Malaysia hopes that Muslim countries can agree on which goods and products are halal, or acceptable to Muslims, a move that would boost the $2 trillion industry, although politics and interpretation of islamic law may complicate the task. The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is reportedly working on a single standard to be applied in its 57 member countries. Agreement to regulate the halal industry, which ranges from financial institutions to cosmetics and meat, would help trade and speed up the certification for makers of halal products. “Malaysia's halal certification is recognized worldwide so perhaps we can play an important role in creating a global standard,” Malaysia's religious affairs minister Jamil Khir Baharom said in an interview Thursday. “We need a halal certification that everyone can use easily.” The halal industry is based on a belief that Muslims should eat food and use goods such as cosmetics that are ‘halalan toyibban', which means permissible and wholesome. Islam prohibits the consumption of pork and prescribes how animals must be slaughtered, but there has been debate on the acceptability of non-alcoholic beer, collagen and vinegar. Jamil said Muslims generally agree on what is halal although some issues should be left to countries to decide. “In general, we don't have many differences in terms of products and food.”
