THE HAGUE — Amid growing demand from Muslims and non-Muslims alike, halal food is quickly becoming mainstream in Europe with more supermarket chains offering the Shari'ah-complaint food. "We are starting to see that these products are not just in specialty shops but are also starting to get into the mainstream of modern retailers," Frits Van Dijk, Executive Vice President at Nestle, the world's biggest food group, told Reuters.
He added that Nestle has recently started selling a range of meat-based and frozen food halal products in France.
Van Dijk noted that famous chains such as Britain's Tesco and France's Carrefour are also offering a wide range of halal products in their outlets.
Milk powder, cooking aids, seasoning and sauces are among the most popular halal products in Europe at the moment.
Van Dijk, who was attending the World Halal Forum in The Hague on 17-18 November, expected the halal food business to grow in Europe by 20-25 percent within the next decade.
The total European halal food market is currently valued at about $66 billion, including meat, fresh food and packed food, while the global market is worth about $634 billion.
The concept of halal -- meaning permissible in Arabic -- has traditionally been applied to food.
Muslims should only eat meat from livestock slaughtered by a sharp knife from their necks, and the name of Allah, the Arabic word for God, must be mentioned.
Now other goods and services can also be certified as halal, including cosmetics, clothing, pharmaceuticals and financial services.
Growing Demand
Nestle Executive Vice President cited a growing demand for Halal food from Muslims as well as non-Muslims.
"Twenty percent of the world's population is going to be Muslim one day and they have expectations, they have needs," he explained.
"If they want to be confident that what they eat and drink is in line with their beliefs, then a company like ours has to make an extra effort to try and meet those needs."
Nestle is the world's leading manufacturer of halal food, selling about 5.23 billion dollars worth of halal food in 2008, about 5 percent of its annual revenue.
Its established halal food markets include Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey and Middle Eastern countries.
France, Britain and Germany are emerging as its key halal markets in Europe.
The group plans to start offering Swiss supermarkets a selection of halal products with the beginning of 2010.
"We felt a strong demand from retailers in broadening their ethnic assortment, and this is a pillar of growth we want to continue to focus on," said Alexander Klein, a Nestle manager.
About 85 of Nestle's 456 factories globally are now halal-certified but Van Dijk said different interpretations of halal standards around the world were a challenge for the industry.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is working on a single standard to be applied in its 57 member countries, a move that would boost the industry.
Source: IslamOnline
He added that Nestle has recently started selling a range of meat-based and frozen food halal products in France.
Van Dijk noted that famous chains such as Britain's Tesco and France's Carrefour are also offering a wide range of halal products in their outlets.
Milk powder, cooking aids, seasoning and sauces are among the most popular halal products in Europe at the moment.
Van Dijk, who was attending the World Halal Forum in The Hague on 17-18 November, expected the halal food business to grow in Europe by 20-25 percent within the next decade.
The total European halal food market is currently valued at about $66 billion, including meat, fresh food and packed food, while the global market is worth about $634 billion.
The concept of halal -- meaning permissible in Arabic -- has traditionally been applied to food.
Muslims should only eat meat from livestock slaughtered by a sharp knife from their necks, and the name of Allah, the Arabic word for God, must be mentioned.
Now other goods and services can also be certified as halal, including cosmetics, clothing, pharmaceuticals and financial services.
Growing Demand
Nestle Executive Vice President cited a growing demand for Halal food from Muslims as well as non-Muslims.
"Twenty percent of the world's population is going to be Muslim one day and they have expectations, they have needs," he explained.
"If they want to be confident that what they eat and drink is in line with their beliefs, then a company like ours has to make an extra effort to try and meet those needs."
Nestle is the world's leading manufacturer of halal food, selling about 5.23 billion dollars worth of halal food in 2008, about 5 percent of its annual revenue.
Its established halal food markets include Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey and Middle Eastern countries.
France, Britain and Germany are emerging as its key halal markets in Europe.
The group plans to start offering Swiss supermarkets a selection of halal products with the beginning of 2010.
"We felt a strong demand from retailers in broadening their ethnic assortment, and this is a pillar of growth we want to continue to focus on," said Alexander Klein, a Nestle manager.
About 85 of Nestle's 456 factories globally are now halal-certified but Van Dijk said different interpretations of halal standards around the world were a challenge for the industry.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is working on a single standard to be applied in its 57 member countries, a move that would boost the industry.
Source: IslamOnline
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