Halal Research Council Virtual Internship 2021 VI-HRC-0121-51

VIRTUAL INTERNSHIP REPORT

By

Ms. Amna Nadeem

VI-HRC-0121-51

HALAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (HRC)

1|Page
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am gratified to The Great Allah Almighty; “The Most Merciful and Beneficent who
empowered me learn and complete the task successfully”. And I pay tribute to The Holy
Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him), they are lifetime guiding torch for me.

I am highly thankful to Halal Research council for providing me the opportunity of learning.I
have learned lot about the professional environment and got inspiration to explore my
interpersonal skills and self-confidence to complete this report.

I would like to say thank you to honourable teacher Dr.Zubair Mughal(Chief Executive
officer of HRC) who allowed me to work at Halal research council. It will be very helpful in
my practical life. My heart full thanks go to each individual of Halal research council. I also
would like to Thanks my Internship fellows for the support.

Amna Nadeem
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sr# Page
no.
1. My Introduction 04
2. Halal Research Council 05-08
 Introduction
 History
 Objectives
 Services
3. Halal Industry 06-12
 Introduction
 Global Halal Market
 Emerging Players
 Opportunities
 Challenges
4. Virtual Internship Programme 13-15
 Article Writing
 Data Collection
 Social Media Campaign
 Webinars
5. Conclusions 16
6. References 17
 INTRODUCTION TO MYSELF

In this internship report I will describe my experience during my internship period. The
internship report contains an overview of the internship organization and the activities and
tasks that I have worked on during my internship. Writing this report, I will describe my
learning objectives and personal goals that I have set during my internship.

In compiling this report I have intended to provide a review of all the trainings and sessions. I
have tried to discover the relationship between theoretical and practical type of knowledge.
During the entire course of our academic study we remain engaged in theoretical learning
where primary objective is an academic success.

A concise knowledge of the Food science and technology can only be attained through the
implementation of hypothetical ideas, which we have learnt from our academic activities.
With these objectives, I have made all the possible efforts and the necessary investigations to
submit this report in an enlightened form in a very short time. I have tried my level best to
eliminate efforts from this report. As I had to complete my internship within a short period of
time so the study admits its limitations.

As a student of food science and technology, I was selected to do internship in Halal research
council. I worked on online/virtual internship and it gave me knowledge about the Halal
foods and their certification. In the following pages I have narrated my experience,
observation and all the work that I observed during my internship.

Amna Nadeem

VI-HRC-0121-51

Food Science and Technology (Graduate)

Chapter 1:

HALAL RESEARCH COUNCIL(HRC)

Introduction:

Halal Research Council is an organization that is working around the globe on halal
certifications in order to fulfil the needs of food agencies as well as non-food agencies; major
focus is in FMCG sector.

HRC has a well-qualified and cooperative team of food technologists, sharia advisors,
chemical engineers and R&D professionals. For certificate issuance authenticity of food
ingredients, their source and the whole supply chain is checked, chemical examination and
sharia prospectus regarding food ingredients are also analysed.

Now a day there is increased awareness among the masses regarding their food and nutrition,
furthermore they are also keen to know about what they are eating or wearing and also what
is its source. Product labels contains ingredients but there sources are not mentioned on them.
It’s an honour for HRC to serve food and non-food market globally for providing halal
certifications and trainings.

History:

The head office of HRC Halal research council was launched in Lahore with other branches
in Karachi and Multan. Meanwhile it has working Strategic Partners in South Africa,
Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Mauritius.

The Halal Research Council (HRC) was formed for the promotion of Halal Food Market in
Pakistan which will provide research, counselling and Halal certification with the
collaboration of Chamber of Commerce and Industry Pakistan, Trade Association of Pakistan
and many other International organizations for the field of Halal Food.

The head office of the HRC was launched in Lahore with other branches in Karachi and
Multan. Despite the fact that it is a Muslim state, Pakistan is only getting a very small share
from the export of Halal Food Certification. Only Brazil and India has 75% share in export of
Halal Food of Middle East. “Hopefully, with the establishment of Halal Food Market in
Pakistan, our export percentage will elevate with a rapid extend”, the HRC stated. The
inauguration ceremony of Halal Research Council was held in Lahore july 2010.

Mr. Zubair Mughal, Chief Executive Officer, Halal Research Council exclaimed on the
occasion that the establishment of HRC is a ray of hope for the relevant organizations of
Pakistan by which they will easily jump into in the International market of Halal Food. He
added that Pakistan is a state with 97% Muslim population and due to its Muslim leadership;
it has a prominent place amongst Muslim world. “Taking an edge of it, we can easily get a
desirable export target from 1 billion and eighty core Muslim population”. It is to be noted
that the volume of Halal food Market is about USD 670 billion.

He further revealed that HRC will provide assistance to all the national and international
organizations for the better understanding and penetration into the multibillion markets and to
achieve a desirable target, a committee of prominent Muftis, food technologists, chemical
engineers, and livestock experts. While addressing to the ceremony, he further told that
various food and non-food items are being exported even in Pakistan which ingredients are
contrary to ingredients defined by Islamic principles as Halal.

Brand Partners:

 Al Huda Centre of Islamic Banking & Economics:

Al Huda-CIBE provides a comprehensive package of Islamic banking and

finance facilities and products under one platform. "Al Huda CIBE" is a
pioneering effort to promote Islamic Banking and Finance in masses
through Advisory, Education, Training, Awareness, Consultancy,
Product Development, International conferences to support, sustain, spread and supplement
SBP and Govt. Initiatives.

 True Banking:

True Banking is a Bi-Monthly magazine on banking and finance

Industry with specific focus on research, development, market
analysis, awareness and advancement. The prime aim of True Banking
is to create harmony, attentiveness and innovation in this sector. It is
another addition to Al Huda-CIBE achievements in the direction
towards promotion and development of banking sector in Pakistan as
well as abroad.

 Islamic Microfinance Network:

IMFN is a Non-Profit organization, formed in 2009 by a group of Islamic Microfinance

Institutions, dedicated for the development and promotion of the Islamic
Microfinance Industry through Innovation, Sharia Compliance Product
Development, Institutional Capacity Building, and Donors' Linkages and up
sealing of Islamic Microfinance Institutions. The Network focuses on
Public and Institutional Awareness of the Islamic Financial Systems.

 Sukuk Research Portal:

Sukuk Research Portal is a unique platform to get all sorts of

information on Sukuk. It provides the latest news, updates and articles
on Sukuk. It provides the latest news, updates and articles on Sukuk
operation in Pakistan and abroad.

 Islamic Banking and Finance News (Online Magazine):

Islamic Banking and Finance News (Online Magazine) is a unique Monthly online magazine
for the better awareness of Islamic Banking and Finance Worldwide. Al Huda IBF News
work as communication partner with different International Islamic Financial Institutions
including IIFM Bahrain, Business lifestyle-London, Globalpro - Malaysia, Michel Gessner
Consultancy - UK, IIR Me - UAE, Nessus - London, Avail Corporation Singapore, Marcus
Event Malaysia, Terrapinn Worldwide, SECP Pakistan, other renowned International
organizations and financial institutions to promote Islamic Banking & Finance all over the
world.

 Islamic Microfinance Help Desk:

Islamic Microfinance Help desk is serving to coordinate the Poverty alleviation Factors
through Islamic Financial methodology for the broader prospects of social wellbeing. It is
working to establish Islamic Microfinance Institution/Banks. It provides Islamic Financial
Product Development, Shariah Advisory, Shariah Audit & Review, Shariah vetting of
Products and process flows of Islamic Financial Products for microfinance sector.
Objective of Halal Research Council:

 Shariah implementation
 Islamic laws for foods
 Halal certification for food products
 Quality food with competitive prices
 Good manufacturing practices

Services:

 Halal Certification for food and non-food products (cosmetics, medicines, chemicals)
 Advisory and Consultancy
 Research and Development in Halal Industry
 Education and Trainings (Distance learning courses, seminars and conferences)
Chapter 2:

GLOBAL HALAL INDUSTRY

Introduction:

The term Halal is derived from Arabic word halla, yahillu, wahalalan means permissible by
shariah law. According to Shariah law every muslim must ensure that the products he is
consuming comes from a halal source, not only ingredients should be halal but also the whole
process and services should also halal(Zakaria,2008).According to Malboobi and
Malboobi(2012) halal is defined as lawful, beneficial and harmless whereas haram is
perceived as opposite to these.

Jabtan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) broadens the umbrella and covers all the
products ,services and all operations like packaging, marketing, manufacturing, logistics,
supply, premises, slaughtering and so on must compliance with Islamic laws(JAKIM,2015).
FAO also made standards for using term ‘halal’ in various operation (Ager,Abdullah et.
al;2015)

According to 2016-2020 master plan Malaysia is working to become world’s leading halal
hub by contributing 5.8% of its GDP meanwhile other countries are competing with Malaysia
to be a global hub in halal industry.

Global Halal Industry:

The concept of halal is not limited to food only; instead a halal industry is a new
potential growth sector in global economy. The industry growing rate is 20% per year
estimating a worth of USD560 billion and total worth of USD2.3 trillion excluding
Islamic finance.

Market is not only limited to Muslims only but also non-muslim are consumers. Besides
Malaysia, other countries like China, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Korea, Philippine, and
Australia have already in this market. Top ten positions in GIEI score in different halal
sectors are occupied by non-Muslims countries like Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Italy,
India, and Germany.

Major sectors included in halal industry belongs to both food and non-food industry
(pharmaceuticals, health products, toiletries and cosmetics) it is also extended to services
(packaging, manufacturing, branding, marketing, supply chain) and lifestyle offerings (travel
& tourism, hospitality management and fashion industry .

Driving Forces for Halal Industry:

The following drivers are responsible for a rapid growth of halal industry.

 Muslim population around the globe

 GDP growth of Muslim countries
 Emerging halal markets
  Muslims lifestyle offerings
 Growth of halal ecosystem
Emerging Halal Market Players:

Muslims countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and non-muslim
countries are leading in GIE indicator score. However halal market is emerging in countries
like Thailand, China, Philippine and Singapore, reason behind adopting this industry is
economy growth.

Emerging new players are; Singapore’s Supermarket Myoutlets, Japan’s Nippon Express
(logistics services), Turkey’s Banvit Meat Company, Asada’s Honest Chop (USA) and many
more. Fleishman Hillard claimed China as emerging player in halal market by providing halal
facilities in different terms such as prayer halls and easy access to halal foods.

U.S.A and UK have a very limited number of halal products in their markets as there is ratio
of 1:86 between halal and kosher products, to lessen this gap both are striving for growth in
halal sector. Moreover, countries around the world are emerging and competing with each
other in halal industry.

Opportunities in Halal Market:

As Muslim population is increasing day by day so there is a potential growth in halal market,
it is serving in many sectors so opportunities of investments are also broad. The major areas
are halal foods, halal travel & tourism, Halal healthcare products, Personal care products,
modest fashion and media.

 Halal Foods:
Halal foods are the greatest offerings of this market, ensuring quality and healthy lifestyle.
56% of market shares are occupied by Food & Beverage sector, a growth rate of 6.2% is
observed from previous year. As its largest sector so investment opportunities are also vast in
this category. Hot growth sectors are;

 Halal ingredients
 Halal Feed
 Meat-based meals and snacks
 Halal Food-technology
 Halal products(e-commerce)
 Retail Concepts
 Health Products and Pharmaceuticals:
Impressive growth performance is seen in medical sector about halal. Global pharmaceutical
industry worth’s was 934.8 billion dollars in 2017 and will be 1170 billion dollars in 2021. In
biologics and nutraceuticals will reach to a worth of 132 billion dollars in 2022. Overall
growth rate seen is 5.8%. According to Thomson Reuters Report halal certified vaccines of
dengue fever and polio will be launched soon worldwide. Potential growth areas include;
  Halal Gelatin
 Halal Nutraceuticals
 Halal vaccines
 Halal Personal Care Products (Cosmetics):
These products are integral components of lifestyle. As leading manufacturers are non-
Muslims for this sector so there is a great concern for Muslim consumers while purchasing
either ingredients or sources are halal or not. Only 18% of global demand is fulfilled by
supply of halal products which indicates that huge investment opportunities are waiting in
this sector.

Opportunities in halal cosmetics are;

 Halal Nail Polish

 Sustainable and Halal Cosmetics
 Halal Face creams
 Scents and Perfumes
 Modest Fashion:
Modest fashion is a new trend in fashion industry that includes trendy athletic apparel, hijabs,
abayas and Ramadan collection. This segment costs 254billion dollars in2016 and projected
to reach 373billion dollars by2020.

Growth sectors in modest fashion include;

 Luxury Modest Fashion

 Modest Active wear
 Circular Fashion
 Men’s Modest Clothing
 Halal Tourism:
This segment belongs to services sector in halal industry. Here demands are access to halal
meals during flights and hotels, muslim friendly hotels and beaches.in 2016 growth rate was
11.8% with a value of USD169 billion, this value is forecasted to reach USD283 by 2020.

Beach Resort is emerging market and potential opportunity exists for halal facilities. Muslims
travelers are provided with following facilities;

 Halal foods
 No alcohol premises stay
 Prayer rooms
 Separate pools and fitness center
 Muslims friendly services
The integrity of Halal Supply Chain is very important, ensuring that through out the
process every step taken was totally in compliance with shariah law. It’s very complex than
traditional logistics distribution as every muslim market have different requirements
regarding taste, packaging, distribution and certifications on the other hand ensuring all these
requirements will increase the profit. Global demand for halal products in increasing at an
exponential rate, certification bodies are also expanding their scopes including testing,
inspection and certification services.

Following are international bodies working for certification and standard development:

 The International Halal Accreditation Forum(IHAF), UAE

 Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre(DIEDC)
 Emirates Authority of Standardization and Metrology(ESMA)
 Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries(SMIIC)

Challenges in Halal Market:

Biggest challenge is establishment of globally recognized halal standards and accreditation,

particularly in food sector (Personal,2009).

 Ban on Halal and Kosher slaughtering in Denmark

Chapter 3:

VIRTUAL INTERSHIP PROGRAMME

HRC organized virtual internship programme in wake of COVID-19 to fulfil the need of
knowledge seekers. This programme covered different aspects of halal market by providing
trainings and guidelines on halal certifications, shariah laws for foods and requirements of
halal. They engaged students in different activities for a duration of 3 months that includes
webinars, projects and guideline and informative session.

Activities arranged by HRC:

 Webinar series on GLOBAL HALAL INDUSTRY

 Guideline Session on ARTICLE WRITING
 Guideline Session on DATA COLLECTION
 Training session on SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKING
 Provision of APPRECIATION ADDS
 Guidelines for PROMOTION CAMPGNS

My Learning from this internship:

 Article Writing:

1st task assigned to me was article writing, HRC provided guidelines for writing. This activity
was basically to improve our writing, thinking and reading skills. These articles will be
published in magazines, newspapers and journals. Different topics were assigned to us and
we write an article by following guidelines.

 Selection of topic
 Interesting angles to work on
 Research
 Create an outline
 Write article
 Plagrisim policy
 Check Requirement of magazines/journal where submission will done

Topic Assigned: Nutritional effects of goat milk on children

  Data Collection:

2nd Task was data collection of different organization. I collected data from different search
engines that includes different food industries their address and contact details. This activity
increased my knowledge in a way that I came to know about different industries working in
my country to which previously I was not known. It also improves my skill of data
presentation that is much important as a professional.

The basic key points for data collection of this session are;

 Selection of industry

 Decide data collection objectives/purposes

 Data recording

 Search the data of organization (Financial industries, takaful etc.) through different search
engines like Google, Linkedin, Facebook etc

Topic Assigned: Supplement industry in Pakistan

 Social Media Promotion Campaigns:

Everyone is well aware of importance of social media in this era. Rapid spread of a cause
is only possible through social media. HRC provided guidelines to run effective social
media campaigns by using different platforms such as:

 Facebook
 Linked In
 Instagram
 Twitter
 Whatsapp

I have done promotion of different Webinars and Executive Halal Diploma arranged by HRC.
  Webinars on Halal Industry:

A series of online session was arranged on Global Halal Industry through ZOOM and
FACEBOOK live sessions that enhance my knowledge for halal market, global opportunities
in halal market, and halal standards throughout globe. An interaction with global speaker s
was created through this activity.

Series of session includes;

 Global Development of Halal Industry by M. Zubair Mughal

 Global Development of Halal Industry by Dr. Saeed Akhtar
 OIC/SMIIC Standards on Halal Issuance and Quality Infrastructure by Mr.
Ihsan OVUT

 Critical ingredient in Halal foods and its Verification in Different Standards

Conclusion:

Virtual internship programme really enhance my knowledge regarding halal aspects of food
industry it broadens my view that how halal industry sounds around the world. It enhances
my knowledge regarding HALAL in every term of life not only in food. As far as educational
actives are concerned that really help me to increase my professional skills through different
tasks like article writing and data collection. Furthermore concept of Virtual Learning was a
great opportunity for students to gain global knowledge. Summing it up the whole duration
of 3 months was a great experience of learning and growing.
Chapter 4:

REFERENCES

 Ager, S. N. S., et al. (2015). An Analysis of The Definition of Halal: Shari’ah Vs

Statutes. World Academic and Research Congress 2015 (World-AR 2015) Ar-
Rahim Hall, YARSI University, Jakarta, Indonesia
 Fleishman Hillard Majlis (2011). "The Market Opportunity of the Muslim
World”.Global halal market - Statistics & Facts | Statista. (n.d.). Retrieved
October 17, 2018, from https://www.statista.com/topics/4428/global-halal-market/
 Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia. (2015). Manual Procedure for Malaysia
Halal Certification (Third Revision) 2014. Manual Procedure for Malaysia
Halal Certification (Third Revision) 2014, 67.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004
 Malboobi, M. T. and M. A. Malboobi (2012). Halal concept and products
derived from modern biotechnology. International workshop for Islamic scholars
on agribiotechnology: Shariah compliance.
 Zakaria, Z. (2008). "Tapping into the world halal market: some discussions on
Malaysian laws and standards." Shariah Journal 16(3): 603 -616.
 Personal, M., Archive, R., Puah, C., Voon, S., & Entebang, H. (2009). Halal Industry :
key challenges dan Oppotunities, (10679)
 Azam, M. S. E., & Abdullah, M. A. (2020). GLOBAL HALAL INDUSTRY:
REALITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES. IJIBE (International Journal of
Islamic Business Ethics), 5(1), 47-59.