So, in order to stay true to his Islamic tradition, he had to eat vegetarian food and eggs for the duration of his stay in Da Nang.
Baro, a Muslim from Egypt, said VnExpress that during his two-week visit he had to cook everything at home after searching all over town and failing to find Halal restaurants, or even Halal-certified beef and chicken in modern supermarkets.
“Fortunately, I owned a restaurant so I knew how to cook and could buy my own ingredients to cook for my family,” Baro said. “Vegetarian food is among the foods that Muslims can use.”
Muslims like Baro use the standards of the Halal food tradition to fully guide their diet, especially when it comes to meat. The term Halal in Islam is used to refer to a product or action that followers are permitted to use. In terms of food, it has to do with how it is processed.
Muslims are not allowed to use products made from pork, lard or any carnivorous animal. Herbivores are only considered halal when slaughtered in accordance with regulations. Animals must also be fed natural feed, without using products made from other animals, and the slaughter process must also follow a strict process that requires certifications.
It wasn’t until Baro arrived in Ho Chi Minh City that he found a brand of Halal-certified chicken in supermarkets and convenience stores near his workplace.
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Some Halal-certified products sold in a supermarket near Baro’s workplace. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Hoang |
For products that do not bear the Halal seal, Baro must read the ingredients carefully to see if they comply with Islamic regulations.
“It’s a long process, but it’s the only way for me to be sure of what I’m eating,” Baro said.
Baro also encountered obstacles when he went out to eat with friends in Vietnam, especially when he went to restaurants with nothing on the menu for Muslims.
He often tells his friends in advance to write down the foods he is not allowed to eat according to Islamic regulations.
“When a few friends asked me why, I was happy to explain. All my friends and colleagues respect my religion, just as I respect other religions. After a few meetings, we agreed on places where we can have dinner together,” he said.
Despite this, Baro is also concerned that some restaurants offer vegetarian dishes but still use animal fats and pork-derived ingredients, both banned by Islam.
“If I ask the cooks to prepare only halal ingredients [and they agree]but I still accidentally consume these [non-halal] ingredients, so technically I didn’t break the rules because I couldn’t have done anything more to avoid it,” he said.
While “moderate” people like Baro can accept products with the right ingredients without being required to be Halal certified, there are “strict” followers who only use certified products.
These people select only Halal certified products, most often imported, sold in foreign supermarkets to ensure their peace of mind.
For Muslims who come to Vietnam for short-term travel or work, finding halal food or restaurants is a difficult challenge.
To help his fellow Muslims from becoming reluctant vegetarians, Bara founded a social media group called Muslims in HCMC. It now has over 1,300 members and everyone is ready to help those in need of halal food in the city.
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Shops selling halal food in Ho Chi Minh City on July 28, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Hoang |
Vietnam could become more Halal
Aware of the growing demand for halal products in Vietnam, Ramlan Osman came to Vietnam from Malaysia in 2019 and established Vietnam Halal Certification (VHC) to promote this unique market.
Ramlan said he has 13 years of experience in Malaysian Halal. “Halal economy and halal certification is part of my job,” Ramlan said.
The global halal market is currently worth $7 trillion, and is expected to reach $10 trillion by 2028, according to Angus Liew Bing Fooi, senior vice president of the Malaysia Business Chamber (MBC) Vietnam.
Ramlan estimates that the halal food industry alone is worth around $3 trillion. The rest comes from many other Halal industry sectors such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, healthcare products, toiletries and medical devices.
With growing demand in the global halal industry, experts believe that Vietnam can leverage its labor resources and domestic production capabilities to enter this attractive sector. According to World Population Review, there are 1.9 billion Muslims in the world and around 50 countries and territories are home to majority Muslim populations.
However, Ramlan said if Vietnam wants to accelerate its participation in the Halal market, it needs a roadmap and a solid foundation. Starting by creating an agency to develop and market Halal products, like other Asian countries: like the Korea Halal Association (KOHAS) or the Japanese Muslim Association (JMA).
According to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), halal food products mainly include livestock meat, poultry, processed seafood, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, grains, oils, fats and confectionery.
According to Islamic traditions, to be considered Halal meat, animals must be alive before being slaughtered. Slaughtering tools must be sharp so that the animal does not suffer, and the carcass must be drained of all blood. Slaughters often have to perform certain Islamic rituals before slaughter.
Ramlan said Vietnam currently does not have a slaughterhouse for livestock under halal regulations and has to import all of its halal beef products from other countries. Limited production and low domestic demand mean that Halal products are generally only sold in a few Vietnamese supermarkets and restaurants.
With a desire to help more Muslims in Vietnam easily access Halal products, Ramlan plans to work with partners to create an app. This app would not only provide information about halal restaurants in Vietnam, but also about mosques and stores that sell halal ingredients, as well as tourist attractions, hotels, and Muslim-friendly clothing stores.
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Ramlan in front of the halal kitchen of a hotel in Hanoi that he helped build this year. Photo by Ramlan Osman |
During talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on July 20, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked Malaysia to support Vietnam in developing its halal industry and sign a cooperation document on the matter soon.
Angus Liew, vice president of MBC Vietnam, said that strengthening cooperation in halal industry with Malaysia could be a way for Vietnam to enter the global market, as Vietnam has a strong production and manufacturing industry. export of food products, while Malaysia has the expertise in Halal certification. .
However, according to Nguyen Tuan, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center, Vietnamese companies’ food export activities in the halal market are still in their infancy.
Each year, around 50 companies across the country obtain Halal certification, with their main products being seafood, beverages, canned goods, confectionery, vegetarian foods and pharmaceuticals.
Ramlan, the founder of VHC, believes that developing academic courses on the Halal industry to educate businesses and entrepreneurs in the field could help the local industry grow.
He believes that selling halal products is not just about complying with ingredient requirements, but also about understanding the culture and desires of Muslims.
“That’s why I’m working hard to connect companies and production facilities in Vietnam to get raw materials in the country. Halal certification is the last step,” Ramlan said.
