Chulalongkorn University has officially opened the Halal Science Center, combining latest technological development in halal food industry. It is also pushing Thailand to become the world leader in halal export.
The university has cooperated with the Central Islamic Council of Thailand (CICOT) in launching the Halal Science Center inside the university compound. The center is set to boost the potential of halal productions and personnel. It will also certify halal products and give advice to producers. Halal food is defined as food permitted under the Islamic Law.
The center will apply science and technology to the halal food productions. It is the first in the world to use an electronic assessment system.
According to Halal Science Center Director Winai Dahlan, the halal industry is very competitive and most of the market shares are owned by non-Muslim developed nations. He explained that these countries are recognized for their high product qualities.
Mr Winai further stated that if Thailand wants to compete among them in the long-run, Thai entrepreneurs must improve their standards and produce internationally-certified products.
The center also aims to push the Thai halal industry into creative business to uplift its competitive edge. It will integrate the award-winning innovations from the World Halal Research Summit 2011 in Malaysia into the production and assessment systems in Thailand.
HAL-Q (Hygiene-Assurance-Liability Quality System) will also be adopted as the standard assessment.
Currently, Thailand is among the top ten biggest halal exporters in the world, with an annual value of at least 25 billion US dollar; 20% of which are exporeted to 57 Muslim countries.
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