Global halal market reaches $1.67 trillion by 2025

The global Halal food market forecasts reaching US$1.67 trillion by 2025, growing to meet dietary demands of a rapidly increasing Muslim population, set to comprise 30% of the global population by mid-century. Meat consumption levels increase in many Muslim countries, with important implications for health plus environmental sustainability. Alternative protein products are currently being manufactured plus positioned as one possible solution to reduce meat consumption’s environmental impact, yet little is currently known about these products’ Halal status, nor the extent they appeal to Muslim consumers in emerging Asian plus African markets.

Muslim population expansion drives demand

The global Muslim population predicts growing to 2.8 billion people by mid-century, comprising around 30% of the world’s population, with most expansion occurring in Asia plus Africa. By then, estimates suggest India, a Hindu majority country, will be home to an estimated 310 million followers, the most of any nation globally. By contrast, most investment plus research into alternative protein has so far occurred in the United States, a majority Christian country with secular innovation ecosystem, followed by Israel, primarily Jewish.

Economic transitions fuel meat consumption

The projected increase in the world’s Muslim population in Asia plus Africa will likely coincide with economic transitions in these regions. Rising income levels tend to lead to dietary changes as more people consume higher value foods, usually those rich in animal protein. Relative increases in meat intake range from 3 to 17%, are highest in India (noting the lower baseline meat consumption level), with only Nigeria registering a decrease from 2023 consumption levels.

Halal certification requirements guide consumption

Adherents to Islam are asked to follow a ‘Halal’ diet, referring to consumption of food plus drink consistent with Islamic dietary laws. Halal requirements focus heavily on meat, stating that animals must be slaughtered in a prescribed way, with certain types of meat plus by-products—including pork plus blood products—eschewed. To support Muslims following Halal diets, acceptable foods receive certification from different Islamic bodies worldwide. These organizations work to ensure that all production aspects meet necessary requirements, additives plus preservatives are Halal compliant, meat products have been derived from permissible animals slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines.

The global Halal food market was valued at US$1.27 trillion in 2021, forecast to grow, reaching US$1.67 trillion by 2025 (for context, global Kosher market revenue was under US$20 billion in 2021). In 2020, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) trading bloc reported a Halal food export deficit of around US$67 billion, indicating strong reliance on imports into major Muslim markets. The greatest volume of trade comes from non-Muslim producer countries Brazil, India, the US, Russia. Technologies ensuring traceability of imported products are essential for consumer trust, with innovation in the area growing through blockchain-enabled platforms to track Halal meat origins, DNA testing kits to ensure imported meat hasn’t been tainted with forbidden animal-based products.

Food security concerns amplify urgency

Trade imbalance represents potential food security risks for many Halal markets. This is particularly true for Muslim-majority Gulf region countries which, due to climate plus terrain, have limited capacity for in-country livestock farming plus agriculture to meet national demand, currently importing over 85% of their food plus around 62% of their meat. As such, alternative proteins aren’t only being considered as potential climate change solutions but, if locally produced, can also support national food security goals alongside other innovations like vertical, urban, seawater farming, genetically modified crops, precision agriculture.

Religious compliance remains unresolved

If alternative protein companies are to succeed in attracting substantial shares of the global Muslim meat market, a fundamental question is whether different types of alternative protein can even receive Halal certification. Whilst generally unproblematic from 100% plant-based meat analog perspectives, cultivated plus hybrid products contain cells derived directly from animals. As yet, no clear guidance has been issued by any Halal certification body regarding these products’ status.

When attempting to address the point, scholars have considered various perspectives; for example, some have argued that cultivated meat contravenes Islam’s ‘Natural Law’, as the production process can be seen as ‘playing God’. Further complications arise from the fact that cultivated meat was originally intended to be made from cells harvested from live animals, rather than those slaughtered. This implies that the resulting cultivated product may not be Halal, unless cells were extracted from permissible animals slaughtered according to Islamic guidance.

Cell culture media raises additional concerns

Another issue of concern for Muslim consumers is cell culture media use that’s inconsistent with Halal laws. For instance, in many cases, the media in which extracted cells are developed contains fetal bovine serum, which is post-clotted blood fluid obtained from unborn cattle. Blood is considered unclean according to Islamic scriptures, specifically highlighted by the Malaysian Halal standard. More recently, however, wholly plant-based media have been developed, helping allay Halal consumer concerns regarding fetal bovine serum, as well as addressing requirements of other consumer segments, such as ethical vegans plus vegetarians.

Interfaith parallels offer guidance

Some concerns around cultivated meat acceptability for Muslim consumers are shared by devotees of other religions. For Jewish consumers following Kosher guidance, the Chief Rabbi in Israel ruled for the first time in January 2023 that cultivated steak could be considered a Kosher product. This represents one of the first steps toward cultivated foods receiving widespread Kosher certification in the country, pivotal for Israel, already home to 57 alternative protein start-ups plus having declared food technology a national research priority. The extent to which similar conclusions will be arrived at by Islamic religious leaders remains to be determined. In 2022, the Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America deemed cultivated meat provisionally permissible by default, provided that Halal criteria are met. However, an ultimate ruling on the issue will depend on how technology develops in relation to used stem-cell sources, additives, broader health impacts of these products.

Consumer acceptance shows promise

Relatively little research exploring Muslim consumers’ perceptions of alternative protein is currently available, although existing data suggests potentially greater willingness to try these products compared to non-Muslim consumers. For example, one recent study comparing British Muslim plus Non-Muslim consumer preferences found significantly greater willingness to purchase cultivated meat amongst Muslim consumers, greater willingness to pay extra for these novel products.

Muslim consumers otherwise share many of the same perceived barriers plus facilitators to eating alternative protein as observed in other consumer groups across wide ranges of countries. Acceptance of novel proteins, particularly cultivated meat, tends to be higher when consumers are more familiar with these products, have lower food neophobia scores, when they taste better, are more affordable, when consumers are informed of their potential health plus environmental benefits compared to traditional meat plus dairy.

Islamic principles support sustainability

Greater adoption of cultivated meat may be viewed by some Islamic jurists plus Halal consumers as a step toward Khilafa (guardianship of nature), an important principle related to environmental sustainability. Here, Islamic law states that any new rulings must align with the objective of attaining welfare plus warding off harm. As such, adopting diets with lower environmental impact, via consumption of alternative protein products, may be considered a way to uphold at least two of the five key principles: preservation of life plus linage.

Various well-known Islamic teachings with implications for health plus diet may also support movement away from excess meat consumption in Muslim populations. These include recommendations to avoid wasting food, Hadeeth (Prophet’s saying) to moderate intake, encouragement of regular fasting, taking care of one’s body.

Religious leadership crucial for adoption

Academic research has proven that religiosity can play significant roles in promoting behavior change, including pro-environmental actions. Influential Muslims, including Islamic religious leaders, have potential to play extremely important roles in encouraging sustainable plus healthy behavioral change, should be included as key stakeholders in sustainable diets movements in any Muslim majority country where this is a priority national agenda item.

Research imperative addresses knowledge gap

Muslim consumers’ concerns regarding alternative protein are currently poorly understood plus rarely addressed by manufacturers of alternative protein products. This is despite tremendous potential for market adoption, given rapid growth plus dietary transition occurring in many Muslim populations worldwide. Key questions require answering before widespread adoption of alternative proteins is likely in Muslim countries. Further research must address religion-specific barriers to uptake. As decisions made by the Chief Rabbi in Israel attest, religious organizations plus leaders can play vital roles in clarifying faith-related concerns about novel foods, helping encourage vast numbers of followers to adopt more sustainable diets while remaining adherent to core tenets of their belief systems.

Original Article:

Attwood, S., Jameel, S., Fuseini, A., Al-Khalawi, E., & Hajat, C. (2025, October 13). Halal cultivated meat: an untapped opportunity. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10, Article 1196475. Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1196475/full