Press Release – Warees Halal Advances Halal Collaborations

Cementing our commitment in creating value for the Halal ecosystem with the signing of agreement with Temasek Polytechnic, launch of the Warees Halal Network’s portal and organising the Halal Theatre at Food&Hotel Asia 2022

Singapore, 5 September 2022 – Warees Halal Limited (WHL), a government-linked company within the Muis Group, is organising the Halal Theatre at Food&Hotel Asia (FHA) 2022 from 05 to 08 September 2022 at the Singapore EXPO. Incorporating the theme “Strengthening the Core of the Halal Industry Post-Pandemic”, the Halal Theatre is a continuance of Halal Perspectives, a one-day webinar themed “Opportunities in Times of Uncertainty” held in November 2020 and also jointly organised with Informa Markets. It will showcase seminar sessions, cooking demonstrations and panel discussions that bring insights on the latest developments, opportunities and best practices in the Halal industry.

“One of the biggest sectors of the global Halal economy is food. In Singapore, there are about 5,000 food establishments and 50,000 products certified Halal by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis). Halal certification has not only increased trade and business opportunities; it has also created more spaces for social mixing through more Halal dining options which has contributed significantly to strengthening Singapore’s social cohesion within its multi-racial and multi-religious society,” said Dewi Hartaty Suratty, Chief Executive Officer, Warees Halal Limited.

Strengthening the Core of the Halal Industry Post-Pandemic

As the world economy recovers from the Covid-19 crisis, the food and Halal value chains are seeing immense changes in the way they operate. Globally, consumers are predominantly fed through international trade and countries are heavily reliant on food imports. International food security is dependent on functional global supply chains, which are characterised by a smooth flow of goods from the producers to consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic also saw the closure of travel borders and lockdowns on a massive scale, and logistics in food value chains such as transportation, warehousing, procurement, packaging, and inventory management were disrupted. These impacted the safety, quantity, quality and affordability of food.

Despite many challenges, there are notable developments in the food industry that came out of the pandemic. This includes the acceleration of digitalisation and a national focus on food security. Businesses are embarking on digital platforms for the sale and delivery of food, virtual technologies are used by government and non-government agencies to maintain service delivery, and product innovations such as alternative proteins, lab-cultured meat and urban farming emerged to address food security concerns. A new normal will emerge post-pandemic that requires businesses to transform their strategies and government bodies to rethink their regulations and policies.

Underscoring the need to build resilience and sustainability in the Halal economy, the Halal Theatre brings together more than 30 esteemed speakers representing Halal certification authorities, government agencies, think tanks, trade associations and businesses to discuss issues, challenges, and strategies for companies to emerge stronger from the pandemic by leveraging on opportunities in the Halal food industry. The full list of the speakers and information on their topics can be found here.

Building Industry Capabilities for a Sustainable Halal Ecosystem

The Halal food industry is largely inter-twined with developments in science and technology. To redefine the Halal value chain, it needs to start with a fundamental effort in shaping the workforce of the future. WHL and Temasek Polytechnic (TP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding against the backdrop of FHA, Asia’s largest food and drinks trade event. Represented by Ms. Dewi Hartaty Suratty, Chief Executive Officer of WHL, Dr. Rufaihah Binte Abdul Jalil, Board Member of WHL, Dr. Goh Lay Beng, Director of School of Applied Science (ASC) of TP, and Dr. Patel Kadamb Haribhai, Head, Centre for Research & Opportunities in Plant Science of TP, both organisations signed the agreement on 5 September 2022.

Through joint expertise, both organisations aim to achieve two key objectives.

1. Provide more comprehensive support for businesses in the areas of capacity building, research and testing to facilitate the development, compliance and trade of Halal products and services globally;
2. Establish a structured learning pathway for tertiary students and adult learners to be equipped with relevant and up-to-date knowledge, skills and tools throughout their career in the Halal and food industry.

As part of this collaboration, an accelerated course entitled ‘Fundamentals of Food Science and Halal Certification Management’ will be offered from January 2023. Learners will be exposed to a broad range of topics from market and industry trends, basics of food science and technology, Halal certification requirements as well as development and maintenance of a Halal quality management system.

Dr. Goh Lay Beng, Director of School of Applied Science (ASC) of TP, said, “I welcome this important initiative which formalises the relationship between Temasek Polytechnic and Warees Halal. There is a real desire to develop work-ready talent to meet the needs of businesses. I look forward to starting this journey in the interest of enhancing the workforce with a designated educational route to support a burgeoning Halal industry.”

Warees Halal Network Portal – Empowering the Global Halal Community

The Warees Halal Network was first introduced in 2020 as a collaborative platform to create growth and business opportunities. It intends to – First, develop a community of practice by enabling industry players to connect with one another contribute ideas and collaborate towards a common objective; Second, establish a trusted support system for businesses to gain access to resources, tools and knowledge from industry experts through a curated online and offline channels; and third, add value to Halal industry players through exclusive services, special rates and free upgrades offered by WHL and its strategic partners.

Riding on strong digital adoption worldwide, the portal provides quick and convenient access for the global business community to benefit from the Warees Halal Network. Key features offered by the portal include:

1. A rich Halal resource library comprising videos, infographics and guidebooks;
2. An ingredient checker backed by a comprehensive database of about 1,000 raw materials;
3. A directory of suppliers and exclusive services that Halal companies can tap on;
4. A Halal community forum for businesses to network, exchange ideas and learn from one another

“Warees Halal Network offers a holistic platform that gives members a multi-dimensional perspective of the entire value chain. Fostering partnerships with businesses that complements the services provided by Warees Halal is a win-win situation. We are equally committed to spur the growth of Halal culinary amongst the members,” said Mr. Muhammad Kamal Bin Khamis, Emeritus President, Singapore Halal Culinary Federation (SHCF) and Co-founder, KitchenSq LLP.

The Warees Halal Network portal (www.wareeshalalnetwork.com) is launched today at FHA.

About Warees Halal Limited

Warees Halal Limited (WHL) is a government-linked company within the Muis Group. Muis, also known as the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, is a statutory board in charge of Muslim affairs in Singapore. The formation of Warees Halal originated in 2006 with the intent to support Muis in its implementation of the Singapore Muis Halal Standards and to bring benefits to the Singapore Muslim Community.

WHL aims to be a holistic Halal solutions provider for businesses by providing international certification, capacity building, advisory and trade-link services. WHL is authorised by Muis to provide Halal certification services outside Singapore based on the Singapore Muis Halal Standards and the Singapore Muis Halal Quality Management System. WHL’s international clients range from product manufacturers, kitchen operators and food service establishments such as Cofco (China), Curetex Corporation (Japan), Byul Food (Korea), Fuji Oil (Belgium) and more.

For more information, please visit www.wareeshalal.sg.

About School of Applied Science (ASC), Temasek Polytechnic

Established in 2000 after 7 years under the nurturing wings of the then Temasek Information Technology & Applied Science School (ITAS), the School has now evolved to become an institution that engages innovative ways to train and educate school leavers and the workforce, and carves niche applied research areas that benefit students, industries and the community. From its humble offering of the Food Science & Nutrition diploma first conducted in July 1995 at the Portsdown Road Campus, the School now offers 5 full-time diplomas in response to the dynamic changes in the vibrant food, F&B, chemical and life sciences industries.

In addition to full-time courses, the School also offers an array of part-time diploma and certificate courses for adult learners as well as customized short courses to meet the specialized needs of the industry.

For more information on the Fundamentals of Food Science and Halal Certification Management course, please click here.

You may download a copy of the press release here.

For media queries, please contact:
Warees Halal Limited
E: marketing@wareeshalal.sg

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