South Korea Adopts the UAE's Halal Certification System

Abu Dhabi - Have you been struggling to find chamoe or hallabong for your fruit salad in your local market? Or perhaps you want to make Korean barbecue or dak galbi but cannot find the right meat. Don't worry, these problems are changing as more companies import food from South Korea.

This Asian country uses the UAE's Halal certification system, because officials of the country's companies hope this certification system will serve as a bridge in the trade of meat products and other products.

At the opening ceremony of the Korea Agricultural Trade Center office in Abu Dhabi, South Korean Ambassador Kwon Hae-ryong said: 'The UAE Halal certification program will be launched in South Korea, and I hope Korean agricultural products will be popular in the UAE in the near future.'

Two years ago, the halal development committee called for unified local and regional certification bodies, because different standards confuse consumers and authorities around the world and hinder trade.

The center will exchange information with UAE authorities on the standardization and metrology of Halal certification.

Dr. Kim Jae-soo, president and CEO of the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, said: 'There is a lot of trade between the Middle East and South Korea, and demand for Korean products is increasing year by year.'

Since the 1970s, South Korea and the UAE have cooperated in energy, defense, security, education, culture, healthcare and agriculture.

Hae-ryong said: 'The program is expanding rapidly. When our chairman visited the UAE authorities in March, he signed an agriculture cooperation and halal food cooperation agreement with them. This [center] is the first step in implementation.'

'This [center] will deepen our awareness of halal food, the industry and the certification system,' he said. 'In South Korea, we are developing our halal food industry and hope to export agricultural products.'

The UAE imports about 90% of its food. Opening up new import sources will diversify the UAE's food market, avoid shortages, and help meet growing demand.

Retailers express interest in Korean produce.

'The UAE is a multicultural country,' said Salim M.A., a director at Lulu Group International. 'This is the best place to try new foods. We already have Korean products in our supermarkets, but the opening of this office can help us obtain more products. People are always looking for new foods.'

Ahmed Khoori, general manager of Big Hit Trading, which supplies fruits and vegetables, said he plans to import seasonal fruits from South Korea.

'South Korea has four seasons, and people have never imported products from there,' he said. 'They import apples from China, but the quality is not the best.'

Humaid Al Hammadi, chairman of the UAE-Korea Friendship Association, said the office will deepen relations between the two countries.

He said: 'I often go to South Korea and especially like their food. My favorite products are Korean pears, strawberries and melons. If these things come here, people here will definitely like them.'

'In the past five years, people did not know much about South Korea and its products; now, you can also find Korean kimchi in our supermarkets. Once the supply chain does more halal certification, they will have a big market in this region, because the UAE is the gateway to the Middle East.'