Newswrap: Halal industry

Egypt mulls banning food waste; Brazilian food giant JBS expands in the Middle East; Malaysia to expand palm oil share in EU; Crescent Foods enters partnership with Meijer stores; Shariah Experts Ltd issues NFT-based halal compliance certification.

Egypt mulls draft law banning food waste

Egypt’s House of Representatives is drafting a law on food regulation and waste prevention, reported Egypt Today. The law is aimed at prohiting food waste and encouraging redistribution and recycling. The draft law includes fines for businesses that waste edible food, ranging from EGP100,000 ($5,412) to EGP 500,000 ($27,060). According to Egyptian Streets, Egypt’s food waste per capita reached 91 kg in 2021, up from 73 kg in 2017, based on data from the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition (BCFN). The UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) cites the country’s rapid population growth – at 2 million people a year, reaching 103.25 million in 2022 - as a major factor behind increased food consumption and unregulated waste. At a regional level, a FAO report showed that the MENA imports over 50% of its food yet wastes up to a third of the food produced and imported.