Over the past two years, plant-based food consumption has grown by 49% across the EU, reaching a total sales volume of €3.6 billion.
China and Singapore sign agreement on Halal meat certification
2025-05-15
Source: China Food News
On April 18, witnessed by Premier Li Keqiang and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, Sun Dawei, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and Director of the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (Certification and Accreditation Administration), and Roger, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Primary Industries of New Zealand, signed the "Arrangement on Halal Certification of Meat Exported from New Zealand to the People's Republic of China" (hereinafter referred to as the "Agreement") in Beijing. The two parties made coordinated arrangements on the Halal certification of New Zealand beef and mutton exported to China, established a product traceability and information notification mechanism to ensure the authenticity of the certification and reliability of the source of these Halal meat products, facilitate their identification by domestic consumers, and prevent uncertified or counterfeit Halal food from overseas from entering the domestic market.
Under the agreement, New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries will regularly report to the National Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) information on meat products imported into China that have obtained New Zealand Halal certification. CNCA will then publish this certification information and the registration information of overseas manufacturers on its official website. Domestic consumers can identify Halal certification by checking the Halal certification logo on the product and the website. Given that my country has yet to establish a unified Halal certification system, the agreement also stipulates that Halal meat imported from New Zealand must comply with local laws and regulations on Halal production and operation when sold and reprocessed in my country.
In recent years, my country's imports of beef and mutton have continued to grow, and the number of meat products bearing the Halal certification mark has continued to increase. However, some certifications and marks have not been reviewed and evaluated by authoritative certification bodies, causing problems for domestic consumers and regulatory authorities. To standardize Halal certification, the National Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) has actively exercised its certification and regulatory functions, collaborating with relevant foreign government departments to strengthen supervision and management of imported Halal food certification.
New Zealand is one of my country's main sources of imported beef and mutton, and a significant exporter of Halal meat products to the international market. To ensure that exported food meets Halal requirements in the international market, New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries has established an official Halal food certification system. Authorized organizations conduct Halal certification, and the Ministry issues a unified electronic certificate. Certified Halal foods use the New Zealand Halal certification logo.
The agreement signed by the two parties this time makes clear provisions on how Singapore authorizes certification bodies, how certification bodies carry out certification, and how products use certification certificates and logos. It will be conducive to the coordination and connection between the two sides in the supervision of Halal certification and the standardization of related certification and trade activities.