With large population of Muslims, ASEAN as a region has also realized the importance and urgency to pursue cooperation on Halal Food. As part of efforts to intensify coordination and for ASEAN to have common position on Halal Food in the international fora, the "ASEAN General Guidelines in the Preparation and Handling of Halal Foo"together with "ASEAN Halal Logo" were published with objective to provide a practical guidelines for the food industry on the preparation and handling of Halal food and to serve as a basic requirement for accreditation of food processing establishments for intra-ASEAN trade in Halal food. Both guidelines and logo were adopted by the 20th Meeting of ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry on 17-18 September 1998 in Ha Noi, Viet Nam.

            To continue addressing the issues on Halal Food in ASEAN, ASEAN Working Group on Halal Food (AWG Halal) was established in 2000. This particular Working Group has mandates to promote cooperation, exchange of information, and harmonization of ASEAN Halal Food sector regulation and policies as well as to conduct reviews of the processing and marketing of Halal Food in the ASEAN region. Among activities have been conducted and implemented by the Working Group are: registration and compilation of Halal Food additives, capacity building programme of Halal Food activities (i.e. trainings of Halal Inspectors, Halal Food Auditors, and Laboratory Analyst), and implementation of ASEAN Guidelines on Halal Food for both intra- and extra-ASEAN trade.

            In this connection, ASEAN Working Group on Halal Food agreed to establish ASEAN Halal Food website for ASEAN Cooperation and exchange information in Halal Food. ASEAN Halal Food website will be linked with the ASEAN Food Safety Network (AFSN) website.