Turkey with halal stamp approved by Brunei authority

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN - IMPORTED turkeys have been certified as halal by Bruneian and Australian Muslim authorities, according to representatives of the country’s sole distributor.

In a phone interview with The Brunei Times, the accounts manager for MC Maju Cold Storage Sdn Bhd Li Voon said that turkeys previously imported to Brunei were not issued with halal certification by authorities in Brunei or the country of origin.

Li explained that turkeys now sold have been approved by the Brunei Islamic Religious Council (MUIB).

Certification was issued by Australia’s National Islamic Organisation and authorised by the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils Inc.

According to Li, MUIB officers earlier travelled to Australia to ascertain its halal status.

The procedure is similar to that applied to other types of imported meat, such as beef and lamb, she said.

The certificate also states that the meat was prepared for export in a way that was compliant with Syariah law, and that the process was supervised by a representative from the federation.

It also states that precautions were taken during the processing stage to avoid contamination by non-halal materials or products.

“This is the first time there is halal turkey in Brunei. Previously, supermarkets only stocked non-halal turkey,” she said.

Some supermarkets still carry non-halal turkey, but they are displayed separately in non-halal areas.

Meanwhile, Yumi, another staff member, said there were only a few turkeys left out of the 300 birds imported by MC Maju Cold Storage.

The company began re-importing turkeys this year after a three-year-gap.

“Since there is now demand from consumers, especially the expatriate community, we decided to have turkey this year,” she said.

Frozen turkeys are sold at supermarkets at around $70 each, at $12 per kg. Meanwhile, the cost of purchasing a baked turkey complete with gravy and stuffing from a restaurant would cost more than double at $180. - Faiq Airudin

The Brunei Times