Australian businesses are being compelled to sign deals with halal companies to secure lucrative contracts in Asia and the Middle East as certification operators rake in millions of dollars.
The country's two most prominent Islamic certifiers — the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils and the Supreme Islamic Council of Halal Meat in Australia — last year increased their annual accreditation revenue by almost $600,000 as an increasingly diverse array of producers choose to have their goods certified.
A survey of supermarket shelves by The Daily Telegraph showed an extraordinary number of products are now accredited as halal, including everything from Vegemite and Pods chocolates to Steggles chicken products and Leggos tomato paste, even chewing gum. [Daily Telegraph] Read more
