Body and mind will benefit, says food office

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DUBAI // The halal diet has physical and psychological benefits, according to a booklet published by Dubai Municipality. Issued by the Food Control Section of the Public Health Department at Dubai Municipality, Halal Nutrition describes the municipality's efforts to maintain a safe, healthful and hygienic standard for the city's food market. "The continued rise of Muslims worldwide, currently estimated to be 20 per cent of the world's population, and the development of the global market in nutrition? demand the increased interest in halal nutrition," said Khalid Sharif, director of the Food Control Section.

He argued that consumers had an interest in knowing how the procedures followed in the UAE ensured that halal food was prepared correctly. "The ingredients or preservatives in a product could sometimes come from a non-halal source, like some enzymes or hormones or alcohol additions or pork products. Consumers have the right to have their food source, as well as ingredients and methods of preparation, explained transparently."

The booklet has 10 chapters, covering halal nutrition, the individual and commercial methods of butchering, the conditions for a halal diet and the health benefits of choosing to eat halal. [e-mail]