Halal Meat: A Niche Product in the Food Market

Abstract

Religion is a fundamental factor in determining food avoidance, taboos and special regulation with respect to meat. A quarter of the world population is made up Muslims. Muslims have unique dietary requirements and are very keen to uphold the tenets of their religion. This group of consumers is scattered around all countries of the world and have a high purchasing power estimated at US$ 2.1 trillion. In order to tap into this lucrative market, the food industry must understand the Muslim requirements for halal food, particularly meat and meat products. Unlike other consumer groups whose purchasing decision is guided by aspects of lifestyle, culture, diet and health concerns, the purchasing decision of Muslims is normally guided by the halal status of the meat. Many Muslims may check for the halal logo of the product before even checking the expiry date. Although the halal status of meat is often believed to be equivalent to the application of halal slaughter, practically it is much more than that. The production of halal meat consists of many critical control points from farm to table in order to ensure that the meat is produced in the acceptable manner and there is no cross contamination with non-halal materials at all unit operations. Unfortunately, the food industry is often unaware of the requirements of the Muslim consumer or often indulges in adulteration for monetary benefits. Halal certifying authorities need robust analytical techniques in areas where fraud is most likely to occur. This paper sets out to highlight the requirements of the halal food chain as well as give an overview of the methods used to authenticate halal meat products.