THAI UNIVERSITY, IPB TO SHARE INFORMATION ON HALAL FOOD PRODUCTON

Bogor, July 3 (ANTARA) - Thailand's Chulalongkorn University has reached an agreement with the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) in Bogor, West Java, to share information on halal food production.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the cooperation was signed here Thursday by the director of Cuulalangkorn University's Halal Science Center, Dr Winai Dahlan, and IPB Deputy Rector for Research and Cooperation, Dr Anas Miftah Fauzi.

The cooperation would cover exchange of researchers, students, as well as exchange of information regarding halal food production.

"In Thailand, it's difficult to get halal food. This fact prompted us to establish a halal food research center at Chulalongkorn University and familiarize industries in Thailand with halal food," Dahlan said.

Some 10 percent or six million people of Thailand's population are Moslem, he said.

Also present at the MoU's signing were the director general of international economic affairs of Thailand Foreign Affairs Ministry, Thanatip and a representative of the Thai Embassy in Jakarta, Chambalah Charoenying.

Today, Thailand has 71 industries producing halal food.

Winai admitted there were some misunderstandings among Thai people on halal food. "They see halal food as special food for Moslems. In fact, it is food that can be consumed by Moslems," he added.

Predominantly Muslem countries like Indonesia, he said, were importing food from Europe, Australia and the United States which had yet to be guaranteed as being halal food.

"Why don't we do something together to produce halal food at least for the ASEAN region," he said adding that halal food should become a trend setter for world food production.

In a project to develop a halal food laboratory, Chulalongkorn University had invited IPB to develop halal food jointly. "We need a lot of information on the concept to establish a halal food laboratory in Thailand," he said.

Meanwhile, IPB Rector Dr.Ir. Herry Suhardiyanto MSc said the cooperation with the Thai university was expected to bring benefit to the people.

After the signing of the MoU, the 12-member Thai delegation visited University Farm, an agricultural business center developed by IPB and Taiwan's Technical Mission, and the Southeast Asian Food Agriculture Science and Technology Project (SEAFAST), a joint project of Texas A&M University of the United States and IPB.