Training on establishing halal products testing lab from June 8

Islamabad : Comstech is organising a three-day advanced training course on how to establish 'halal' products testing laboratory during June 8-10, at Comstech Secretariat.

The training will be arranged in collaboration with International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) Karachi and Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC) Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Shibli Faraz, will grace the occasion as the chief guest and Ihsan ÖVÜT, Secretary General, The Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), Turkey, will address the inaugural session.

According to the global Islamic finance report, the global halal industry is estimated to be worth around $2.3 trillion growing at an estimated annual rate of 20%, the industry is valued at about $560 billion a year.

In view of the diversity of several products, including processed food and other items of daily use in the present day, authentication and confirmation of their 'Halal' nature is a growing challenge globally.

Beside the environmental contaminants, both biological and chemical, addition of non-halal ingredients, which is prohibited for Muslims, is a matter of concern.

In recent years, awareness about 'Halal' food and other products has increased due to the cross contamination of several industrial products in our daily life.

However, with increasing globalisation, many Islamic countries import these products or ingredients from places where Islamic injunctions are not observed.

It is therefore, imperative for the Muslim countries to establish Halal testing laboratories which will ensure the Halal status of the consumer products.

The objectives of the training are to impart knowledge on how to establish a research and development laboratory for the investigation/analysis of non-'halal' ingredients in food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals by providing hands-on training on instruments involved in non-'halal' ingredients testing.

To explain the procedure for the testing of most common non-'halal' ingredients and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), along with learning the procedure for the laboratory accreditation for ISO 17025 and OIC/SMIIC 35:2020, and to have understanding of how to successfully participate in international proficiency testing.

The course is designed for scientists and research scholars and technicians from OIC member states, involved in food testing and research to participate and acquire state-of-the-art knowledge to establish 'halal' products testing laboratories in their countries.