Market and Trade Data
France’s Market for
Halal Foods
June
2007
Printable version
By Laurent J. Journo
and Nina Peacock
See also . . .
FAS Report FR6062
Halal
butcher shop |
Halal
retail store |
Halal
restaurant
Photos
courtesy of the FAS Office of Agricultural Affairs,
Paris, France |
France is
home to the largest Muslim community (4.7 million
people) in Europe, and represents its largest halal
market, with sales ranging from $2 to $4 billion in
calendar 2005. The halal food market has experienced
significant growth, and distribution is shifting from
small traditional markets to high-volume retail outlets.
Hypermarkets and multinational food producers are
increasing their selections of halal foods. Although
local Muslim butcher shops continue to dominate the
halal meat segment, large producers and processors are
providing competition.
Multinational companies are offering a wider variety of
halal processed foods and non-meat products. Halal
consumers, whether in the Muslim community or the
general population, have cultivated multi-ethnic tastes,
as halal products now include Chinese spring rolls,
chicken nuggets, ravioli, and pizza. Nestlé offers halal
soups under the brand name, Maggi, which are produced in
its Moroccan factories, and is currently studying ways
to expand its product line.
Haribo is offering a new
line of gelatin-free candies to increase its sales in
Europe and the Middle East. Arab-Cola, which offers a
range of halal certified colas, juices, and mint tea,
was launched in France in 2005. It sold between 12 and
15 million half-liter and 1.5-liter bottles that year.
Halal
Certification
Halal
certification applies to meat and non-meat products.
Certification requirements for halal food products in
France may be different from those in other European
countries. It is advised that exporters verify the
acceptability of certification with their importers.
Only the
three Grand Mosques of Paris, Evry, and Lyon can grant
permits to slaughterers who observe halal rituals,
according to the French Interior Ministry and the French
Agricultural and Fisheries Ministry. The Grande Mosque
of Paris is France’s main halal certifying agency, and
oversees distribution of 70 percent of halal products;
the Mosque of Paris also stipulates that only meat of
French origin can be certified as halal.
Halal products
do not only include meat products only but also, more
recently, have expanded into other food categories;
(e.g., snack foods, candies, dairy products). Private
companies are also beginning to provide halal
certification. The criteria for halal certification vary
among the three main mosques and among private
companies.
The
absence of government-recognized halal certification
requirements has contributed to French consumer
skepticism about products labeled as halal. Thus, the
primary challenge is gaining consumer confidence in the
halal designation.
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e-Sources |
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FAS Paris:
Source of Market Assistance and Information |
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The FAS Office of Agricultural Affairs in
Paris, France, can help U.S. suppliers
interested in this market. For assistance,
contact the office at: E-mail:
agparis@usda.gov
For information on the French market for
U.S. halal items, visit the office’s
website:
http://www.amb-usa.fr/fas/fas.htm
Food Export USA will possibly sponsor
a halal buyers’ delegation next year, from a
number of countries to the United States.
The main goal for this mission would be to
organize one-on-one meetings between
suppliers and importers to expand exports of
halal products from the United States. If
this activity is approved, the FAS Office of
Agricultural Affairs, Paris, France would
recruit French buyers to participate in the
mission. |
A Young
and Growing Niche
Nevertheless, France’s halal market is an expanding
niche, with demand growing along with new products being
offered. Halal consumption has been increasing anywhere
from 7 to 15 percent per year since 1998.
Halal
products appeal particularly to the younger generation
whose parents or grandparents immigrated to France.
Consumers under 30 years old account for approximately
80 percent of France’s halal consumers. Consumers of
Arab and Berber origin buy halal products most
frequently and spend the most per month on them.
Laurent
J. Journo is an agricultural marketing assistant and
Nina Peacock was an intern in the FAS Office of
Agricultural Affairs, Paris, France. E-mail:
Laurent.journo@usda.gov
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