(AhlulBayt News Agency) - Mediterranean leaders said food giants like Nestle have been ramping up their investments and expertise in halal foods – the Muslim analogue to Jewish kosher products – targeting a Muslim population that is forecast to add a billion people by 2050, along with rising income levels.
According to DinarStandard, a New York-based research firm, halal food will grow into a $1.6 trillion industry, representing almost 17 percent of the total global expenditure in food and beverages by 2018, from about $1 trillion in 2012.
The halal industry is an integral part of the social economy which enables social progress, Isabel Romero, head of the Halal Institute, told delegates at the conference.
"We believe that halal is a holistic and global concept and it affects everybody. It means something that allows us to live better in a healthy and respectful way," she said.
Romero stressed that halal goods are a key sector in international trade.
"You might think that halal foods are only targeting people who are Muslims. But in Spain, over 30 percent of consumers of halal products aren’t Muslims," she said.
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