest in expanding serviceslike halal and kosher meat and food outlets as well as faith-basedschools," it claims.

They continue "If the Government and politicians cannot recognisethis as essential, it should no longer accuse the Australian Muslim communityof intentionally living in enclaves."

However the Premier retorted "All schools are supported in one way or another.

"So when it comes to schools that support should be ona regular basis.

"But I don't think governments are about to get intothe business of subsidising what are normal everyday commercial businesses andhalal butchers would fall into the same category.''

The owner of a halal butchers in Northampton has been fined after the butchers failed a hygiene test back in 2008.

The inspection at Kenya Halal Butchers has found evidence of rodent's having gnawed on packaging, mouse droppings in bags of maize, dirty utensils, floors fridges and surfaces plus cultured milk on sale that was more than 6 weeks old.

Co-owner Mohammed Ayub was fined £1,320 for six breaches of food safety guidelines, while his son Mohammed Shazan received a £2,500 fine for the incident.

Turkey is looking to expand its interests in the $2 trillion halal industry according to regional industry experts. Currently more than 80% of halal trade is conducted by non-Muslim countries, with top products including halal foods and beverages, confectionary, cosmetics and skincare products.

According to Food Auditing and Certification Research Association (GİMDES) Chairman Hüseyin Kami Büyüközer Turkey needs to now concentrate its efforts on the global halal market. He said "Asian countries in particular are very sensitive about halal products. Unfortunately non-Muslim Western countries are currently leading the global halal market. This should not be the case. Turkey is a big country, and it should have a bigger role in the halal market. Turkey should replace those countries."

According to Professor Ahmet Akgündüz, rector of the Islamic University of Rotterdam, also commented on the issue, claiming that the failure of current halal groups to present a united front has led to a lack of major industry bodies to handle the issue. He said "For example, there are seven or eight foundations and companies working on halal food in the Netherlands. But they do not cooperate and therefore cannot receive state aid," he noted. The professor also stressed that the preparation and handling of foods does not make them 100 percent halal. Producers should also be careful about their procedures after the preparation of foods, such as during packaging, transportation and logistics.

"If producers do not pay attention to all those steps in the process and ensure their compliance with halal standards then their products will not be halal. Consumers have to be careful. And so should state authorities. Muslim states should be careful about the meat they import to their countries. Turkey is under considerable threat in this sense. Halal does not simply mean products without pork-based ingredients."

The Iranian authorities recent annoucement of the development of a Halal internet has been met with opposition from the National Iranian American Council.

Recently Ali Aqamohammadi, who is Iran's head of economic affairs, recently announced the plans. He said "Iran will soon create an Internet that conforms to Islamic principles, to improve its communication and trade links with the world," Aqamohammadi said. "We can describe it as a genuinely 'halal' network aimed at Muslims on an ethical and moral level. The aim of this network is to increase Iran and the Farsi language's presence in what has become the most important source of international communication."

However the statement has been met with opposition by Reza Marashi, who is the research director at the National Iranian American Council. He claimed the government had been working on the proposal for two years and stated "This  is what repressive governments do, they try to withhold information from their people," Marashi told FoxNews.com. "It's very black and white -- you either support Internet freedom or you don't. If you restrict access on the Internet, you're not on the right side of the issue."

Iran has announced its intentions to create a new internet that is purely halal in what they claim is an attempt to counter the influence that the western dominated web is having on its citizens.

Ali Aqamohammadi, head of economic affairs with the Iranian presidency, commented "Iran will soon create an internet that conforms to Islamic principles, to improve its communication and trade links with the world."

He claims the new network will operate paralell to the current internet and he intends for it to replace the web in nearby Muslim countries.

he continues "We can describe it as a genuinely 'halal' network aimed at Muslims on a ethical and moral level."

"The aim of this network is to increase Iran and the Farsi language's presence in what has become the most important source of international communication."

Recent news from the Dutch houses of Parliament has revealed that a majority of MPs would now support a bill to ban halal and kosher slaughtering throughout the country. The news comes after the country's Labout party announced that it too would support a ban on the practice.

The proposal, which was drawn up by the pro-animal rights group PvdD, is to be debated next week. The party will argue that the method causes the animal undue pain and suffering.

The three religious based parties in the parliament oppose the ban based on religious grounds, for obvious reasons.

The halal foods industry will have its first index released today. It will be called the SAMI (Socially Acceptable Market Investments) Halal Food Index and SAMI Halal Participation Index today.

The index was launched at the World Halal Forum 2011 and will provide a platform for investors to finally regulate the industry and take advantage of the multi-billion pound opportunities it provides.

A large amount of companies make up the index, with 95 being from Malaysia alone, which is considered by many to be the centre of the halal global market.

Rushdi Siddiqui, Global Head Islamic Finance Thomson Reuters USA, commented "Previously, we only invested in a company by buying the products that they sell, but now we can invest in the company by buying shares in the company, a way that will help halal producers to grow their business.

"The global halal food industry, estimated at US$661 billion and growing at 20 per cent annually is completely under-served and needs tools to support current growth.

"The SAMI index will be the bridge builder for Islamic funds, exchange traded fund investing and sukuk issues as well as for global non-Islamic investors interested in the emerging food sector markets, a non-cyclical and therefore lower risk sector."

A number of youngsters have taken part in a special cookathon at Holbrook Primary School in Trowbridge. Amongst the ingredients they used were a number of halal foods, including halal meats. The cookathon is part of the Let's Get Cooking Intiative that the school is involved with.

Reception teacher Victoria Farmer commented "We were given funding from the initiative last year and as part of that we were required to take part in community events, one of them was a big cookathon.

"The hall was set up as a big kitchen and was arranged so two classes at once could go in and prepare a recipe from Let’s Get Cooking.

"They made things from halal meat and couscous to pizzas, blueberry muffins and cheesy biscuits, vegetable curry and mango and sweet potato curry. It was a really successful day."

Parents came later in the day and paid £1 each to try the food their children had made.

The Sindh Board of Investment (SBI) has announced their plans to build Pakistan's first Halal industrial park. The park, which will be based in Karachi, is to be built with technical assistance from the Halal Industry Development Corporation, which is based in Malaysia.

The project will look to take in a number of pre-existing industrial zones in an effort to reduce costs, and a group of delegates from Malaysia appeared at the Karachi Expo Centre between March 22nd and 23rd to share their expertise in the development.

The park marks the first collaboration between the Malaysian and Pakistani government in the halal sector, and Pakistan is believed to have huge potential to become a part of the $1.3 trillion halal market.

At present Australia, Brazil and Thailand possess 80 per cent of the market share.

Commenting on the global market, Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister on Investment Zubair Motiwala, "We should have made our mark in this market, as not many Muslim countries have developed their Halal industry.

"Pakistan can phenomenally increase its pharmaceutical and food exports, if it acquires Halal certification, as this will lead to higher acceptability in international markets."

A Japanese meat company has begun processing halal certified beef as the country begins to experience more and more Muslims arriving on their shores.

Japanese meat producers, who are famed for their Kobe beef, have started to turn their attentions towards the increasing market for halal foods and are now looking at ways in which they can service the ever-growing market and take advantage of it.

One such company, Zenkai Meat Corp, have announced that they will be launching a domestic halal products range at the country's FoodEx trade show at the beginning of the month.

Zenkai's new foray into the Muslim market is in collaboration with partners in Indonesia and Malaysia - both predominantly Muslim countries.

It's been estimated that there are 115,000 to 125,000 Muslims living in Japan, most of whom are foreign born.

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards have signed an exclusive partnership with the Uganda Halal Bureau which should hopefully guarantee that locally produced food and beverages should receive proper inspection and cetification.

The move is part of a far-reaching program to have all locally produced goods and hospital facilities certified based on both scientific and religious values, thus allowing industries to gain more market share.

Under the initiative, any company producing halal commodities will have access to the worldwide halal market thanks to the official recognised certification. Specifically food vendors and manufacturers are being aimed at in the move.

Dr Terry Kahuma, the executive director of the UNBS said the partnership seeks to ensure that meat products satisfy the doctrines of scientific as well as the religious standards.

A recent report has found that, of the 1,574 hotels and resorts in Malaysia, 366 are fully certified to sell halal foods on their premises.

Of these hotels, 77 have official certification from the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) while the rest by the state Islamic Affairs Departments.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said "Of the 366 hotels and resorts, 273 or 74.59% are those rated between three and five stars, 53 (14.48%) are between one and two stars while the other 40 (10.93%) budget hotels and resorts. We believe we can achieve the target that by end of this year, 412 three- to five-star hotels registered with the Tourism Ministry will be granted with the Malaysian Halal Certificate."

Jamil Khir said this had been made possible thanks to a range of partnerships in the region "This is part of the marketing strategy of the hotels to boost the confidence of their clients including tourists especially those from the Middle East. This is because it is not only about halal food but also the preparation process from the start until the end, including in terms of storage and cleanliness."

The Church of England has informed its various schools across the country that it must ensure that it sells non-halal meat to their students after concerns emerged that a number of the schools are only serving meat slaughtered under Islamic law.

The official guidance was sent out by the church after a number of members of the CofE expressed concern that halal meat in Christian schools was essentially spreading sharia law across Britain.

The scaremongering has led to pressure being put on the Church to no longer purchase from supermarkets that don't label halal foods.

Alison Ruoff, a long-standing member of the Church’s ‘parliament’, the General Synod, said "The Church is only just waking up to this. We have been pathetic and mealy-mouthed but we should be really concerned about this. There is a lot of fear about upsetting Muslims but as a Christian you have to stand up for Christian values. Because we are unwittingly eating halal meat, we are spreading the practice of sharia law."

The halal food industry is continuing to grow ever stronger, with about one fifth of all world food trade currently halal. This amounts to a staggering market value of $1.2 trillion.

The halal foods market currently has 1.8 billion consumers worldwide, with the market also forecast to grow by about 20% by 2020.

Taking place from February 27 to March 2 at the Dubai International Convention and Conference Centre, Gulfood 2011 hosts companies from more than 100 countries around the world, and is ideally positioned at the epicentre of a burgeoning international import and export halal market.

"Gulfood plays a pivotal role in the industry by both showcasing products and fostering growth in the regional markets. In terms of the halal food and beverage category specifically, this is demonstrated by the wide range of international companies participating at Gulfood, and the increasing number of local and regional companies specialising in the halal market who attend to broaden their markets beyond the GCC," said Helal Almarri, CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre, organiser of Gulfood.

"Halal is an increasingly important pillar of the trade, and Gulfood is perfectly positioned both geographically and economically as a trading hub to support and facilitate continued growth for local, regional and international businesses in the halal segment."

Dr Mohamed Abdel-Al, who is the president of New Zealand's Islamic Meat Management and of Islamic Processed Foods, has voiced concerns about the state of halal certification in the country, stating that he believes that those in the halal marketing will be missing out unless they amend the system and make it clearer to laymen.

He claims that, while New Zealand is recognised by Muslims as a leader in halal meat production, there is a widespread misunderstanding about the procedures used by slaughterhouses in the country.

He claims electronic stunning, which is used in most slaughterhouses in the country, sometimes actually kills the animal. This puts it into direct opposition to the halal custom of having the animal killed via cutting its throat.

A halal poultry firm has bought a brand new processing plant in Preston as they look to expand their business. Not only this, but the group are looking to purchase more plants as the demand for halal food grows.

Gafoor Poultry Products have been investing large amounts of money into their processing plants, and now have the capability to process 450,000 chickens every single week.

The company recently spent £4 million on automation of its processing and is now looking to launch its own brand of goods.

Gafoor spokesperson Dave Broxton said "Our strategy is to become one of the UK’s leading providers of chicken products, not only to the halal market but also to the conventional chicken sector."

A campaign by the BNP in Stoke to have halal meat removed from school meal menus has been deafeated, despite BNP leader Michael Coleman tabling a motion to have the meat removed from the schools as the slaughter method was "barbaric".

He claims that animals are not stunned before they are slaughtered in the halal method and he raised the issue after a group of angry mums approached him.

He stated "I think to kill an animal in that way is barbaric. It is not labelled correctly and the general opinion was that it's a dirty trick to play on mothers and children. There are also fast food outlets that sell halal meat and it is not identified. I would like to express my disgust that we have got schools in this city, teaching kids to be kind to animals when they are being served meat killed in this way.

"It's not about religion, it's about the way these animals are killed."

However the accusations were quickly shot down by Labour councillor Joy Garner, who said "There is hardly any difference from the slaughter that goes on in most slaughter houses. The vast majority of halal meat is stunned first. The only difference is a prayer is read over the animals. We have a duty to look after animals, not just a few minutes before death."

Manufacturers are being made to wait even longer to find out whether they will be able to use a number of buzz words in trying to sell their products. Terms such as ‘no added salt’ and ‘low-Gi’ may be banned by the EU, but manufacturers will now have to wait another year for a decision.

A whole group of widely used nutritional phrases, used primarily to sell products, have been in a state of legal limbo as EU regulators attempt to figure out whether they should allow the terms onto food packaging.

Technically the claims are already illegal in the EU, however no action appears to have been taken to prevent their use thus far. UK trading officers are advising manufacturers to err on the side of caution at this point in time as they are unsure which terms will be included in the eventual annex.

A group of MPs in Britain have expressed anger after discovering that they were served with halal meat in the House of Commons canteens without their knowledge. The Daily Star reports that catering bosses in the Commons were forced to admit that they had the food in the canteen slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law and customs.

"The catering service has unknowingly received supplies of poultry slaughtered using halal methods," the House of Commons Commission commented.

It has led to MPs, predominantly Tory, to call for food labelling legislation. Greg Knight said "This underlines the need to have proper labelling so people actually know what they are eating. It seems there has been this drive in the food industry to do everything halal so it doesn't offend people."

Stork Food Systems, a major producer of poultry production machinery, has claimed that gassing poultry is acceptable under halal guidelines and should be used by halal slaughterhouses to deflect misdirected criticism about the "inhumane" way in which animals are slaughtered.

Poultry scientist Dr Simone Prinze claims the gas stunning equipment will soon become mandatory throughout Europe due to new EU regulations. She believes gassing still complies with Halal principles as the gas doesn't kill the animal, it simply stuns them.

Halal Food Authority  president Masood Khawaja commented "The question is that whether such a system can be utilised for halal and zabiha slaughter? She showed the video proves that using correct mixture of certain approved gases for the CAS of poultry, the birds would not succumb to the stun, and if these stunned birds are not slaughtered, they would recover. Thus confirming that the process conforms to the Islamic requirement that the birds are alive at the time of slaughter. She stressed the need to view this procedure from a technological as well as a halal perspective, so that it can become evident that its use is not against the covenants of halal and tayyab."

Police have retrieved a flock of around 150 animals who escaped from a halal slaughterhouse in New York last Tuesday. Amongst the escapees were sheep, goats and cows, all of which were due to be slaughtered in the traditional halal style.

Police spent a few hours rounding up the animals, with the help of a couple of narcotics officers and some local residents.

The owner of the halal slaughterhouse says he believes the escape was caused by a break-in, however police blame the incident on an employee failing to properly secure the door.

A company called Janan Meat is to open a school of excellence for the preparation of halal foods in what is claimed to be a UK first. The facility will offer training in halal butchery and abattoir techniques.

The facility will offer practical training to interested parties as well as giving trainees the opportunity to learn the necessary skills in a real working environment.

The company have already highlighted the skill shortage when it comes to the halal foods and meat industry, stating "While Muslim butchery are not crippled by these skills problem, skill gaps and skill shortage are posing a major threat to the halal industry’s performance and future survival."

Recently released figures have indicated that sales in the Scottish food and drink sector have soared in recent years, growing to £11.2bn between 2007 and 2008.

Turnover also increased by a similar amount, with Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead stating that the food and drink sector will play a vital role in Scotland's economic recovery.

He claims "Scotland's food and drink is already a fantastic success story and an industry punching well above its weight. We have producers, suppliers, fishermen, farmers and manufacturers to be extremely proud of. Consumers, at home and abroad, have also played a vital role by recognising Scotland's quality food and drink sector."

Campbell Company of Canada, producers of the infamous Campbell's Soup brand, is facing a backlash from anti-halal protesters a year after introducing a range of halal products to cater for Muslim consumers.

Some of the protesters are even going so far as to claim that anybody who purchases Campbell products is supporting terrorism in a completely misguided attack against the company.

The backlash appears to simply be anti-Islamic sentiment after Campbell's introduced their new products to meet halal requirements. The problem apparently arises from the products gaining approval from the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), who have admitted ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. This has led to a group protesting the ISNA label, with an associated facebook group that has 3000 members.

Waitrose has announced that it is to introduce a range of non-halal meats as a response to customer complaints regarding concerns about its meat supplies after it was revealed that all meat slaughtered for the store was done so in accordance with halal guidelines.

The company have publicly stated that from now on that it would stock both halal and non-halal foods with the organic Welsh lamb from its Duchy Original range, the organic range originally established by Prince Charles to market produce from his estate, being the first to become non-halal.

Newspapers, including the Daily Mail, have jumped all over this policy, claiming that it is a victory for shoppers who were secretly being sold halal meat.

A delegation of halal food and industry traders from Malaysia are to make their way to the UK to have a series of meetings concerning bringing their brands over into the UK market.

The delegation of 10 industry bodies, led by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation, aims to promote Malaysia's halal foods and beverage markets throughout the UK in an attempt to capitalise on the country's ever-increasing halal food demands.

In 2009 Malaysia exported £47.7m worth of halal foods into the UK and they are now looking to further increase their market share as the halal industry increases in potential.

It has emerged that a large amount of meat that is sold in the UK on the open market is slaughtered according to halal customs, despite it often not being labelled as such. Industry estimates indicate that 40% of poultry and 25-30% of lamb sold in the UK meets halal food specifications.

Animal welfare groups claim that consumers need to be made aware of how the meat they are eating is being killed, however labelling would also be useful for Muslims as it would give them a better indication of what meats they are able to eat.

Data published by the Meat Hygiene Service suggests that around 90% of UK Halal slaughter involves pre-stunning, however this does not violate halal practices as the stunning is reversible.

Dave Harrison, regional manager for Europe for Beef and Lamb New Zealand, acknowledged this when stating "The [method] we use is acknowledged. We believe it balances animal welfare requirements with religious needs."

Quick, a fast food chain in France with over 362 recognised restaurants, is to trial halal food in 22 of these restaurants to see if it would be viable as a future business proposition.

The scheme is very similar to ones recently carried out by Domino's Pizza and KFC, with both of those companies choosing not to go the halal route after a few months of testing.

However the test phase for Quick has already been a success, prompting them to permanently convert 22 of their restaurants into halal only establishments after a small amount proved to be a success.

Eric Azan, who owns 6 Quick restaurants, claims this is a good thing, stating "First and foremost, I'm an entrepreneur and a business owner. My goal is to increase sales and satisfy my clients. It's clear I have clients that I am satisfying more since we went Halal."

Al Islami, one of the most popular halal food brands in the United Arab Emirates, is planning to expand its chain of fast food chicken restaurants into the UK and France in an attempt to tap into the booming halal market in Europe.

The first halal restaurants are expected to open in early 2011, with managing director of the company, Saleh Abdullah Lootah, stating "We’ll be launching in the UK and France very soon, either the end of the year, or early 2011. We’ll be offering the chain as a franchise… I think the France deal will be closing very soon."

GateGourmet, the company who provide catering for all British airways long-haul flights from Heathrow, has announced plans to make the majority of its airline meals halal. The company states that it wishes to standardise production of their food to drive down costs as currently they have to produce their halal meals seperately to non-halal meals.

Business opportunities in the Middle East and other areas of Asia have also played a part in tempting the caterer to make the switch. Currently halal food is available on airlines but must be ordered and prepared seperately so that they comply with hala standards. Managers at the catering giant are now claiming that it makes financial sense to simply adhere to these standards with all of their foods, rather than having two seperate production lines for the same products.

In a novel solution to the unique problems that face many Muslims when looking to travel abroad, travel companies are beginning to offer what are being dubbed as 'halal holidays'. The holidays are catered specifically towards Muslims and include destinations that are guaranteed to comply to halal standards, allowing the holidaymakers to be free in the knowledge that their holiday adheres to halal standards.

Amongst the countries that are offering the experience is Turkey. Despite the country's Muslim majority, thousands of Brits flock there each year to take advantage of cheap sun, sea, sand and alcohol. Now, however, some of the resort in the country are offering halal breaks to cater for those who don't want these features of a holiday.

The holidays generally offer the same as any other, but with tweaks to adhere to halal standards. For example, no alcohol will be sold at the hotels and pools will not be mixed.

Both Crescent Tours and Islamic Travels have begun offering the holidays and they are fast taking off amongst Britain's Muslim population.

Pizza chain Domino's has decided to scrap its halal menu after a short trial in three stores led to poor sales. The chain had infuriated some regular customers 18 months ago when it introduced the halal menu into its branch in Hall Green in Birmingham, forcing the removal of pizzas that contained pork in addition to serving only halal meats on their pizzas.

In a letter to residents of the area the company announced "I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the store is no longer serving a halal menu. Dominos Pizza Group decided to trial a halal menu in Hall Green and two other stores in 2009, but it hasn't had the impact expected and the company has reluctantly decided to return to a conventional Domino's menu in all three stores. This has not been an easy decision for us and we are sorry for an inconvenience."

Amongst those who were against the introduction of the menu originally we pizza lover Chris Yates, who came to prominence after being refused a 'Meateor' pizza in February from the Hall Green branch. He commented "It's good to see Domino's have seen sense so that their customers can enjoy their best pizzas. They may have trialled the halal-only meat to please their Muslim customers, but I'm sure a lot of other people felt discriminated against because they couldn't have what they wanted. Pizzas like the Meateor, Pepperoni and Hawaiian are classic toppings which shouldn't have been taken off the menu in the first place. It was as if I wasn't allowed ham or pork on my pizza encase I offended someone. It did seem pretty unfair on non-Muslim pizza lovers, so for Dominos to recognise that it hasn't been successful and stick to what they do best is a welcome move as far as I'm concerned."

However the decision will come as a blow to Muslim pizza fans, who can now no longer order from the chain again.

The Halal Malaysia Week is expected to bring in more than RM3.8 billion in deals and transactions, claims Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, positioning the country firmly in a position as a beacon for the global halal industry, with the public-private partneship that brought the event into mass media focus being praised for its efforts to bring halal to the forefront of society.

The event has historically been a focal point for global industry players in the halal world, with consistently rising transaction throughout its entire run. However some are recommending caution after the event's largest turnout and profit ever, claiming that it is now time to take stock and ensure that those involved don't begin to overestimate the market, with the Prime Minister claiming that realising the full potential of the halal industry will take patience and understanding of all facets of the industry.

The industry must now place a focus beyond simply halal foods, with the cosmetics industry, estimated at $600billion a year in the US alone, the next big target for halal expansion.

A non-faith school has become the first in Britain to attain strict accreditation for serving halal foods. Daisyfield Primary School in Blackburn has a Muslim population of 95%, despite not being a faith school, and the fact that its menu achieves halal standards is an achievement that has been feted by headmaster Peter Fenton, who states that “I am pleased our self-managed kitchen has been recognised as meeting the standards of the Halal Monitoring Committee for purchase, storage and preparation of our meals.”

Tory MP David Davies was also inclined to comment, claiming that it was important that Muslim children were provided with all the tools necessary to practice their faith but that “It is also important that we allow the full integration of immigrants. Concentration of certain ethnic groups in small areas does not help that.”

The Fuego Grill in Dearborn in the Midwest of the US opened earlier this month, offering customers a range of Mexican food favourites alongside the signature creations of head chef Sam Alvarado in what he claims is the only restaurant of its kind in the American Midwest. Mr Alvarado claims that response from the local Muslim community has been really positive and that he has always felt that "...Something like this was overdue."

Alvarado, who has dabbled in cooking since finishing school, opened the Fuego Grill with the goal of bringing quality Mexican favourites to a new customer base, including dishes such as Tacos, Burritos and Quesadillas. Mr Alvarado's brother claims "There are several generations of younger Muslims who don't always want to eat the traditional food and this gives them the opportunity to adhere to their religion," going on that talk about how happy he is to provide this service to them.

Serving halal approved Mexican food is yet another step in ensuring that halal begins to gain more mainstream acceptance.

KFC have been forced to scrap its experiment with halal menus in selected fast food outlets after complaints from thousands of regular customers, as well as opposition from some halal groups. Opposition arose when it became apparent that the halal KFC restaurants would no longer sell the Big Daddy chicken burger as it required bacon, which is not allowed near halal meat and goes against the halal guidelines.

KFC have since admitted that five of its outlets will revert back to the standard menu following poor sales, including a restaurant in Burnley, Lancashire after thousands of people joined a facebook group No Halal at Colne KFC. A spokesperson for the company blamed low demand, stating that "We introduced our trial in areas where we expected a large demand for halal restaurants, and as with any trial, we continually evaluate results, and adapt as necessary."

The halal trials will continue in other areas though, with 96 restaurants still a part of the trial, which was launched in April. This has caused the ire of both non-Muslims and Muslims alike to be raised, with non-Muslims claiming that the menu is discriminatory to people who don't live by halal laws, while many Muslim groups have criticised the process through which KFC slaughters its halal chicken, claiming that the reading of a prayer over a loudspeaker does not constitute correct halal slaughter methods.

Despite promises that the stores were using exactly the same ingredients as always, only without pork products and using a different slaughter method, customers were still up in arms about the changes. Customers to the restaurants where the menu is to be repealed were informed via a leaflet offered in the store.

A new range of halal makeup has been launched, making it the first cosmetics company in the UK to sell halal certified makeup. The move is considered a breakthrough for Muslim women looking for a source of pure makeup and provides a range of products for the face, eyes and lips.

Samina Pure Mineral Makeup was started by Samina Akhter after she saw a gap in the market for the product when she couldn't find a makeup range that had no animal products, alcohol or chemical ingredients. I her own words "This inspired me to develop my own range of pure and natural beauty products.  My name is Samina it also means healthy. The range is produced using the finest natural ingredients possible with a fusion of plant extracts, pure natural minerals, essential oils and vitamins, blended together to form the most beautifying form of makeup"

The range is completely and 100% natural and ethical, meaning it is ideal not only for Muslim women, but also those looking for a 100% natural makeup product that is also ethical

Humza Foods supports any efforts to improve the status of halal in the UK. We offer our own range of halal frozen food in support of this.

A Coventry farmer has come under fire for apparently trying to give Muslims a taste of pork by creating bacon-style rashers from halal slaughtered turkeys, despite his insistence that there is plenty of demand for the product from other groups in addition to Muslims.

Muslims can't eat pork as it is against the halal guidelines, however Rod Adlington, the farmer in question, told BBC Asian Network that he kept receiving requests for a "really good turkey bacon" that eventually led to him supplying it. The move has led some, including a leading Muslim scholar, to express fears that the turkey bacon may be a gateway towards eating pork for young Muslims.

Maulana Naveed Ashrafi, a scholar based in Blackburn, expressed sucjh concerns, claiming that the turkey bacon could "...ultimately lead to people who only eat halal food ending up eating the real bacon - bacon from pork", claiming that Muslims should avoid the new product.His views are opposed by some, including Dr Haifaa Jawed, an Islamic Studies lecturer who claims that "If there is no bacon in that form of food or, if the meat is Islamically slaughtered, it should be ok."

Humza Foods guarantees that all of its halal frozen food is slaughtered according to strict halal practices.

Both Halal and Kosher foods will have to be labelled under new European Union rules after many animal welfare organisations objected to the method of slaughter, which is conducted without stunning the animal prior to the slaughter. While groups such as the RSPCA claim the practice should be outlawed, they also believe the meat often ends up being sold without prior warning, meaning that other objectors won't know if they are buying halal or not.

The motion has passed its initial vote, however the EU member states must still approve the legislation before it is formally adopted. Once the law comes into practice though, food businesses will have three years to adapt to the rules, with smaller operators having up to five years to comply.

Religious slaughter is already banned in Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland, whereas in the UK it is estimated that over 100 million animals are slaughtered using the halal method in the UK each year. Religious groups continue to claim that the method is painless and thus should be exempt from the rulings, and it seems that the fight will continue for some time to come.

Halal meat could soon be banned in the UK under European Union plans to curtail animal cruelty. The European Commission have put forward plans to ensure that slaughtered animals are "spared any avoidable pain, distress or suffering". Under these proposals, all animals that are to be slaughtered will have to be stunned beforehand.

The proposal does include an opt out clause for nations that wish to allow ritual religious slaughter, however many animal welfare groups, including the RSPCA, are calling for the ban to be implemented outright. They believe that scientific research has shown to halal slaughter method to cause undue suffering to animals, which is in their eyes grounds enough to have the practice banned.

Last month the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs launched a consultation on how best to implement the rules.

Humza Foods will always supply top quality halal foods to those looking for great frozen foods.

The South Africans are sparing no expense in ensuring that every participant in the FIFA World Cup is satisfied, going so far as to ensure halal food for the Algerian squad and visiting dignitaries, as well as providing cavier for the wives and girlfriends of the footballers.

The aim is to ensure that the players don't feel homesick during the competition, so a specially trained chef has been provided to ensure that all food provided to the players meets halal standards. Additionally the staff at the Algerian's hotel have been taught a small amount of French in a further attempt to accomodate the squad.

KFC have been landed in hot water on both sides of the halal fence now, as their bid to provide halal fried chicken has landed them on the bad side of both halal and anti-halal groups, with both sides threatening boycotts.

The fast food chain had attempted to enter the halal market by offering halal food in 86 of its chains nationwide, however Muslim groups are claiming that the chickens are not being slaughtered correctly thanks to a lack of prayers before the slaughter and the machine slaughter method that the chain uses.

On top of this, the company has also faced stiff opposition from non-Muslim customers, with a number of facebook groups having been set up to argue against the proposed move, with many rallying against the loss of Big Daddy burgers from the menu thanks to halal diners not eating pork.

Though KFC insists their method is approved by the Halal Food Society, many Islamic leaders disagree, stating that the stunning that the birds undergo prior to slaughter leads to up to a third of them being killed before the point of slaughter. On top of this, the prayer is said over a speaker, which means that the chickens are not individually blessed as it is killed.

This is still a bone of contention amongst many in the halal community. One thing you can rely on it that Humza Foods will endeavour to only provide the best halal frozen foods, including top notch chicken products.

Tesco has launched a range of Halal barbeque food to go alongside the hundred or so other fresh halal products that they currently offer to the Muslim market. The range currently contains a variety of lamb and chicken products, with plans to extend the range and add more variety in the coming year.

The move comes after Tesco identified growing demand in the market for Halal foods thanks to the increase in the number of Muslims currently residing in the UK and the move follows on from moves by similar mass markjet brands, such as McDonalds and KFC, to provide halal options to all of its customers.

Humza Foods is the premier manufacturer and supplier of halal frozen foods in the UK and Europe. We provide top notch chicken, lamb and other products, ensuring that we only offer the best halal foods.

The halal foods market has a pre-existing market of nearly 2 billion people worldwide, which has not only allowed the halal food industry to survive the global recession, but positively thrive during it. The sector has seen an average overall growth of 10% annually, with the halal food industry becoming extremely lucrative, generating $580 billion in the last year.

Many industry experts believe there is extra room for growth if a wider product range is made available to general consumers, with an increase in the volume of supplies available coupled with an increased understanding of halal procedures potentially leading to and even larger boom in the market.

One major market that is ripe for penetration is the US, in which many Muslims are plumping for buying kosher food due to the complete lack of halal products on store shelves. The current ratio between halal and kosher products is 1:86, which has caused American-Muslims to spend $16 billion per year on kosher meats due to the lack of halal meats.

It is noted that demand for halal foods has seen a rise in recent years however, according to Alex Andarakis, “The halal food sector has shown great resilience and is growing at a substantial rate. One of the reasons is that it has a huge audience. Islam has the youngest population profile of any religious sects and has perhaps the most prosperous population in the world”.

Humza Foods aims to supply top quality halal frozen foods at all times.

The Raja Muda of Perlis has expressed his hopes for the halal hub project currently ongoing in Northern Perlis to be fully realised sooner rather than later, stating that "The federal government should consider the state government application for additional RM70 million to develop the 40 hectare site". He further believes the project must be finished to aid a strategy for local products to penetrate the international market.

The project has been previously delayed due to land reclamation problems, however work on the first phase of the project had already been started and is due for completion in November. The Raja Muda has high hopes that the private sector will get involved in the project. especially QSR Brand Bhd, which holds the franchise rights to both Pizza Hut and KFC, after they presented the project with RM78,467.

Humza Frozen Foods is a major supporter of any intiative to expand the understanding of halal foods.

A halal meat manufacturer is planning to hold an open day at one of its abbatoirs in the coming weeks, to demonstrate exactly how animals are slaughtered and processed in accordance with halal guidelines. The open day is intended for all Imams and Mosque representatives.

Janan Meat will be holding the open day at their abbatoir in the West Midlands on the 30th June and their staff say they will be happy to show people around the facility, demonstrating the exact techniques used in the manufacture of halal meats and mutton. The company have been a dedicated producer of halal sheep and lamb since 1992 and is aiming to educate people on the production method of halal meats, as well as ensuring a differentiation is made between halal meat products and poultry.

Anybody who wishes to attend should call 01384 401 491 or e-mail openday@jananmeat.co.uk.

Humza Foods is a dedicated halal frozen foods manufacturer and distributor. Our lamb is certified halal.

Brunei are spearheading the move to put a nationally recognised standard of practice for halal foods and pharmaceuticals in place, as they continue to make efforts to set the country up as a recognised halal hub.

Brunei's Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Bakar, backed this up by stating that the publication of the guidelines marked another milestone in Brunei's halal intiative, with the intention being that it will pave the way for halal pharmaceutical companies to be set up in the region. The move is the largest development to come out of the International Halal Products Expo (IHPE).

The standard is intended to create trust in one of the fastest growing Muslim markets in the world and will be extended to include other halal products, such as halal foods, in the coming months.

Humza Foods sells only certified and legitimate halal frozen foods.

The Sultan of Brunei and officiated the fifth edition of the International Halal Products Expo as part of his continued efforts to make Brunei an established regional halal hub. Also in attendence with the Sultan were Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, Prince Abdul Malik, Prince Mohamed Bolkiah and Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah, all of who hold important offices in the Brunei Government.

The exposition featured more than 200 local and international booths, which were open to all attendees. Products ranged from foods to medicines and Islamic finance, with new attractions including a central pavilion for Thailand, which exhibited a large range of products, including jewellery and food.

The Expo aims to bring the public and private sectors together, with an estimated attendance this year of just over 50,000 people, up from the 39,000 of last years expo. The expo also invited renowned chef Bobby Chinn to provide cooking demonstrations for those in attendence.

The IHPE will run until June 6th.

Humza Foods aims to provide the best in halal frozen food products.

Around 2000 people have joined an online group petitioning against the introduction of a new halal factory on the site of an old Colliery in Wales. Rumours had begun spreading around the town of Tonyrefail about th epossible development after Halal Industries announced their intention to build a Halal Industrial Park somewhere in South Wales.

The venture would be expected to create over 3000 jobs in the area if it goes through, however a group on facebook called "Stop the Halal factory in Coedely" is growing in numbers, amid fears that jobs would not be open to non-Muslims as well as misgivings about the method of slaughter of the animals.

Keep checking Humza Foods for further developments.

NPD Services are currently negotiating with a number of firms to further develop a purpose-built meat processing plant at Moor Farm in Banham, Norfolk. Currently the plant is only occupied by The Simply Halal abbatoir, utilising only 20% of the available facilities. NPD Services are looking to develop a packing factory and cutting plant to go along with the abbatoir in move that could potentially create 300 jobs.

A meat plant boss, who ran a halal meat plant depsite not having a license to do so, as well as putting meat products obtained from the meat cutting machinery on to the market, has been jailed for four and a half years.

Yakub Moosa Yusuf, who ran Direct Halal Meat and Poultry, was found guilty of a wealth of health and safety violations, including having dirty surfaces at his meat cutting plant, as well as operating without a license and while breaching bail for a previous suspended jail sentence.

Mr Yusuf had an appeal thrown out by the Court of Appeal after the sentencing, with his claiming that the sentence he received was too harsh and didn't take into account his personal circumstances falling on deaf ears.

Food Hygiene is one of the most important things to consider whenever you are dealing with a food oriented business. Humza Foods operates a top notch hygiene policy at all times.

A trader is claiming to be traumatised after he and four members of his family consumed meat that had been labelled halal by Tesco Supermarket, when it was in fact not halal by strict Muslim standards

The trader, named Raja Muzaffar Kamar Raja Busu is now attempting to sue Tesco to the tune of RM1,000,000 in general damages, RM500,000 for exemplary damages as well as RM100,000 in aggravated damages. He is also seeking an open apology from the supermarket for the trauma he claims he and his family suffered.

Humza Frozen Foods ensures that every product is manufactures and distributes is 100% halal meat.

The Malaysian Islamic Development Department have decided to begin conducting random spot checks on hotels throughout the country to ensure that any hotel that claims to sell halal foods is authentic. The step is claimed to be necessary to ensure that Muslim visitors to the country aren't duped by more salacious hotels.

Currently the country has 60 halal certified hotels out of a total of 2000 hotels, so the department will focus on the most popular tourist destinations, such as Penang, Langkawi and Melaka. Its has alsready been announced that all three star hotels in Sarawak complied with the policy due to the Government's policy that functions are only held in hotels that serve halal food.

Humza Foods is a leading distributor in Halal Frozen Foods, but many, especially in the Western world, are still unsure what constitutes a Halal food. Halal translates to lawful or legal and is, at its most simple, a term that is assigned to any action that is permissible under Islamic law. The term is extended to food to denote all foods that are consumable under Islamic law, much in the same way that the Kashrut denotes what foods a member of the Jewish faith can eat.

While the term is used widely throughout Islamic countries to denote any illegal activity under Islamic law, it has become synonymous with food in the West. The laws in relation to Halal foods are actually quite complex, and do not simply relate to the method in which the animal is slaughtered, as many believe.

There are a number of foods which Muslims can’t eat under the Halal guidelines according to the Qur’an. These include;

- Pork
- Blood
- Animals not slaughtered in the name of Allah
- Carrion
- Animals that have been killed by methods such as strangulation, beating or attack by another animal
- Alcohol and other intoxicants

While these rules are strictly upheld in many Muslim societies, The Qur’an also states that when in a position where no other food is available, a Muslim may eat non-Halal food.

The main focus of many people on the Halal laws in regards to food is the slaughtering method. This relates most directly to the consumption of blood, as the method of slaughter is intended to prevent this.

The method of slaughter is known as Dhabiha, and is essentially a ritual slaughter of an animal that makes it legal for Muslim consumption. The ritual disregards fish, and most other sea-life, relating mostly to cattle and other animals bred on land for slaughter.

The method itself consists of a fast and deep incision with a sharp knife on the neck of the animal, cutting both the jugular vein and carotid arteries, while keeping the spinal cord intact. This causes instant death to the animal in question, killing it painlessly. A blessing in the name of Allah is made on the animal, and thus the food becomes Halal, or legal to eat.

People’s view on Halal foods take many forms. Strict Muslims insist that the blessing in the name of Allah is a hugely important part f the process, and food is not legal for consumption without it. Other Muslims are more lenient in this regard, feeling willing to eat any meat as long as all the blood has been drained from the carcass.

The issue is a contentious one amongst many Muslims, as is the issue between the similarities between Kosher foods and Halal foods. Debate still rages on whether Kashrut standards are interchangeable with Halal standards, with the main sticking point being the blessing made in the name of Allah.

All of the frozen foods supplied by Humza Frozen Foods adhere to the Halal standards above, however this is not all that worries many consumers of Halal goods in a Western society. It is becoming more and more difficult to prevent cross-contamination with non-halal foods, such as Pork, in many restaurants and food vendors throughout the country. Many suppliers that claim to offer both Halal and non-halal foods may in fact put their Halal products in close proximity to pork products, thus making it non-halal.

Humza Foods deals specifically in Halal products and nothing else, so we can guarantee that all of our frozen foods are completely free of the possibility of cross-contamination with non-halal products, ensuring you feel secure in the knowledge that the frozen foods you purchase from us have been slaughtered in adherence to the Halal ritual.


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Humza Foods is at the forefront of the Halal Frozen Foods market. This is due to a tireless dedication in ensuring that we supply only the best in Halal products to our clients, while maintaining impeccable food hygiene standards.

But what does this mean for a potential customer? Just what makes Humza Foods products so special? Here is a blow by blow account of each foodstuff we offer, and why it is the best on the Halal Frozen Foods market.

Kebabs

Humza Foods offers a huge range of kebabs, including both lamb and chicken kebabs and kebab meats. The kebab comes in many varieties and is one of the most popular foods in the world, so Humza ensure that the kebabs we provide are tasty and delicious so that they meet the standards of all who purchase them. Perfect for any occasion, including family meals or barbecues, Humza Food’s kebabs come in a range of styles, from regular through to char grilled, and are the perfect way to fill a gap.

Samosas

A popular snack throughout South Asia for centuries, the Samosa is the ideal finger food at a party or a great way to fill a gap if you’re feeling a little bit peckish. Humza Foods offers lamb, chicken and vegetable samosas that rival any samosa you may find for texture, quality and taste. The perfect starter for a meal, the Samosa is perfect for both frying and baking providing for a delectable treat no matter how you cook it.

Spring Roll

The Spring Roll is one of the most delicious appetizers available today and has been a delicacy in many countries for hundreds of years. Humza Foods looks to continue this tradition with an impeccable line of frozen spring rolls, available in lamb, chicken and vegetarian varieties. Impeccably prepared to ensure the finest quality, a spring roll from Humza Foods is the perfect finger food or appetizer to any meal.

Sausages

The traditional sausage has been a popular food all over the world for centuries, and is amongst the oldest pre-prepared meat products on the planet. A sausage is the perfect complement to a meal, as well as one of the main ingredients in a traditional British breakfast, so Humza Foods ensures that its halal sausages are an explosion of flavour. Available in lamb, chicken or beef varieties, the humble sausage is one of the most delicious meat products on the market.

Burgers

The humble burger has become one of the most enjoyed foods in the world thanks to the rise of the fast food industry. Humza Foods aims to offer you a beautiful frozen halal burger as part of our frozen halal foods range, which can match the quality of freshly made burgers thanks to its impeccable taste and texture. Our burgers are available in lamb, chicken and the traditional beef variety and are sure to provide the perfect meal at any time of the year.

Pop Chicken

Humza Foods offers a range of halal chicken that is perfect for any occasion, be it a finger food at a party or as part of a meal. We offer a range of pop chicken, including chicken nuggets, chicken steaks, chicken fillets and chicken wings, all of which are absolutely delicious and the perfect way to enjoy one of the most popular meats in the world. We offer the utmost in quality, which is why we are the biggest supplier of halal frozen food products to the UK market.

Fish

Fish have been a part of the staple diet of humanity for years. They are amongst the most delectable and healthy meats available, and are favoured by many meat eaters thanks to their taste and variety. Humza Foods is delighted to offer a range of frozen halal fish products that provide all of the taste of the sea, with none of the cost of buying fresh. Our frozen fish is the best on the halal market and is perfect for any meal.

Humza Foods aims to offer the most comprehensive range of halal meats to the UK market, with a quality in our products and services that can’t be matched by any of our competition. All of our food is guaranteed to have been slaughtered using traditional halal methods, and is stored to the highest standard to ensure that it is perfect once it reaches your plate.

Author - Lee Price

To gain the trust of our clients, it is imperative that we employ the best possible facilities in ensuring the safe storage and delivery of products that they will eventually look to sell on their shelves. Not doing so would be both a disservice to the customer and a dishonour to us. A reputation such as the one that Humza Foods has acquired can only be attained through maintaining impeccable facilities that allow us to provide impeccable service, while staying up to code on Food & Hygiene Regulations.

Humza Foods has a number of locations across the UK, each utilised to their fullest potential in storing our delicious frozen foodstuffs, such as our top of the range Lamb Kebabs and Samosas. Each of our storage facilities is kept impeccably clean to ensure there is no mishandling or potential for infection in regards to any product that we supply. We ensure that all of the foods we sell are kept in the ideal conditions required, and if there is even the slightest risk that a foodstuff may have been contaminated, we ensure its immediate disposal. This way we maintain the impeccable food hygiene standards that have allowed us to become one of the foremost vendors of Halal meats in all of the UK. Our reputation is earned through hard work, and we endeavour to maintain the best possible standards when it comes to storing the meats we sell, ensuring that our customers are satisfied with our product.

This would all be for nought if we allowed our standards to drop when delivering our orders however. Transporting foodstuffs throughout the UK can be an extremely risky business. Vans must be outfitted to ensure ideal conditions throughout the entire transportation procedure, as simply dumping the food into any vehicle before taking it to its destination is the perfect way to create the potential for contamination of food. This is a situation that should be avoided at all costs to ensure that we do not betray the trust of our clients, that we maintain our company’s reputation and, most importantly, that we ensure the safety of everybody who will consume the food that we supply.

Every vehicle that we utilise to transport food across country is specially outfitted to ensure correct food storage at all times. It is imperative that we keep all of our Halal frozen foods at the correct temperatures to ensure that they don’t defrost, as refreezing defrosted food is against food hygiene regulations due to risk of bacterial infection. Additionally we ensure that each type of meat we transport is kept separate, both in initial storage and transportation, to reduce the risk of cross contamination.

Our drivers are well versed on the procedures that should be carried out to ensure the food we deliver is of the highest standards, and will work to ensure that you order is transported as hygienically as possible. If there is a fault in our equipment, you can have faith that we will not attempt to sell you the contaminated goods, and will dispose of them immediately, while redelivering your order.

Humza Foods is at the forefront of the Halal Frozen Foods industry because we hold ourselves to the highest standards. This extends to every aspect of the business and we do our utmost to ensure that the food we provide is kept in the ideal conditions so that it is primed and ready for human consumption.

Author - Lee Price

When working in the foodstuff industry, it is imperative that companies follow Food & Hygiene regulations to the letter. The risk of contamination must be identified and stamped out as causing illness or injury to a customer through poor food standards can cause massive damage to the good reputation of a company and its standing within the food industry.

This is especially true of meat vendors, such as Humza, who must ensure proper practices at all times to prevent the possibility of cross contamination between raw and pre-cooked foodstuffs, as well as doing all they can to ensure clean and decontaminated workspace to reduce the risk of disease such as salmonella and E.Coli.

Practices such as keeping raw meat away from cooked meat, and not re-heating white meats such as chicken, are Food and Hygiene regulations for a reason, yet many traders in the food industry neglect even these simple practices. One of the simplest ways to prevent foodborne illness is to regularly wash your hands, both before and after handling any foodstuffs, but especially when handling raw meat. Following this simple guideline can eliminate many of the potential risks that come from handling food, ensuring that as little bacteria as possible is spread. If even this simple guideline is not followed, food can become contaminated with external bacteria that can cause illness upon being ingested.

Salmonella is one of the most common bacterial problems when working with foodstuffs. The bacteria can be spread both through direct and indirect contact and the bacteria can multiply at an astonishing rate, especially in uncooked food, specifically poultry and eggs, when it is kept at room temperature. It is one of the leading foodborne illnesses and is even responsible for death in some cases. The existence of such a bacteria is proof in itself for the need for basic food hygiene standards.

Hand washing and correct storage of poultry and eggs is all it takes to ensure that this bacteria doesn’t spread, and can save a huge amount on healthcare and provide customer satisfaction in the process. Keeping raw meats at room temperature is a ridiculous policy that leaves the food open to the spread of a multitude of different bacteria. All raw meat should be kept refrigerated at temperatures below 5 Degrees Celsius to minimise the multiplication rate of the bacteria that can cause salmonella. Additionally, and it bears repeating again, hands must be washed thoroughly both before and after handling any raw meats or eggs to eliminate the risk of cross contamination.

Many companies fail to follow even these simply food and hygiene standards, but doing this puts them in direct contradiction of the Food Hygiene Regulations set out by the government. The Regulations provide a simple set of guidelines in relation to the premises of any business that deals in food;

•        Be clean and maintained in good repair;
•        Be designed and constructed to permit good hygiene practices;
•        Have an adequate supply of portable (drinking) water;
•        Have suitable controls in place to protect against pests;
•        Have adequate natural and/or artificial lighting;
•        Have sufficient natural and/or mechanical ventilation;
•        Provide clean lavatories which do not lead directly into food rooms;
•        Have adequate hand-washing facilities;
•        Be provided with adequate drainage.

These simple standards are so often not followed by companies who simply do not wish to invest the little extra effort to ensure that their customers are not put at risk from the possibility of contaminated food. This is a problem that simply does not exist with Humza. We work hard to maintain all of the standards set out by the Food Hygiene Regulations provided by the Government, however we would like to see an improvement in all areas of the foodstuff trade.

As suppliers, our name still has the potential to be dragged through the mud; no matter how impeccable our credentials are, if the caterers we supply to do not follow Food & Hygiene practices. Caterers and food vendors have as much as a responsibility as their suppliers in ensuring that the food they sell is safe for human consumption. This means they must;

- Store Food in correct conditions at all times
- Cook food properly
- Prepare food properly
- Follow the basic sanitation guidelines above

Humza Foods is one of the leading suppliers of Halal frozen foods, and we have attained this mantle due to our impeccable following of basic food and safety standards. We implore all companies that we supply to follow similar standards, else your business, and the Halal food industry in general, will suffer.

Case Study

Many food vendors in the Chinatown area of Westminster were found to be failing in their duty to ensure the quality of their food before sale. Many businesses within the area were subject to complaints, prosecutions, closures and notices due to the poor hygiene regulations employed by them. 33 businesses in the area were identified as being extremely problematic.

This became such a problem for the area that the local council were forced to set up an initiative in which they enlisted each problematic business to a course in food hygiene to teach them the basics of preparing and handling delicate foodstuffs. The council have since seen a 98% pass rate from local businesses within this initiative.

Humza Foods sincerely believes that it should not come to this. Basic food and hygiene standards should be standard practice for all traders in foodstuffs from day one and we endeavour to ensure that both we and the companies that we supply to maintain top quality practices in food hygiene to reduce the risk of infectious foodborne diseases spreading.

Sources

http://www.cieh.org/library/Knowledge/Food_safety_and_hygiene/Case_studies/Westminster%20CHIP.pdf

http://www.cip.ukcentre.com/food1x.htm

http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/regulation/

Author - Lee Price