Jukić: Halal production is not just a religious category, but a category of higher quality level.

Mlinar is the largest bakery group, not just a company, in the entire Adria region, and the group includes Mlinar Croatia, Mlinar Slovenia, Mlinar Serbia, and Mlinar BiH, while exports, of which 50 percent are halal products, fall under Mlinar Croatia. Across the entire group, we have more than 330 own retail outlets and nearly 2,600 employees, emphasized Ivana Jukić, Export Director of Mlinar, in an interview with Poslovni FM.

– Halal is not sufficiently recognized in the Croatian business community because people still have certain prejudices, and we are actually somewhat backward because it is equated exclusively with religion. We do not have enough knowledge or awareness of how much potential it represents, so even the tourism sector is not sufficiently informed. I would message to entrepreneurs that they need to educate themselves more, get engaged, and that halal is not tied exclusively to the Islamic faith, but rather a category and confirmation of a higher level of product quality. I am sure that the time for halal products is yet to come, emphasized Jukić in conversation with Boris Živković, editor of the unique podcast in Europe, Halal Business Info.

In response to the editor's question, she further clarified that Mlinar, of course, has all the necessary certificates, so halal was a logical next step for further expansion into new markets, Jukić responds.

– To obtain the halal certificate, we had to change almost everything in our operations. Namely, it is important that every component and every ingredient is absolutely halal, from the ingredients themselves, to the production process, to packaging, and even to how we bring that product to completion. It was a long and complex process, which also involved suppliers, and it should be noted that Mlinar was one of the first in Croatia to embark on certification, notes Jukić.

For certain markets we decided to export to, the halal certificate was a prerequisite for us to even be able to enter those markets, she emphasizes, adding that Mlinar currently has more than 60 products in export that are halal, with an active range of 40-60. At the group level, there are more than 100 products, although not all are ordered continuously. Burek is one such export product and at the same time our most attractive halal product, says Jukić.

Ahead of the HALAL BUSINESS FORUM, in partnership with the Centre for Halal Quality Certification, Poslovni FM brings inspiring stories and conversations with Croatian entrepreneurs for whom halal has also brought new business opportunities. Listen to the full podcast now or download it for later listening.
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– Awareness of halal and the opportunities that this certificate brings in Croatia is not yet recognized as it is abroad. For us, over 50 percent of exports are in halal, and in fact, that certificate enabled us in exports to access, among others, demanding markets such as Pakistan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and increasingly EU markets. Of the total exports, 40-50 percent is Europe and European countries. Our largest halal markets are Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany, emphasizes Jukić, adding another new export market and expansion to South Korea, although they do not require halal products.

Regarding the implementation of the halal certificate, Jukić believes there is no rule in terms of company size, but rather it relates to the market where one wants to place the halal product and the export strategy itself. In any case, if one wants to export, it is good to possess a halal certificate because retailers and suppliers will more readily take exactly the halal product for their market, believes Jukić.

When asked about the entrepreneurial climate in Croatia, Jukić responds that the entrepreneurial climate is difficult and challenging. The past business year was difficult in terms of raw materials, procurement, and rising prices, and it is difficult for both manufacturers and entrepreneurs to survive under such conditions. From the start, our production is more expensive than in Greece or Turkey, and there are also enormous energy prices for entrepreneurs. It is difficult to work today, and even more difficult to export. However, it should be emphasized that despite the challenges, we have very high-quality products that can find their way to foreign markets, and there should be more support, projects, and fairs through which everything should be raised to a higher level, proposes Jukić.

At the end of the conversation, Jukić also presents an interesting story about changing the concept of bakeries abroad, because the Croatian model cannot be replicated.

Ahead of the HALAL BUSINESS FORUM, in partnership with the Centre for Halal Quality Certification, Poslovni FM brings inspiring stories and conversations with Croatian entrepreneurs for whom halal has also brought new business opportunities. Listen to the full podcast now or download it for later listening.

Taken from the PoslovniFM portal:  https://www.poslovnifm.com/podcast-emisija/mjesecne-emisije/halal-business-info/jukic/