Nestle expects European Halal market to grow

Nestle's vice-president and chief executive officer Frits van Dijk has claimed that the Halal food sector in Europe is set to grow by between 20 and 25 per cent by 2020.

The firm is currently the world's leading manufacturer of Halal food, a sector which has a global value of EUR 44 billion.

But the increase in Halal trade is not confined to Europe.

Earlier this month, Nestle made its Halal intentions clear with the publication of a paper entitled The Growing Significance of Halal in Global Market Expansion.

Meanwhile, in New Zealand companies have been urged to take into consideration the growing demand for Halal products.

According to the most recent census in the country, there are 37,000 Muslims in New Zealand, making up almost one per cent of the country's total population.

And the Halal Journal, a publication based in Kuala Lumpur, claims the Halal food sector accounts for around 16 per cent of the total global food industry.