Reverse Linkage

114 REVERSE LINKAGE T he halal market gross value is estimated at approx- imately US$2 trillion worldwide, and is gaining momentum with an expected value of around US$3 trillion by the end of 2022. 1 Halal in the Arabic language means permissible according to the Islamic Shariah. The halal market is not limited to food and food- related products but also includes non-food products such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, health products, toiletries, medical supplies and services including finance. Food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and healthcare products are consumed and used daily by Muslims. However, the halal status of these products is questionable concerning the source of the ingredients used as well as the manufacturing, storing and distribution processes. A very limited number of methods are available to detect non-halal ingredients and products in food, cosmetics, phar- maceuticals and healthcare. The development of various new techniques to detect and quantify non-halal components is in great demand and thus, sustainable joint research and development activities must be initiated to develop reliable methods of detection of these non-halal ingredients. Among the issues that are often raised about products and services are the lack of suitable compliant alternatives in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and healthcare ingredients and products; the relative lack of robust scientific analytical and non-analytical methods in detection and authentica- tion of products that will adequately address issues on fraud and adulteration; the lack of regional and global harmonisa- tion in guidelines and standards; the lack of initiatives in product development and innovation; and the interpretation of scientific findings for practical applications in a modern industrial environment. Any research and development initiative must be closely linked to the product supply chain, as the primary objective of any research endeavour must be to provide solutions to problems and issues that arise in the supply chain. The halal industry in Kuwait Kuwait prohibits the importation of alcohol and pork prod- ucts, while all imported beef and poultry products must have a health certificate issued by the country of origin and a halal food certificate issued by an approved certifying authority in that country, which is recognised by the Kuwaiti Municipality. Kuwait plans to adopt additional controls for halal certi- fication, which should be in line with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Standardization Organization guiding principles. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop and coordinate manufacturing, and quality assurance of halal products and, above all, an authentic halal certifica- tion. Halal product manufacturers need to maintain and guarantee the integrity of their halal chains. The Public Authority for Industry in Kuwait is responsible for authentication of all imported products to ensure compli- ance with GCC and/or Kuwait standards. However, the Public Authority for Industry laboratories is not equipped to carry out halal authentication of those products. The Food and Nutrition Authority carries out food analysis mostly for safety aspects but, to a very limited extent, the halal status of Technology transfer and research and development in halal product authentication in Kuwait Adnan Husain, Food and Nutrition Programme Manager, Environment and Life Sciences Research Centre (ELSRC), Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR); Talat Saeed, Research Scientist, ELSRC, KISR; Hani Al-Mazeedi, Associate Research Scientist, ELSRC, KISR; Wajih Sawaya, Senior Advisor, Director General Office, KISR Real-time testing using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) Image: KISR