The National Animal Health Service (SENASA) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), the Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX) and the Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER) held joint negotiations with the embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the objective of achieving commercial opening for products of animal origin to that country.
To this end, this Monday, the International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF) gave a workshop on the Halal Process, both for official staff and for employees of processing plants, representatives of chambers of commerce and companies interested in exporting this type of product to that market.
The word Halal means “allowed” in Arabic. The Halal certification is the requirement that must fulfill any product or service that wants to enter the Arab market and consists of a process that conforms to the Islamic norms contemplated in the Koran (sacred book of Islam, Arab religion that is majority in the US).
This certification provides security to buyers that the entire process, from production or slaughter to packaging and storage, meets the established requirements.
The Halal product market is a sector that opens doors and commercial spaces. It is a business opportunity based on consolidated ethical values that has interesting economic dynamics, which represents a range of opportunities for national products,”
said Federico Chaverri, SENASA’s General Director.
Pedro Beirute, manager of PROCOMER, stressed that this is a market with very specific cultural and consumer conditions. The fulfillment of these specific requirements, such as the Halal certification, requires that public institutions work in a very structured and integrated way.
The authorities of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of the UAE and SENASA negotiated the agreement on the format of sanitary certificate for the export of bovine meat and meat products.
In addition, the UAE authorities also analyze the proposal of a certificate that Costa Rica made for the export of dairy products.
The UAE is a federal monarchy composed of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sarja, and Umm al-Qaywayn. Its population currently exceeds nine million inhabitants.