App helps Muslims in Japan find Halal products with ease

FUKUOKA, Japan - April 8, 2014 - PRLog -- Fukuoka, Japan – Kyushu Island Lab today announced the of Halal Minds mobile application, which identifies Halal products by allowing the user to scan a barcode and check products against its database. This service is of great use for Muslims living in Japan where it is difficult to find halal products so that the faithful may practice an appropriate diet amid products of all kinds.

In Japan alone there are about 150,000 Muslim residents and more than a million muslim visitors from Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Middle East. The Halal Minds application contains hundreds thousands of food and drink products in its database and that number will only increase and in time, all Japanese products will be included.

While Halal Minds is currently developed in Japan, it will be expanded to others countries such as South Korea, Taiwan and China in the next of months. In South Korea there are about 150,000 Muslim resident and a million visitors. China and Taiwan also have similar trends for increasing Muslim populations.

“As a Muslim, I should eat and drink halal products,” says Agung Pambudi, creator of HalalMinds. “But it is difficult finding halal products in here in Japan since ingredients such as pork and alcohol exist here, which are not allowed for Muslims.” He continues, "not only that, but meat that is not slaughtered in an acceptable manner based on Islamic rule is also categorized as not halal. We want to develop this great service not only in Japan but for other countries as well."

Tech Talk App Features
The main feature of the Halal Minds app is to scan halal bar code and display product information. However, the app includes additional technology features such as the Halal Restaurant Finder, a location-based search for Muslim diet-friendly restaurants; Qibla Directions, which ensure the user is facing in the proper direction for prayer; and Daily Qur’an, which offers convenient access to the sacred religious text of Islam.

The Creator
Pambudi is an Indonesian living in Japan. He is a PhD student in Kyushu University in Fukuoka south of Japan. Pambudi has an array of experience living abroad in Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia and Finland. Therefore he has experience finding halal products in those countries.

The HalalMinds app is currently available in Japan for both iOS and Android. More information available at: http://HalalMinds.com