There is a article in the Bega District News which comments on why cheese is halal certified. Without the certification, Australian farmer products like cheese could not be exported to many countries. Having the certification not only allows the export of certified products to these countries, it gives Australian farmers access to markets which would otherwise not have exist. If access was not possible, it is highly likely that it would impact on farmers income and also the whole of the dairy industry.
It is also worth noting that there is no difference between certified or uncertified cheese. The only difference is the misconception of what halal means and this misconception can impact on our farmers and the agricultural export industry.
Virtually all agricuktural industries have levies or membership fees for a range of difference purposes. This includes industry associations through to certifications such as Organic, Hala, HACCP or Halal. There are also licence fees like those imposed by local governments in Australia for food outets. As outlined in the vegemite thread, the cost impact of Halal certification is negligible and would be more than covered by the increase in sales of the certificated products to those countries which require Halal certification. As a result, there would be no net change in cost to the Australian consumer.
You may he surprised that most foods are ‘touched’ by religions. Whether this is kosher, foods for religious purposes (even alcohol, if you drink alcohol, has historical religious meanings), parts of the food industry which either owns or operates food production or food products and the list goes on. There are very few foods which have no association with religion.
