The international Halal community came together for the Congress of Halal Quality Sarajevo. The event took place in Sarajevo on 18-19 of May and was organized by the Bosnian Agency of Halal Quality. HALAL Greece is proud to have been a part of this significant international gathering.

The Congress brought together speakers from the Academic area, the compliance sector, industry, governments and Islamic jurisprudence. The discussions driving home the importance of Halal quality and integrity across all sectors.

The Congress has closed with success and impulse triggering values for the different halal sectors.

Halal Greece extend its congratulations to the Agency for Halal Quality Certification of Bosnia, the University of Tuzla and its Faculty of Technology, the University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Islamic Studies and the OIC/SMIIC.

We express gratitude to our Bosnian friends and hosts for their warm and generous hospitality was extended to all participants.

As is well known, various days are celebrated by attribute a meaning. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, World Youth Day and World Food Day are such prominent days. However, we haven’t had a special day that containing “Halal life” which is vital to us. In view of this fact, after consultation with many scholars and brothers around the world, we agreed to declare the 17th day of Ramadan as World Halal Day, because the first ayat about Halal was ayat 69 of Sura Anfal (8:69 ) and this ayat was revealed on the 17th day of Ramadan in 624. We hope that the 17th day of Ramadan will be a day for the Unity of Muslims and we will see that it will be celebrated with great enthusiasm among all Muslims, inshaAllah. What is World Halal Day? The World Halal Day will be a special day celebrating, supporting and unifying the “Halal” movement around the world. When will be World Halal Day? World Halal Day will be commemorated each Ramadan, particularly on the 17th day of the holy month. Ramadan depends on Hijri calendar, so the date is different according to Gregorian calendar. This year 17th Ramadan will be 29th April and World Halal day will be commemorated on this date. What is the purpose of World Halal Day? World Halal Day will be celebrated with the intention of raising awareness and consciousness of of Halal and Tayyib concept and expanding it as much as possible. It will be a day unifying individuals and societies without politics or other reasons causing disagree. Who organizes World Halal Day? The World Halal Council is the inspirer and supporter of this initiative. Halal belongs to the whole Umma, therefore, World Halal Day is a common day of all Muslim brothers living in different parts of the world. In this regard, the Halal World Council will organize activities to introduce, explain and disseminate the message of the importance of World Halal Day in its regions. In addition, the World Halal Council encourages and supports other Halal certification bodies and agencies to organize activities on this date.

As GIMDES and WHC, we organize various celebrations and events every year for 17 Ramadan World Halal Day, the day the first halal verse is revealed. Many HCBs, brothers and sisters all over the world unite and also celebrate this beautiful day. Here are some of them: ISWA Halal Certification Department (USA) ISWA Halal is organizing a webinar to celebrate 17 Ramadan World Halal Day and welcome the celebration messages of all the brothers and sisters. Here is the link for the meeting which will take place at 11 am Washington Time: https://webinar.gomeet.com/933-509-518 Halal Greece and Halal Balkans Halal Greece and Halal Balkans have provided Iftar aid to 500 orphans and people in need in Syria, which unfortunately has been devastated by the long-lasting war in the region, on behalf of 17 Ramadan World Halal Day. May Allah (SWT) accept their good deeds and make it a good example for all. Agency for Halal Standards (Macedonia) We celebrate World Halal Day and congratulate GIMDES, the World Halal Council and all WHC members on the World Halal Day, which also coincides with the Day of Badr, and we wish these blessed days to be Khair to everyone. Unfortunately, because of Covid-19, we will again not be able to join the events that are organized in Istanbul every 17 Ramadan. ICSA Halal (South Africa) We celebrate the 17 Ramadan World Halal Day of all our brothers and sisters. We are attending a radio program to talk about World Halal Day and celebrate it. Halal Control (Germany) HALAL CONTROL Germany wishes all Muslims a blessed World Halal Day and Ramadan. American Halal Foundation (USA) We congratulate you on the celebration of the upcoming World Halal Day on 17th Ramadan. May Allah reward all brothers and sisters in this month of Ramadan with His Rahmah. The Halal Catering Argentina Ramadán Karim inshallah. We, from The Halal Catering Argentina HCB we would like to join our brothers and sisters with the world Halal day this 17 of Ramadhan inshallah. We make a food zakat Action to a “Solidarian Feeding”. Thank you very much for this activity in this special month of shaher Ramadan alhamdulillah. Associate Professor Dr. Hajah Mariam binti Abdul Latif It is with great pleasure for me to say Happy Ramadhan Kareem to all of you and wishing you all the World Halal Day!!! It is such a noble effort to develop this World Halal Day in uniting all the HCBs throughout the world and to pinpoint the importance of appreciating halal and tayyiban matters in halal food production and trade. I hope it will continue to be celebrated and more activities can be organized on this special day. Insha Allah!!! Dr. A. Majid Katme (MBBCh, DPM) Muslims All Over the World Need Badly to Put Their Halal Meat House in Order! It is good golden opportunity in Ramadan to remember and fix all the above problems and concerns which are mentioned above on THE WORLD HALAL DAY/17 Ramadan so we can sort them out in order to have all: TRUE HALAL TAYYIB MEAT insha ALLAH…especially in Ramadan Ottoman Distributors (Mauritius) OTTOMAN DISTRIBUTORS believes that each Muslim has a duty and responsibility to spread Halal globally and to ease the access to halal products and services to our Muslim Brothers and Sisters worldwide. We must all strive to give the halal lifestyle prominence. Every small atom of contribution on the Halal way is important. We are happy to present you our simple slogan: ’17 Ramadan- World Halal Day: ONE DAY TO CELEBRATE ONE YEAR OF HALAL LIFESTYLE’

Since September last year, thousands of food products have been recalled due to contamination with the carcinogenic and banned pollutant ethylene oxide, especially in France. However foodwatch raised the alert that not all EU Member States were taking the action needed. After weeks of discussions, the European Commission heeds the foodwatch alert and calls for a strong political response from across the EU to this new food scandal.

For the first time on 9 September 2020, Belgium reported via the European rapid alert system RASFF that sesame seeds from India were contaminated with ethylene oxide. While ethylene oxide is used to combat fungi and bacteria in a number of countries outside the EU, it is banned in EU food production. Residues in food violate European food law. No safe level of exposure

Nearly 7.000 batches of food products were recalled in France, much less in other Member states. France implemented strong measures and has already recalled nearly 7,000 batches of food products since autumn 2020. Items range from sesame seeds to ice cream, pepper, ginger, shallots, coffee, bread, cookies, and ready meals. However, other countries of the European Union did not take such measures and some were reported to have hardly recalled any of the contaminated products.

In June, foodwatch alerted the Commission by letter on the non-compliance of several EU countries in removing these foodstuffs from the market. Additionally, foodwatch offices in Germany and the Netherlands put pressure on their respective governments to protect consumer’s health and apply the EU legislation correctly. After a series of long debates at EU level about whether the regulations should be followed to the letter, as happened in France, the Commission’s decision was announced on 16 July: all Member States will have to guarantee the health safety of Europeans and recall on mass the products affected by this ethylene oxide contamination, including those products containing locust bean gum (E410) – a thickening agent often used in ice cream.

The European Commission’s decision clearly states:

“Member States concluded that, in accordance with legal provisions set out in the General Food Law COM 178/2002:

for the products that contain the additive E410 known to be contaminated with ethylene oxide no safe level of exposure for consumers can be defined and hence any level consumers may be exposed to, presents a potential risk to consumers; consequently, it is necessary, in order to ensure a high level of health protection, that the food or feed business operators who have placed such products on the EU market shall, under the control of the national competent authorities, withdraw those products from the EU market, and recall them from consumers. “

A weak recall not good enough

On June 28, foodwatch France was informed that French authorities started to communicate to operators (manufacturers, distributors) the possibility of a slackening in the recalls of products contaminated with ethylene oxide.

Indeed, documents to which foodwatch had access indicated that the Commission and the Member States were seriously considering a relaxation of the recalls by allowing on the European market products containing ingredients illegally treated with ethylene oxide – such as locust bean gum (E410), but for which the operators had not been able to measure this contamination in the final product, as it is below the detectable threshold of 0.02mg/kg (for products manufactured before June 14, 2021).

At this point foodwatch sounded the alarm. This move away from clearly written rules of food safety was unacceptable. Foods needs to be traceable along the entire production and if this traceability shows that they have been treated with this illegal substance, it is a clear violation of Articles 11 and 14 of the General Food Law (EU Regulation 178/2002). Some European countries and manufacturers tried to minimize the health risks of Ethylene Oxide. However this is a carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic substance which, according to the Anses (French National Agency for Health Safety of Food, Environment and Work), presents a clear health risk: “Even very low levels of exposure are associated with an excess risk of cancer.”

European regulations exist to protect citizens but all too often they are poorly implemented within the Member States, which claim the right to interpret them as they see fit.

As is well known, various days are celebrated by attribute a meaning. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, World Youth Day and World Food Day are such prominent days. However, we haven’t had a special day that containing “Halal life” which is vital to us. In view of this fact, after consultation with many scholars and brothers around the world, we agreed to declare the 17th day of Ramadan as World Halal Day, because the first ayat about Halal was ayat 69 of Sura Anfal (8:69 ) and this ayat was revealed on the 17th day of Ramadan in 624. We hope that the 17th day of Ramadan will be a day for the Unity of Muslims and we will see that it will be celebrated with great enthusiasm among all Muslims, inshaAllah. What is World Halal Day? The World Halal Day will be a special day celebrating, supporting and unifying the “Halal” movement around the world. When will be World Halal Day? World Halal Day will be commemorated each Ramadan, particularly on the 17th day of the holy month. Ramadan depends on Hijri calendar, so the date is different according to Gregorian calendar. This year 17th Ramadan will be 29th April and World Halal day will be commemorated on this date. What is the purpose of World Halal Day? World Halal Day will be celebrated with the intention of raising awareness and consciousness of of Halal and Tayyib concept and expanding it as much as possible. It will be a day unifying individuals and societies without politics or other reasons causing disagree. Who organizes World Halal Day? The World Halal Council is the inspirer and supporter of this initiative. Halal belongs to the whole Umma, therefore, World Halal Day is a common day of all Muslim brothers living in different parts of the world. In this regard, the Halal World Council will organize activities to introduce, explain and disseminate the message of the importance of World Halal Day in its regions. In addition, the World Halal Council encourages and supports other Halal certification bodies and agencies to organize activities on this date.

The Halal Greece European Certification Center , participated in the 17th Halal World Council (WHC) General Assembly in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Halal Greece was represented by its President, Mr Abdulhalim Dede.

The majority of WHC members attended this important event.

This meeting coincided with the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Halal World Council.The 17th Halal World Council General Assembly was held November 12-15 at the Sultan Hotel & Residence in Jakarta, Indonesia.

At this General Assembly, 4 Halal certification bodies (HCBs) received their approval and were upgraded to full members of the WHC.

The HCBs who become full members are:

In addition, 16 new applications were submitted during the event.

Halal Greece and all members of the WHC participated in the meeting of the ISEF (Indonesian Economic Festival Sharia).

This festival, with the participation of ministers and bureaucrats along with the president, lasted 4 days.

It was decided to hold an interim meeting from April 1 to April 4 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the next general meeting in November 2020 in Manila, Philippines.