The African and Arab market maintains its importance for companies all over the world. However, Halal certificates put companies that want to take place in this market one step ahead. Brazil, the world's largest Halal Food exporter, is trying to think of ways to to expand business with countries on the Arab-Muslim axis. The expectations from the world Halal market are promising. According to the data, the market is expected to reach around $5.74 trillion by 2024. Brazil has gained the trust of countries in the Halal Food market thanks to the quality and meticulousness in its legislation and production. Brazilian companies also see halal certification as a necessity.

We, as BBM Magazine, interviewed Ali Saifi, CEO of Cdial Halal, a Latin American certification company accredited by the main official bodies of the United Arab Emirates and Gulf countries.

You are making certification in the field of Halal food, which has become increasingly widespread all over the world in recent years. Could you tell us about the works of Cdial Halal?

Cdial Halal grew and focused on its business, taking advantage of market opportunities to diversify and innovate . Currently has approximately 500 direct employees, certifying around 300 manufacturing plants in Brazil.

Today, Cdial Halal is a global reference in Halal certification and maintains strategic partnerships with large companies. The company's mission is to offer the Muslim consumer Halal products, being recognized worldwide as a company of excellence in Halal food certification and animal slaughter according to Islamic religious requirements, always generating business opportunities and value, shared with Brazilian society. 

How do companies acquire halal certification - The word Halal in the Arabic language means lawful, that is, it is in accordance with the rules established by the Law of Islamic Jurisprudence (Shariah) that governs the customs of Muslims. Halal certification aims at the conformity of the establishment that has aptitude and at the same time carries out Halal practices and procedures to produce, store and market products intended for Muslim consumers and any community that seeks quality products.

The standards included in the Halal audit are those that govern national legislation, ISO 22000, MS 1500, HAS 23000, GSO 993, GSO 2055-1, GSO 2055-2, MUIS-HC-S001, UAE.S 2055-2, UAE .S 2055-1, UAE.S 993, as well as the Cdial Halal criteria.

How long does it take for the industry to achieve certification - It takes around a month to get certified. The audit must be carried out by a team of auditors, comprising at least two auditors, a technical auditor and a specialist in Islamic matters. In exceptional cases, a technical specialist may be integrated into the team. According to GSO 2055-2, the certification cycle is three years, with annual audits, one of the cycle may be unannounced. At the end of the three-year certification cycle, the recertification process must be started up to 6 (six) months before the certificate expires.

Our main role is to guarantee the Muslim society a real HALAL product. To do that, our workflow starts by contacting companies who request or will to enter the HALAL Market. After commercial agreements between Cdial Halal and the company, our auditor team , composed of at least two person: one technical auditor who have the knowledge and the technical information on product which is being certified and one religious auditor ( sharia auditor) who have the Islamic knowledge, to differentiate what is HALAL and what is no HALAL will visit the company to carry out the audit. After the audit, the company will receive in 5 days the audit report with all the information, the positive points, the non conformities and the observations. After that, the company  must  send to our quality department the evidence of the correction action that must be done. After that, this evidence is discussed with our committee, and if there is no objection, the company is certified and the certificate is issued by our quality department.

What will be evaluated in the industry when applying for halal certification?

The entire manufacturing process undergoes a strict evaluation to receive the certificate. The audit verifies the receipt of raw material, equipment calibration, hygiene, good manufacturing practices, storage and even the shipment of the product. This certification guarantees that the entire product chain is legal and suitable for consumption by Muslims.

It is essential that there is control of production, traceability and transport, so that the final consumer receives a product that is halal, that is, without any illicit evidence (from pork or alcohol).

And not only the products themselves, but all production processes, storage, handling, labeling, packaging, transport (land, sea or air) and delivery will be analyzed. From the entry and exit of the product: physical space (humidity and air pressure will be measured, in addition to requiring good hygiene practices, including protection of goods and/or cargo against cross contamination (prohibited by halal)); biological, chemical and physical characteristics of the products; list of ingredients, including additives and processing aids, among others. It is extremely necessary to control toxic products and the total exemption of illicit products according to the Islamic religion.

It is a gigantic market to be explored. In terms of food, we know that Brazil is the most suitable country, mainly because our agribusiness has the capacity to export products of the highest quality and with food safety.

Today, Brazil is the biggest HALAL food supplier in all over the world. And we expect that our escope can extend to other chains such as cosmetics and pharmaceutics. Our vision is that in 2024, around 65% of the cosmetics found all over the world will be HALAL, and we are working hard to disseminate the Halal culture to the companies, and show them the importance of the HALAL certificate to attend a community that is around one quarter of the world population.

How big is the Halal Food market and how do you foresee the future of this market?

Expectations are promising for the halal market: it represents almost 1/3 of the world's population and is expected to move around US$5.74 trillion by 2024, according to data from the State of the Global Islamic Economy.

Data from the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce indicate that in 2021, Brazilian exports to the 22 countries of the League of Arab States totaled US$ 14 billion, an increase of 26% compared to 2020. In the food sector alone, Brazilian exports totaled US$ 8, 92 billion in 2021, up 9.52% over 2020.

It is a way to seek new opportunities and expand the sale of value-added products. We stand out in the export of animal protein. We are leaders in the export of halal chicken meat. However, Brazilian industries from different sectors have enormous potential to explore this growing market, such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, among others. The doors of this market are open, because Brazil has won the trust of consumers of halal products.

Ali explains that Brazil has gained the trust of this market due to the quality and rigor in Brazilian legislation and production, which becomes a requirement that contributes to Brazilian companies achieving halal certification. The certification process analyzes the entire chain, such as raw material, inputs, transport and storage, to ensure, among other things, that there is no cross-contamination with illicit products, such as pork.

In which areas do you issue Halal Food certificates? Which countries accept your certificates?

Halal certification (Cdial Halal) attests to the quality of production, reliability, traceability and compliance with safety requirements throughout your process. It covers from the raw material, the entire production process, hygiene, traceability, storage and transport. It can be applied to any category of business, for example livestock, agriculture, food services (hotels and restaurants), transportation, textiles, chemical and biochemical industry, packaging, cosmetics, perishable or long-life animal products, transportation and storage, tourism among others.

You are very active in Brazil. Apart from the Arabian Peninsula, which other regions are you popular in?

Throughout its history, Cdial Halal has certified numerous companies, of the most varied products, destined for more than 150 countries.

How does Brazil's emphasis on Halal food contribute to the country's economy? Could the Halal Food certificate be the reason why we come across the products of Brazilian 

Currently, 50% of the chicken produced in Brazil is halal and all this production is exported. And halal certification is increasing in all food segments.

According to the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (CCAB), the United Arab Emirate imported US$ 15.4 billion in products from the sector in 2020 and re-exported almost a quarter, US$ 4.1 billion.

The countries that buy the most re-export products from the UAE are Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Yemen, Iraq, India, Bahrain, Pakistan, Somalia, Jordan, Afghanistan, Kenya and the United States, in descending order. The most re-exported products are nuts, milk and cream, chocolates, alcoholic beverages, citrus fruits, food preparations, nuts, dried vegetables and vegetables, sweets and apples.

The Arab Brazilian Chamber executive also reminded that this country has a large niche of allocated international population. There are as many foreigners who live and work in the country as there are those who visit it for tourism. The opportunities for exporting are immense.

HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASES NON-MUSLIM'S ATTENTION TO HALAL FOOD

Why do you think the interest in halal food is increasing?

According to the current analysis of Reports and Data, the global Halal Ingredients Market was valued at USD 49.39 Billion in 2020 and expected to reach USD 73.93 Billion by the year 2028, at a CAGR of 6.2%. Halal food refers to the food products that are prepared by following Islamic dietary laws & regulations, which defines foods that are lawful or permissible and clean. Muslims community consumers avoid food & beverages that are Haram, meaning forbidden or unlawful by their Islamic faith. The Intake of food items is also rising due to the surge in the Muslim population worldwide, which expected to drive the growth of the market.

The rise in the populace of Muslims stimulates the demand for this food, which in turn improves the growth of the market. However, various countries have different standards of halal foods, which inhibits the growth of the market. Also, items such as alcohol, beer, wine, pure or artificial vanilla extract, chocolate liqueur, gelatin are not allowed to use as an ingredient or as halal foods & beverages. This is likely to restrict the demand for these foods in the upcoming years. Nevertheless, the growth in interest for this food among the non-Muslims community due to its varied taste and health benefits expected to boost the growth of the market.

What kind of extra opportunities do you provide to the companies working with you?

Companies will have the opportunity to export their products not only to the Islamic Arab countries but also to other countries that demand quality, safety and traceability of their products. People are increasingly adept at consuming products with Good Manufacturing Practices, respecting the environment, their collaborators and their diversities. Another important detail, certified products have greater added value.

How can an entrepreneur anywhere in the world get prepared to produce and market their products in compliance with Halal Certification principles? What kind of support do you provide for this?

Today, Cdial Halal is a global reference in Halal certification and maintains strategic partnerships with large companies. The company's mission is to offer the Muslim consumer Halal products, being recognized worldwide as a company of excellence in Halal food certification and animal slaughter according to Islamic religious requirements, always generating business opportunities and value, shared with Brazilian society. 

How would you advise Turkish companies seeking to increase their market share in the Arab region?

First, companies need to understand the scenario of this halal market. It is a market that grows every year, based mainly on the increase of the Muslim community and people looking for traceability, reliability and quality in the product.

To serve this audience, that is, the Arab world, companies must be committed to seriousness in the quality of their product and in the Halal system. If companies intend to grow and break new ground, they cannot help but think about the Islamic world.

The products of Brazilian white meat producers attract great attention especially in Iraq, a neighboring country of Turkey, and they are capturing the markets of Turkish companies. Why do you think Brazilian chicken producers are so successful in markets like Iraq?

Brazil is considered the breadbasket of the world. And we have an advantage, Muslim Arabs like to do business with our country. We have the capacity and ability to produce the products necessary to serve each market with excellence. We just need to be aware of the great opportunities that this market offers.

Do you have any targets for the Turkish market?

It is important to point out that we do not export products, but we certify them. We had the opportunity to identify several Brazilian companies that currently export to Turkey.