Dubai: The International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF) held its first General Assembly meeting in Dubai, setting a new milestone for the global Halal food industry and launching the formal activation of the world's first global Halal accreditation network.
The General Assembly approved several resolutions, including recommending that IHAF sign international agreements with the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), in order to explore maintaining global Halal conformity assessment standards. This will play a vital role, because interested Halal accreditation body members' applications can be supported through their existing membership in ILAC and IAF.
Halal accreditation bodies oversee the testing, certification and verification involved in Halal products to ensure all standards are implemented, ensuring that the safety and quality of every Halal product fully comply with Halal regulations. On the other hand, IHAF will ensure that these Halal accreditation bodies strictly and consistently adhere to the principles of Halal regulations.
During the meeting, Mohammed Saleh Badri was officially appointed Secretary General of IHAF. Badri was elected on the strength of his extensive experience in the field of accreditation and conformity assessment, including his previous experience as Director General of the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA).
At the General Assembly, Dr. Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA), was appointed Chairman of IHAF, while Peter Unger, President Emeritus of the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation, was appointed Vice Chairman.
The Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology, the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation, the GCC Accreditation Center, the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand, the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards (Thailand), the Pakistan National Accreditation Council and the Egyptian Accreditation Council, as well as one representative from Latin America and one from Europe, make up the IHAF Board of Directors.
Dr. Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad said: 'The convening of IHAF's first General Assembly meeting is a major event that will go down in history, and it will become an important pillar of the Halal economy. This forum will help further promote the growth of the Halal food industry, because the latest official reports show that the global market for Halal products is growing rapidly.'
UAE to Chair IHAF
Dubai, November 29 (BNA): Dr. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA), was appointed Chairman of the International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF).
His appointment was announced during the forum's first General Assembly, which was recently held in Dubai to announce the formal launch of the world's first global Halal accreditation network.
Mohammed Saleh Badri was also officially appointed Secretary General of IHAF. Badri was elected on the strength of his extensive experience in the field of accreditation and conformity assessment, including his previous experience as Director General of the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA).
Several committee appointments were announced during the meeting. According to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Kylie Sheehan, General Manager of the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand, was appointed Chair of the Technical Affairs Committee.
Brahim Houla, Certification Services Manager of the GCC Accreditation Center, will serve as Chair of the Multilateral Recognition Arrangement Committee. Amina Mohammed Hassan of the Emirates National Accreditation System (ENAS) was appointed Chair of the Marketing and Media Committee.
The General Assembly approved several resolutions, including recommending that IHAF sign international agreements with the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), in order to explore maintaining global Halal conformity assessment standards.
This will play a vital role, because interested Halal accreditation body members' applications can be supported through their existing membership in ILAC and IAF.
WAM reported: Halal accreditation bodies oversee the testing, certification and verification involved in Halal products to ensure all standards are implemented, ensuring that the safety and quality of every Halal product fully comply with Halal regulations. On the other hand, IHAF will ensure that these Halal accreditation bodies strictly and consistently adhere to the principles of Halal regulations.