"The challenge is to prove it in a scientific way," said Hajj Abdalhamid Evans, director of research and intelligence of KasehDia, publisher of The Halal Journal.

The first step towards this goal was taken yesterday with the signing of an agreement between the Halal Science Centre of Chulalongkorn University and the International Halal Industry (IHI) at the symposium in Bangkok, which concludes today.

The centre will supply scientific evidence from its own laboratory and from scientists around the world, its director, Associate Professor Winai Dahlan, said.

There are many such scientists, Winai said, but they work separately. "We are building up a network by bringing them and their findings together for the development of the Halal food industry in the world market," he said.

"Halal has been much misunderstood as food for Muslims, but actually it's not. It is food that others can eat as well," said Winai.

"What makes Halal food seem complicated is the misunderstanding of the concept of Halal," he said.

He said he had found that about 70 per cent of the dishes cooked in Thailand are actually Halal, as are the majority of the food ingredients on the local market. Most of slaughterhouses are also certified as Halal by the Central Islamic Committee.

Winai said the common practice was to have two separate kitchens for Halal and non-Halal food, even though non-Halal items such as pork and alcohol made up a much smaller portion of the ingredients.

Hajj Abdalhamid cited a study that found the Halal method of slaughtering animals was safer for consumers, as the smaller amount of blood in Halal meat meant slower bacterial growth

Arthit Khwankhom

The Nation.