By Hadi Yahmid, IOL Correspondent
PARIS, June 8, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The thriving halal food industry stole limelight at the three-day World Food exhibition, which wraps up on Wednesday, June 8, with a spacious pavilion showcasing a miscellany of trademarked halal foodstuffs from chocolate to pizza.
“It is an important occasion that brings together halal food producers, not only in France but also in Europe,” halal pavilion coordinator Abdel Latif Al-Taef told IslamOnline.net.
Taef, who chairs the French Council for Muslim Faith (CFCM) Halal Division, said that the halal gathering serves as a stepping-stone to the much-anticipated European Day for Halal Food Industry slated for October 1.
Along with Europe’s giant halal meat firms, the spacious exhibition featured other companies producing halal-stamped chocolate, beverages, confectionary and cheese in addition to others specialized in the Jewish kosher.
Under Islam, 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.
Halal Confectionary
Salama Halal Confectionary booth has drawn attention of the exhibition audience with a placard emblazoned across its rear portraying a red-crossed pig with a phrase saying ‘Don’t give confectionary containing pork by-products to those who don’t eat pork.’
“Leading French hypermarket chains like Carrefour sell sweet containing traces of pork by-products, hence, we decided to launch this halal business,” Salama’s marketing officer Sandara Assab told IOL.
Taef said the word halal is no longer confined to meat, citing the booming halal industry in Malaysia, the exhibition's guest of honor, from toothpaste to chocolate.
Malaysia is becoming globally recognized as the world’s halal food hub. It is due to organize an International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) on July 28-31.
On the sidelines of the exhibition, several French firms sought Malaysia's expertise in organizing France’s halal food market.
The managing director of Algodoal & Cie Antoine Bonnel, lauded Malaysia's expertise and advancement in promoting halal food.
Malaysian bi-monthly magazine, The Halal Journal, was launched in February as the first trade and business publication serving the global halal marketplace.
It provides information and updates on the global halal market and covers all aspects of the industry, from food, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology to banking.
Sizable Market
French researcher Jean Christophe Despres said the sizable Muslim minority in France, estimated at approximately six million people or 10 percent of the population, made France the largest halal food market in Europe.
Presenting a study, he said halal food consumption in France is growing at 15 percent annually with mind-boggling sales of five billion euros compared to Europe’s 15 billion euros.
As halal meat consumption rate stands at 300,000 tons annually, Despres said Muslim consume double the amount of meat compared with the rest of the French and allocate 30 percent of their budget to buy meat against 14 percent of non-Muslims.
The researcher, however, said that halal food industry in France remains ill-organized, underdeveloped with 80 percent of the business controlled by small shops owned by French of North African origin or butchers.
“It may be because it is still a nascent industry in France,” Taef commented.