Tomás Guerrero, head of the Halal Institute Madrid Office and International Relations participated in the awarding of Halal Certificates to 10 Mexican companies, of 120 which are envisaged to join the move.

The Halal Institute (Instituto Halal), the leading certification body for halal products and services in Spain, will be responsible for certifying the Mexican companies, as part of the governmental strategy to diversify the food and drink Mexican companies. The initiative is led by the Secretary for Agriculture, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), Mexico Calidad Suprema and ProMexico. In order to develop this strategy the Halal Institute will open an office in Mexico City during the first term of this year. Two halal certificate awarding events have already been held. The most recent was last Tuesday, as a continuation of the first event, last 8th December, when the President of the United Mexican States himself, Mr. Enrique Peña Nieto, delivered the first certificates by the Halal Institute to the meat companies SuKarne and Gusi Group during the opening of the first edition of Mexico Alimentaria Food Show 2016.

The government of the Republic, through SAGARPA, is committed to promoting food trade in the regional markets, by specific measures, such as the awarding, last Tuesday 24th January, of 10 Halal certificates. With this distinction, the awarded companies will be able to trade their products in Muslim-majority regions, such as the Near East, Europe, Asia and North America.

According to Mr. Tomás Guerrero, head of the Halal Institute Madrid Office and International Relations, “the halal food industry is growing steadily. In 2015, Muslims spent 1.1 USD billion in food and drink, of which 1 USD billion was allocated to halal food”.

This initiative is expected to boost the food trade in the region, which started with the exports of 20.000 Tons meat, with an approximate value of 120 USD million, as well as dates or chickpeas.

In this event, the director of SAGARPA, Mr. José Calzada Rovirosa, indicated that Mexico could be a strategic partner for Arab countries, with plans to trade in the next five years more than a billion dollars, in a market which imports between 80% and 90% of their products.

“To help Mexican companies conquer this attractive market”, Mr. Tomás Guerrero explained, “the Halal Institute has joined with commitment, enthusiasm and determination the initiative set up by SAGARPA, Mexico Calidad Suprema and ProMexico, by certifying companies in the food sector such as the ones receiving their certificates today from the hands of SAGARPA’s director. We have given the companies the knowledge and contacts necessary to successfully reach this universe of opportunities”, stated the Head of the HI Madrid Office.

During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding between SAGARPA and the Halal Institute was signed with the purpose of certifying more Mexican companies, more than a hundred for 2017. The authorities of the country will work in the certification of Mexican products such as cattle meat, chicken meat, canned seafood, sauces, coffee or spices, among others.

The companies which received their halal certification last 24th January were Grupo Mar; Descafeinadores Mexicanos; Especias Terana-Rus Internacional; Bachoco, Proboca, Buenaventura; Procesados Nestlé, Salsas el Yucateco, as well as the reaffirmation of the groups Gusi and SuKarne.