"The exhibition is designed to increase awareness among Indonesian Muslims about the importance of halal food certification," Director of LPPOM MUI Lukmanul Hakim said on Monday.
He said Indonesia as a country with a large number of Muslims n was a potential market for food and cosmetic products. Therefore, halal certification was needed to protect Muslim consumers. Certification would also strengthen national products in facing the free trade era.
Lukmanul said Indonesia was among the first countries in the world that had made a basic halal security system. He said so far Indonesia`s halal standards, set by LPPOM MUI, had been acknowledged by 43 foreign institutions in 22 countries, including the US, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and the Netherlands.
Scheduled to be opened by Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Radjasa, the Halal Products Exhibition 2011 will be participated in by 120 companies.
The event`s organizing committee would also hold training courses alongside the expo , namely training to serve as halal auditors, in certification imported products and as auditors of the halal security system.
Of various cosmetics and food products sold in Indonesia, only 36 percent had so far been certified as halal by the MUI.
(T.D009/A051/HAJM/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
