the halal meat market | France

In the Muslim religion, halal refers to anything permitted by Sharia, or Islamic law, that is opposed to the haram, that is to say, what is prohibited or impure. Among the prohibitions of the Muslim religion are "the consumption of alcohol, drugs and pork" (including pork gelatine, which is used to make sweets) and as well as "..." blood, dead animals, or that on which a name other than that of God has been invoked.. "(Sura 5 of the Qur'an), i.e. any meat from an animal that has not had its throat slit.

Thus, according to the Muslim rite, in order to be halal, the animal must be turned towards Mecca, and bled by a Muslim and its throat must be slit, a practice that derogates from the French legislation according to which the animal must be stunned before being slaughtered.

The halal prescription is causing some controversy in Europe, particularly among animal protection associations. Moreover, there is no halal label in France, unlike kosher products which are guaranteed by the Consistoire central des juifs de France: there are therefore different methods of halal certification.

As a result, being very unstructured, the halal meat market in France is difficult to assess. But there is certainly a real appetite for halal in the agri-food industry, given the ever-increasing demand and the many opportunities that exist.