FOOD - Malaysian Halal products set to flood France

French Muslims will have access to a larger variety of Halal products in their supermarket as Matrade, the Malaysian government trade marketing arm, has committed to assist local F&B manufacturers to expand presence in France’s huge halal food sector.

Through participation at major food events, like the upcoming Salon International de I’Alimentation (SIAL) Paris 2010 from Oct 17 to 21, Malaysian companies will be able to market their products as early as this year to France’s estimated 8 million Muslim population, which is the largest in Europe.

A restaurant near Paris. Halal is also changing the face of traditional French cuisine.

“Although Malaysia’s share of France’s halal food market is very small at just 0.33 per cent, nevertheless, it does represent a foothold in which Malaysian halal food products can gain further local traction and rapidly expand their consumer base within France,” said CEO Datuk Noharuddin Nordin of Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade).

“At the last show in 2008, Malaysian exhibitors generated total sales of RM115.25 million. This year, we expect to increase the figure by more than 10 per cent due to the large Muslim community and halal food demand in France and the region,” he said in a statement issued today.

Hosted by Matrade at the Malaysia Pavilion, a total of 32 Malaysian Halal F&B manufacturers were selected to participate in SIAL Paris 2010, displaying products ranging from beverages, confectioneries, frozen food, fruit juices, palm and edible oil products as well as snacks.

In a country where one in every 10 identifies himself as a Muslim, France’s Halal food consumption has unsurprisingly been on the increasing trend, by as much as 10 to 15 per cent annually since 1998, with annual sales reportedly peaking at more than RM24.5 billion a year.

According to many social scientists, the high Muslim population throughout Europe today is simply a direct effect of past colonialism activities, and in the case of France, it began with the surging of Northern African immigrants after World War II particularly from the Maghreb.

Adapted from Bernama and other sources. Pic of cafe restaurant Le Consulat nearby Sacré-Coeur, Paris by Hilde Vanstraelen, Belgium.

Source : http://halalmedia.my/2010/10/15/malaysian-halal-products-set-to-flood-france/#utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GlobalHalalMediaPortal+%28HalalMedia%29 - Oct 15, 2010