Halal Foods Awarness and Future Challenges
Imran Aslan *
Business Administration, Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Bingöl University, Turkey
Hakiye Aslan
Faculty of Engineering-Architecture, Department of Food Engineering, Bingöl University, Turkey
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Halal food concept was simply defined few years ago by Muslim scholars with banning some foods. However, pesticide products and Genetically Modified Foods (GMO) bring new discussions among Muslim countries and Non-Muslim countries. Some countries responsible from halal certificating approach this concept differently. In this study, approaches to halal around the World and in Turkey are explained with some studies done before and getting the opinions of experts worked in halal field. In the World, there is not a common halal standard and each country tries to develop its halal standards. These standards change from country to country even all certificates are referenced to Holy Koran. Turkey is one of the main food exporters to Iraq Kurdistan. Thus, to learn the awareness of people living in Erbil city, 500 surveys were applied at Shaqlawe Technical Institute and Technical Administrate Institutes in Iraq Kurdistan. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and correlations methods are used to analyze data. It is found that there is not enough awareness in Arbil city even though it is a Muslim city in majority. New production methods and additives to foods are challenges both religiously and scientifically. Moreover, GMO and other pesticisized foods- medicated foods have not been clearly stated whether they are halal or not in Many Muslim countries.
Keywords: Halal awareness, Halal Logo, certification, Turkey, Arbil, GMOs, organic farming, pesticides