Meat bosses have refuted accusations they are not doing enough to promote domestically produced halal produce.
Naved Syed of the UK Halal Corporation, an accreditation body that says it is campaigning for higher standards, said that although Muslims ate 20% of the sheepmeat produced in the UK, there were still high levels of mistrust among British Muslims towards halal meat sold here.
It is reckoned about a third of British Muslims don't eat red meat because they do not trust its authenticity. Syed claimed organisations such as the English Beef and Lamb Executive were doing nothing to address the issue.
He added: "If the UK doesn't do more, then it'll simply open the way for exporters from places such as Poland."
But Eblex head of marketing Andrew Garvey said the levy body was taking halal seriously. "There are lots of opportunities for improving the halal supply chain - but we need some unanimity on standards across the Muslim community."
Naved Syed of the UK Halal Corporation, an accreditation body that says it is campaigning for higher standards, said that although Muslims ate 20% of the sheepmeat produced in the UK, there were still high levels of mistrust among British Muslims towards halal meat sold here.
It is reckoned about a third of British Muslims don't eat red meat because they do not trust its authenticity. Syed claimed organisations such as the English Beef and Lamb Executive were doing nothing to address the issue.
He added: "If the UK doesn't do more, then it'll simply open the way for exporters from places such as Poland."
But Eblex head of marketing Andrew Garvey said the levy body was taking halal seriously. "There are lots of opportunities for improving the halal supply chain - but we need some unanimity on standards across the Muslim community."
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