The halal food industry must look at harmonising international certification standards and focus more on promoting its image if it wishes to succeed internationally, according to an industry expert.
Addressing Gulfood Conference attendees on the subject of ‘Global Halal Mega-trends’, Al Islami chief executive Alex Andarakis said halal had become “a commercialised and differentiating opportunity for brands”.
“However we need to have a general halal certification,” continued Andarakis.
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“At the moment there are a number of different ways to get certified in different parts of the world, and that can lead to confusion and difficulties for companies moving into different regions,
“Even in the UAE, the emirates have got different stipulations.
“Another factor is that we need to improve packaging,” he added.
“At the end of the day, we are selling inspiration. Packaging is the best way to communicate who you are and what you offer to consumers, but so far it seems to have held very little importance in this market.”
Andarakis noted the success of the Kosher food market internationally as a prime example.
“The success of Kosher items is down to the fact that it has crossed the religion-food divide and appeals and appeals to many consumers for either taste, health or dietary reasons,” he said.
“US Muslims spend over US $16 billion a year on Kosher products, due to the lack of halal options; halal may be Muslim-made, but there are approximately 1.8 billion Muslims around the world, so it has huge potential to move outside this market.”
He added that statistics indicated halal foodstuffs would make up 20% of total food value by 2025.
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