Introduction
Theme: Advancing Food & Health through Halal Science & Product Innovation
Rapid technological advancement has altered our life styles so that we are more dependent on eating processed foods and dietary supplements, and using branded cosmetics. As a result, it is becoming more challenging to be aware of the ingredients of the foods we eat and of the products we use in our everyday lives - for example, the presence of animal proteins/peptides in processed food, dietary supplements, and cosmetic products. There are two key challenges to know the Halalness of these products:
the products themselves are of complex nature and also due to the presence of unfamiliar and hidden ingredients (for example blood-derived protein); and
unavailability of the analytical methods (even if available it may not be effective).
Brunei Darussalam is establishing a Halal Science Centre with the aim of transforming it into the Center of Excellence and as a global reference laboratory. In addition, the Sultanate has a particularly diverse flora and, in spite of its small area, barely 5,000 km2, the presence of a number of flowering plants and microorganisms unique to Brunei Darussalam is not unlikely. These unique and diverse natural resources of Brunei Darussalam could be explored for the potential alternative of developing Halal bio-pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food ingredients and a variety of consumable products.
Hence, the advanced and effective analytical/testing methods for the Halal detection, and cutting-edge technology based Halal food and other consumable products are yet to be further innovated in collaboration with the internationally advanced partners.
This International Symposium on Halal Science and Innovative Product Development, organized by Halal Industry Innovation Centre (HIIC) of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources of Brunei Darussalam, will serve as an international platform to broaden professional networks and exchange information on current research in Halal science among industries, governments, university researchers, Islamic scholars, and other interested participants. The three-day event scheduled for February 11-13, 2014 will feature both lectures and poster presentations on most important research findings and business development in the field from leading industrial, academic and governmental experts around the globe.