Nordin Abdullah, executive director of Malaysian Kasehdia, the media company behind the upcoming World Halal Forum, says that producers of halal foods should look to European markets for new growth opportunities.
"There may be only 30 million Muslims in Europe but they have huge purchasing power in comparison with those in the Middle East or North Africa," he told AP-Foodtechnology.com.
"In France, for example, the second and third generation Muslims are no longer happy eating what their parents bought in the local stores. They want pizzas and hotdogs that are certified halal."
"A hotdog from Malaysia is highly unlikely to reach the European market. But a halal hotdog is in demand from a growing niche market," Abdullah points out.
And although a growing number of western food makers offer halal-certified products, particularly the larger ones like Nestle, many fail to understand the requirements.
"When you go for ISO, you send people for training. Companies need to invest to get the halal certification," explains Abdullah.
Those firms that have already made this investment will increasingly see it paying off. The world's leading supermarket chains have already recognized that by offering halal foods they can draw in consumers previously loyal to their local shops, shoring up their market shares.
And supermarkets, including Tesco, are backing the drive for a set of global halal standards so that the supply chain for these products becomes easier to manage. In the interim, they look set to follow Nestle's lead in setting a global halal position for suppliers.
Kasehdia, publisher of the halal food journal and halal restaurant guides, is hoping that representatives from some of the world's biggest food companies and distributors, as well as logistics firms and financial organizations, will further the debate on international halal standards and trading practice at the first World Halal Forum in Kuala Lumpur this May.
The Halal food market has never been measured but estimates range from US$150 to 500 billion.
