Thai halal food thriving in global market thanks to higher Covid-protection standards
The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) has said that halal food from Thailand continues gaining trust worldwide thanks to elevated Covid-safety production standards.
DITP is also launching the “Thailand Delivers with Safety” campaign with a revenue target of 122.09 billion baht this year.
Somdet Susomboon, DITP director-general, said the Covid-19 pandemic has consumers across the world worried about their health and well-being.
In line with this, DITP has launched many campaigns to boost the export potential of halal food produced in Thailand, including improving the brand image of halal products and holding promotional activities in targeted countries.
The production of halal food in Thailand is done in strict adherence to the Islamic principles on ingredients, production, cultivation and employee practices to meet the halal criteria.
The products are monitored and certified by the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand (CICOT).
Apart from reassuring consumers and building trust among trade partners, DITP is also fortifying safety measures in food manufacturing by launching Covid-19 prevention measures for manufacturers, exports, businesses, raw-material suppliers as well as logistics operators to strictly comply with. Under these measures,
business operators and suppliers shipping ingredients must intensify efforts to reduce the risk of contamination.
Manufacturers must implement strict quality and safety controls through the production line, from receiving shipments of ingredients to storing, processing, packing as well as maintaining preventive measures for transporting goods by cleaning and disinfecting the interior of containers.
Manufacturers will be required to prioritise sanitation and strictly clean and disinfect machinery, manufacturing buildings, floors, walls as well as common areas prone to contact. Workers, meanwhile, will be trained to protect themselves from Covid-19 and maintain safety practices during operation.
Along with these measures, DITP continues working on boosting confidence among its trade partners through the “Thailand Delivers with Safety Campaign”.
“The objective is to retain trust among buyers and trade partners worldwide, reinforcing Thailand’s potential as a major food manufacturer with advanced manufacturing technology that meets international standards from sourcing ingredients, harvesting, transporting, packaging to delivering at the consumers’ doorstep,” affirmed Somdet.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s export of halal food to Islamic countries this year is expected to reach approximately 122.09 billion baht, up 3 per cent from 118.53 billion baht in 2020.
Thailand is a major exporter of high-quality halal food products including chicken, shrimp, canned tuna, rice, fresh and dried fruits fresh, chilled and frozen vegetables, snacks, instant food, frozen food, ready-to-eat food, cosmetics, fashion, etc.
The top product exports to Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries are rice, sugar, canned and processed seafood, cassava products, canned and processed fruits, respectively.
The halal food market is worth approximately US$1.2 trillion and Thailand is a champion with a competitive advantage in logistics and a vast variety of products.
There are currently about 5,000 halal-certified firms in Thailand, producing more than 160,000 halal-certified products.
Thailand has the opportunity to become the 13th largest exporter of halal food to OIC countries. The other top exporters are China, the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain, India, Belgium, Brazil, United Kingdom, Canada and Indonesia.