One of the world’s top beverage companies expects to get a big chunk of the Mindanao market by getting a Halal certification from the Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines.
Tang made its certification more relevant by officially announcing its Halal certification at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City Wednesday, a day before the start of Ramadan.
“The Refreshing Ramadan Initiative part of the continuing commitment of Kraft Foods-Tang to Mindanao’s Muslim community,” Kraft Foods Philippines category manager Cynthia D. Icasas said.
She said Tang has been enjoying a Halal-certified status from the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand since 2006 but this time it is Tang Philippines which got the Halal stamp of approval from the IDCP.
“Our partnership with the Islamic Da’wah will make Tang’s position in Mindanao stronger,” said senior brand manager Doroty Arroyo.
Lawyer Abdul Rahman Linzag, secretary general of the World Halal Council, said Halal means legal or acceptable to the Muslims. “There was no need for Halal certification hundreds of years ago because the Muslims made their own products,” he said.
With globalization, he said, processed products like Tang now have to undergo Halal certification to make it more acceptable to the Muslim world.
While Icasas could not specify the exact consumer base of Tang in Davao City or in Mindanao, she confirmed that it is a strong player here in Mindanao as it has been fortified.
“Filipino children are deficient in vitamin A and iron and these two vitamins are found in Tang,” she said.
She said “it is really all about Kraft’s higher purpose which is to provide Mindanao with delicious food that is culturally relevant,”
Arroyo said Tang has always encouraged children to drink more water and it has made water more exciting for everyone by adding several flavors to it. Tang is available in orange, pineapple, grapes and other flavors.
