The halal meat market - France (2024)

1.2 Excellent growth opportunities worldwide

The global halal market

The global halal market may contain different products and services from one source to another.

According to the"State of the Global Islamic Economy Report", the global halal market will have sales of $*.* trillion in **** and is expected to continue growing to reach $*.* trillion in ****, representing a compound annual growth rate of *.*%. In this study, the following segments are considered: Finance, Tourism, Food & Beverage, Media & Entertainment, Fashion, Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics.

According to a report published by DinarStandard, by ****, food and beverages will account for the vast majority of the market, with a **.*% share.

Share of each segment in the halal market World, ****, in Source: ****

Focus on the global halal food market

The global halal food and beverage market is estimated at US$*.* trillion in January ****, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of **.*% over the period ****-****, reaching US$*.** trillion in ****. It's a market that offers excellent growth opportunities worldwide, driven mainly by Muslim countries.

Halal food market size World, ****-****, in thousands of billions of dollars

Within halal food, halal meat holds a very important place. However, assessing its size is very complicated: it is calculated on the basis of demographic data, assuming that all ...

1.3 The French market

The French halal market in supermarkets and hypermarkets (***) continues its positive trend. In ****, it will be worth ****.** million euros, an increase in sales of **.**% compared to ****.

sales trends for the halal market in supermarkets France, ****-****, in millions of euros Source: ****

The main segments of the halal meat market are halal charcuterie, with a fairly heavy weighting in terms of sales, estimated at ***.* million euros in ****, up *.*% on ****. Next come halal frozen foods (***).

Sales by main halal market segment France, ****/****/****, in millions of euros Source: ****

These figures remain approximate, however, as in the absence of a single industry, it is difficult to assess the volumes of meat slaughtered according to the Muslim rite in abattoirs and then actually marketed as halal. Added to this difficulty is the fact that **% of sales are made via halal butchers and local grocery stores, which are small, individual structures with no centralized accounting system[***].

However, it should be noted that French manufacturers and distributors have understood that the halal meat market offers excellent opportunities in view of demand, particularly at Ramadan time.

1.4 International halal meat trade

Precise figures are available concerning the value of halal meat imports into the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (***), as well as the ranking of the main importers and exporters of halal meat to these countries. The ** OIC member countries imported $*** billion worth of Halal products and exported $*** billion in ****.

If we limit ourselves to trade in Halal food products, imports amount to *** billion dollars (***). But only **% of the Halal economy's imports come from OIC member countries.[***]

Total halal meat and potion imports from OIC member countries by value OIC, ****, billion US$ Source: ****

The world's leading importers of halal meat are OIC member countries, led by Saudi Arabia (***) in ****.

Among the main exporters of halal food products to OIC member countries, Brazil is in first place with exports amounting to **.* billion dollars in value in ****, ahead of India (***). As the following graph shows, **% of the main halal food exporting countries are non-Muslim.

Main countries exporting halal meat to OIC member countries, by export value Amount, ****, billion US$ Source: ****

In **** in France, **% of beef production was slaughtered according to a religious ritual (***), representing **% of exports. [***]

2.1 Targeting the Muslim community

While anyone can buy halal products, the target clientele is the Muslim community. To assess the demand for halal meat in France, we first need to establish the total number of Muslims in the country, which is difficult to do as ethnic statistics are forbidden.

According toInsee 's **** report on religious diversity in France, **% of the population will be affiliated with the Muslim religion in ****, i.e. *.* million Muslims [***].

According to projections by Pew Research, the number of Muslims should continue to rise, reaching **.*% of the French population in **** in a median scenario (***). [***] France is home to a large number of North African immigrants, as well as many Muslims from sub-Saharan Africa, Turkey and Asia.

Share of Muslim population France, **** vs *****, % of French population Source: ****

Nevertheless, many sources contradict this information, claiming that Muslims are more likely to be around *.* million, notably a study by François Héran. [***]

To estimate the proportion of the population consuming halal meat in France, most studies assume that all Muslims consume halal meat, and conversely that only Muslims consume halal meat. However, non-Muslims eat halal products, and Muslims do not. A **** IFOP survey, for example, estimated that **% of practicing Muslims ate halal, but that ...

2.2 Typology of halal meat consumers

An IFOP survey conducted in September **** among the Muslim population analyzes the frequency of halal meat purchases in France, according to a number of criteria: consumer gender, age, profession, marital status, and region of origin.

Generally regular consumers

According to a recent IFOP survey, **% of Muslims questioned claimed to consume halal meat systematically, compared with *% occasionally.

Share of French Muslims buying halal meat by frequency of purchase France, ****, in Source: ****

Purchasing behavior differs little by gender

Women (***). Nevertheless, the gap between men and women for the first two segments combined is narrowing, with **% of men and **% of women consuming halal meat systematically or most of the time. Overall, women and men seem to have the same halal meat purchasing behavior.

Frequency of halal meat purchases by gender France, ****, in % Source: ****

**-** year-olds are more regular consumers

The IFOP survey also reveals that those aged ** and over are the most likely to systematically consume halal meat (***) than over-**s, only *% of whom do so.

Frequency of halal meat purchases by age France, ****, in Source: ****

Overall, halal meat buyers are younger and more urban than the average French person, pushing brands to innovate and offer a varied range. [***]

The higher the socio-professional ...

2.3 Highly variable average baskets

Among halal meat buyers, six types of family can be distinguished, with very distinct consumption patterns and average halal spending:

Pre-families": couples or singles under ** with no children; Young families": families with children, all under * years of age; Growing families": families with at least one child aged * to **; Established families": families with children aged ** and over; Post-families": childless couples or single households with at least one member between ** and ** years of age; Older families": couples or single households with at least one member over ** and no children.

According to LSA Conso, pre-families are the most frequent buyers of halal meat (***), while elderly families account for just *% of buyers.

Frequency of halal meat purchases by family type France, ****, % Source: ****

The average level of monthly spending on halal products is *** euros, but each family type allocates a different budget to halal purchases. The lowest average basket by value is held by prefamilies (***).

Average budget spent on halal products per month by family type France, ****, in € Source: ****

2.4 Consumers' expectations are more demanding

Consumers increasingly attentive to health risks

Consumers have high expectations in terms of quality, innovation and product availability. This is why brands are adopting growth strategies aimed at improving their offer by moving upmarket and reviewing their packaging.

Consumers, for example, are increasingly aware of the health risks associated with halal slaughter: the main risk of this type of slaughter is contamination by Escherichia coli bacteria. Halal slaughter does not comply with European health regulations, which stipulate that "when the animal is bled, the trachea and esophagus must remain intact. Halal slaughter, however, cuts the trachea and esophagus by slitting the throat wide. This non-conformity therefore raises debates about the halal rite and the lack of specific labeling on halal meat, and leads to a wider demand for quality on the part of consumers. [***]

Product traceability constantly called into question

Muslim consumers lack confidence in market players, particularly in terms of product traceability and verification of practices, due to the many scandals that have erupted concerning halal products. For example, some slaughterhouses mix halal and non-halal meat; others produce false halal, such as the poultry company Doux, accused of producing false halal in a report by Canal+ in ****. Another example: in ...

2.5 Ramadan no longer the only highlight

Ramadan is a strategic time, accounting for **-**% of annual sales of halal meat. There is also significant stockpiling, as the bulk of sales take place before Ramadan.

The Ramadan period has a direct influence on halal butchery sales, which increase by ** to **% at this time of year. This is linked to the purchasing practices of observant Muslims, who drastically increase their purchasing volumes during Ramadan, with a peak for the Eid-El-Fitr feast. [***]

Taking advantage of this temporary rise in consumption, brands and distribution channels deploy major communication strategies (***) in targeted regions, namely Île-de-France, Lille, Lyon and Marseille. [***]

Supermarkets are also taking advantage of the Ramadan period to boost their sales of halal products, thanks to numerous promotional offers or highlights of these products on their shelves: in ****, Carrefour offered up to -**% off during Ramadan; Auchan had a catalog of products "with the perfumes of the Orient" with numerous promotions.[***]

Nevertheless, Ramadan is no longer the only highlight, with other commercial highlights such as back-to-school catalogs also giving rise to special offers: from September * to October *, **** (***), Réghalal ran a similar promotion to the one carried out ahead of and during Ramadan, in the form of posters in the Paris ...

2.6 Demand cyclicality

The graph below represents the proportion of searches for the given keyword in a given region and for a specific period, compared with the time when the rate of use of this word was highest (***). Thus, a value of ** means that the keyword was less commonly used in France, and a value of zero means that data for this word was insufficient.

Evolution of interest in "halal meat" search France, **** - **** Source: ****

3.1 The main halal meat brands

The halal meat market features a number of players with uneven market shares. Isla Délice remains in the lead with **.*% of the market, up *.* points on the previous year (***). Fleury Michon, Réghalal and Isla mondial have also seen their market shares increase, while Oriental viande has seen a slight decline of *.* points[***]

Market share of the main players in the halal meat market France, ****, in Source: ****

Halal charcuterie

Three main brands stand out from the rest in the halal charcuterie segment: market leader by far is Isla Délice, with **.*% of market share by value in ****, up +**.*% on the previous year. Next is Fleury Michon with **.*% of market share by value (***). [***]

Volume market share of the main halal charcuterie brands France, ****, % [LSA Conso Source: ****

The market in the halal meat segment tends to revolve around one brand, Isla Délice.holds almost half of the halal charcuterie market, while other halal charcuterie brands are trying to grab the remaining market share. This market segment as a whole has changed relatively little compared to ****, insofar as the leading brand in the market was still Isla Délice with **.*% in value. This was followed by Réghalal with **% of charcuterie market ...

3.2 Meat production and halal meat in France

The Confédération Nationale de l'Élevage details some of the characteristics of meat production in France. It is organized into two herds:

The " dairy herd ", which represents **% of the total herd and is made up of animals bred and destined for milk production. **% of animals are selected for herd renewal. **% of calves marketed for their meat are for slaughter. The " specialized herd ", also known as the " suckler herd ", which represents **% of the total herd and is made up of animals bred specifically for their meat. Some producers specialize in a particular stage of the animal's development (***). The products obtained are calves, heifers and "cull" cows, and are intended for consumption. The breeds obtained are diverse: Charolais, Limousin, Blonde d'aquitaine...

Figures from Interbev, FranceAgrimer and Ifip Edition, relayed by Lsa Conso, and the CNE, show that France occupies a leading position in the European meat market:

France has the largest cattle herd in Europe, with over ** million head . France produces *.* million tonnes of beef every year France produces over *.* million tonnes of pork every year France produced ** tonnes of sheep, including ** tonnes of lamb in **** As for poultry, France ranks as Europe's third-largest poultry producer, with production of *,*** million tonnes ...

3.3 Distribution mainly captured by small retailers

Major retailers such as Carrefour, Auchan and E.Leclerc are pursuing aggressive halal product promotion policies.

Nevertheless, traditional retailers continue to do well, particularly halal butchers, small shops and markets. It is estimated that**% of sales are made via halal butchers and local grocery stores. [***].

This is a direct result of the fact that consumers have more confidence in local butchers than in supermarkets in terms of product traceability and respect for the rite (***).

3.4 Online meat buying: a booming segment

Due to the health crisis linked to Covid-**, halal meat distribution has been shaken up as consumers of this type of product have turned to drive-thru distribution or direct home delivery of products, in ****, Isla Délice saw over ***% growth in their drive-thru sales compared to ****. [***]

sales trends for halal charcuterie compared with **** France, ****, % Source: ****

We can see that sales in the GSA E-commerce sector have risen sharply (***).

At the same time, new halal meat delivery companies have entered the home-delivered halal meat market segment. Halalcourses offers a wide range of halal products certified by recognized, independent organizations, delivered to your door anywhere in France (***) within ** hours. Halalcourses has seen its orders multiply by ** in the space of a year, boosted by free advertising from French influencers such as Karim Benzema, Ayem Nour ...[***]

4.1 Meat, the most important segment of the halal market

According to an LSA Conso study, the fresh halal market is the most popular with consumers, with halal poultry in first place(***). In last place, we find dairy products with sales of *.** million euros.

Halal sales in various departments France, ****, € million Source: ****

in the grocery sector, consumers are turning more to savoury products(***). Halal sales by department France, ****, € million

The market for halal products in France's supermarkets will fall slightly between **** and ****, from *** million to *** million products sold, a drop of *.*%.

Number of halal products sold in supermarkets France, **** - ****, in millions Source: ****

Inflation on halal food in supermarkets and hypermarkets reached **.*%, twice the rate of *.*% for conventional food products. Frozen meals recorded particularly high inflation, reaching **.**%, while for non-halal frozen meals in supermarkets, the price rise was *.**%, around three times less. Inflation on halal products, whether fresh or frozen, is therefore two to three times higher than on conventional non-halal products.

Inflation rate for various supermarket segments France, ****, in Source: ****

4.2 The halal poultry segment continues to expand

In ****, the halal meat market in French supermarkets represented *** million euros in sales, up +**.*% in volume and +**.*% in value compared to ****. The poultry meat market segment in French supermarkets grew by **.*% between **** and ****, since in **** the halal poultry market segment in supermarkets in LS represented *** million euros in sales, while in **** it reached *** million in sales. [***] However, according to an article bytoute-la-franchise, the main halal sales take place in small independent butchers.

The halal poultry market in France has become increasingly competitive, with a growing number of players. The biggest manufacturers are Isla délice, Fleury Michon and Réghalal (***). The halal charcuterie segment in French supermarkets will account for **% of the halal poultry meat market by ****.

Halal charcuterie market share by value in HM/SM/HD France, ****, in Source:LSA Conso HM: Hypermarkets SM: Supermarkets HD: Hard Discount

In ****, Isla délice was the biggest player in the halal poultry market in France, with a **.*% share of the halal poultry charcuterie segment. halal poultry charcuterie market segment in terms of value, with growth of +*.*% on ****, and **.*% in terms of PDM (***) in the halal frozen meat market segment.

The halal meat market is a dynamic one in terms of product innovation ...

4.3 Innovation at the heart of growth strategies

Brands focus on product innovation

Consumers of halal meat are complaining about a lack of choice and variety at halal butcher's shops in supermarkets: they buy halal charcuterie and frozen products there, but go to traditional halal butcher's shops for fresh meat, because they can't find enough of it in supermarkets.

In response, brands are focusing on innovation, diversifying their offer and moving upmarket. For example, Isla Délice offers * to * new products every year, particularly in the snacking segment, a strong food trend: wraps, hot dogs, croque-monsieur, dry sausages made from beef, etc. Each year, Réghalal also offers new products in the charcuterie, delicatessen and poultry categories. [***] And since January ****, Réghalal has launched several ranges of frozen meat products (***).

Products of French origin

Another growth strategy adopted by manufacturers lies in highlighting the French origin of their halal products. For example, in ****, Réghalal redesigned all its packaging to feature a new logo to emphasize the French origin of its poultry.[***]

The use of promotional offers

Brands have successively revamped all their packaging to make it more modern and designer, like Isla Délice and its frozen packs of poultry elaborates (***) revamped in ****. Another way of promoting their ...

4.4 Organic halal: a new alternative?

Made in France and organic products are very much in vogue in France. However, the halal meat market is still very small: today, there are less than a dozen organic and halal butchers in Paris. [***]

But following a petition from the Œuvres d'assistance aux bêtes d'abattoirs (***) issued an opinion on February **, ****, ruling that the European organic production labelen organic production label could not be applied to meat from ritual slaughter, without prior stunning, on the grounds that this method does not comply with animal welfare standards. The CJEU points out that stunning animals is the technique that least harms their welfare at the time of slaughter. Ritual slaughter, which is authorized in the EU by way of derogation in order to preserve freedom of religion, cannot therefore benefit from the European organic label.[***]

As a result, the few organic and halal butchers in France can no longer hold the AB label, although this does not prevent them from remaining upmarket, such as Les Jumeaux butchery in Les Lilas, a Paris suburb : created in **** and turned organic in ****, the owners of this butcher's shop select breeders who guarantee the best quality. Others have followed, such as Bionoor, Aya Bio and Biolal. ...

5.1 The main regulatory standards governing the meat market in France

Non-exhaustive list.

The " Hygiene Package ": this is a set of European hygiene standards designed to ensure a minimum level of health safety on a European scale, and binding on all players in the food chain. They mainly comprise the following regulations: Regulation (***) n°***/****, Regulation (***) n°***/****, Regulation (***) n°***/****, Regulation (***) n°***/****, Regulation (***) n°***/****, Regulation (***) n°***/****

European Decree ***/**** concerns the traceability of meat products, and was introduced in order to be able to trace their entire journey,

The decree of April *, **** concerning the labeling of beef and veal requires that the country of birth of the animal, the country of rearing and the country of slaughter be indicated.information on the food chain must also be available at all stages of the meat's journey, as these health data can be verified by veterinary services,

French and European standards allow meat to be awarded labels, a guarantee of quality and compliance with regulations. Among the most popular labels are AOC, AOP, IGP, Viande Bovine Française, Label Rouge, AFNOR...

Sanitary approvals must be obtained, particularly for industrialists and butchers delivering large quantities of meat, to ensure that the meat is transported under the best possible conditions(***),

The CAP: Common Agricultural Policy, set up in **** to ...

5.2 Difficulties in controlling halal regulation and certification

Unlike the "kosher" label, for example, there is no single "halal" label in France, as the Conseil français du culte musulman (***) has never succeeded in producing unified specifications.

Today, three organizations handle the bulk of certification in France: the three major mosques of Paris, Lyon and Evry, which represent three different trends in Islam and therefore different conceptions of halal. Since ****, these mosques, not the State, have been empowered to issue cards to sacrificers(***). [***]

According to the same source, there are now ** parallel certification bodies that issue a halal label, certifying that products are derived from ritual slaughter. The first halal certification body, AVS(***), was created in ****. Since then, dozens of organizations have emerged, the three main ones being linked to the three mosques:

société française de contrôle de la viande halal (***), created in **** and affiliated to the Grande Mosquée de Paris; the Association Culturelle des Musulmans d'Ile-de-France (***) created in **** and affiliated to the Mosquée d'Évry ; and the Association Rituelle de la Grande Mosquée de Lyon (***) created in **** and affiliated to the Lyon Mosque.

Other organizations are independent, such as AVS. Manufacturers pay these organizations to provide halal certification, proving that the animal ...

6.1 Segmentation

• Agrial Coopérative Primeal
• Bigard groupe
• Abattoir de Bondy
• Amalric GroupeIsla - Isla Délice
• Réghalal (Groupe LDC)
• Fleury Michon
• Baytat
• Dispro
• GRG Rungis
• Halal Food Service
• Isla Mondial
• Maison Koroghli
• Saglam France
• Big M Burger