Halal Business, from selling food to strategic economic sector

[abhiseshakana]

In Muslim countries, it is not only limited to halal business, but Muslims are now doing haram business along with halal business. The scope of halal business is small and in that case, less profit can be made by selling halal things, but if haram things are sold at the same time, then more real gains can be made in that case, that is why now non-Muslim countries of the world are paying attention to haram business along with halal business. Especially in our country, being Muslim-dominated, halal business, especially food business, is now gaining popularity on a large scale. Along with casinos, liquor bars are also gaining popularity.

Based on data provided, USD 2.60 trillion for halal label product is not a small figure, nor is it an unprofitable market. I thing when non moslem country focus on this certification they have to adjust their standarization to fullfill halal requirement which is possesses the highest level of complexity. When a product completed the halal standarization and certification, it has universal market or acceptable by segmented customer or ordinary consumer. I think it is also production cost efficiency.

On the other hand, haram product sucah as casino or alchohol got strict restriction in many countries starting from law, high import duty and taxes also prohibitation. If we compare both business, halal industry give more stable profit and has bigger scale.

True about the transformation which mostly started with  consumable foods then later evolved into broader are of finance like the pharmaceutical industry, but then, one thing that have kept the halal business basking over the years it how it has stayed on its principles of coordinating business, I much as I know of it, it's ethical conducts in trade from the merchants has made a reputation for it. Unlike most common secular businesses which dwells on cheating and crude profit making behaviours, these are rarely found among halal business which has substantially expanded the industry globally competing with secular business ventures.

Based on data provided, USD 2.60 trillion for halal label product is not a small figure, nor is it an unprofitable market. I thing when non moslem country focus on this certification they have to adjust their standarization to fullfill halal requirement which is possesses the highest level of complexity. When a product completed the halal standarization and certification, it has universal market or acceptable by segmented customer or ordinary consumer. I think it is also production cost efficiency.

On the other hand, haram product sucah as casino or alchohol got strict restriction in many countries starting from law, high import duty and taxes also prohibitation. If we compare both business, halal industry give more stable profit and has bigger scale. Halal industry capable of competing with secular business models because it win in the efficiency and transparency of risk management demanded by the modern market such as ranging from the cleanliness of raw materials and periodic audits to supply chain traceability

In the area of cosmetics and food, medicine, halal businesses might be growing in some countries due to the benefits of these products. Some of them offer cheaper yet better value. In the area of fashion,  I don't think the halal industry is attracting many people in the fashion industry. I don't think people in non-Muslim nations want to copy the dressing styles except it is redesigned.

Yes correct, many global and local designer start working and redesign moslem wear with distinctive features loose and covered, becoming a modern garment that is minimalist, loose fitting, and elegant seriously as universal modest fashion/ And modest fashion are billiondollar industry.

https://english.ahram.org.eg/UI/Front/Inner.aspx?NewsContentID=566862

Most countries that are Muslim dominated, or regions in a country that are Muslim dominated usually pay a close attention to the products they consume, they target halal foods for consumption which is very okay according to their religious belief on choosing certain foods or products for consumption. If we still want to emphasize on this, even non-Muslim countries still want to adopt this halal food option for consumption because these products are generally consumed by both Muslims and non-Muslims in every country.

As a business owner, if your targeted customer for consumption of your products will accept all halal products for consumption and when it is not halal, you can only target some people and the rest who are Muslims won’t consume those products, then it is better you stick to the halal production to get enough sells of your products. From a business minded perspective, one can actually make a conclusion as to what they should focus on more in a debate of producing more halal products than the non-halal ones.

Yes i agree with you, Halal certification and standarization are the most efficient market penetration strategy to achieve highest sales volume and surely i said producing goods that meet inclusive quality standard are the most rational business decision, because those product can be accepted by all consumers.

[Jubilee58]

What we are talking about here is about joining a business empire that can help in building an economic growth, and not all about religion. I think countries should learn how to embrace any idea that that will help in moving them forward regardless of who is behind that innovation or business, as we can see, there are already non Moslem nations joining halal, and they are doing so because they have already seen growth in that business, and also understand how beneficial it will be if the eventually take part in joining such business. If you are a business man, and you see anyone doing any business that interest you, you are allowed to partner or join that very person especially if you are welcomed.

[raymks737]

The expansion of the halal economy well beyond food into sectors like cosmetics and tourism is massive. It makes total sense that non-Muslim countries are trying to tap into that growing market.

[Wind_FURY]

What we are talking about here is about joining a business empire that can help in building an economic growth, and not all about religion. I think countries should learn how to embrace any idea that that will help in moving them forward regardless of who is behind that innovation or business, as we can see, there are already non Moslem nations joining halal, and they are doing so because they have already seen growth in that business, and also understand how beneficial it will be if the eventually take part in joining such business. If you are a business man, and you see anyone doing any business that interest you, you are allowed to partner or join that very person especially if you are welcomed.

But isn't using religion to help market a product, and to use it to help generate more profit "Haram"?

   ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I have been asking some GENUINE questions in this topic, which all of them were ignored.

[abhiseshakana]

So bro, that's a separate thing, but for the food side, what I have seen as a Muslim obviously is that we don't worry about anything else but about food, on which I have seen no compromise. I have seen some drinking, but they would never touch pork haha, like really? Anyway, there are always people in every religion like this, but this always shocked me because they would never compromise on halal food.

Drinking alchohol but pork phobia are example of hardline commodity boundary, global industry see it not as a moral unconsistency but only see it a window to million consumer (brand loyalty opportunity), and they will loose it if they doing something wrong with their food production line. So hygiene standardization in the food business will never be compromised because the cost of reputational damage is too high to be measured.

I think so, since there are a lot of muslim globally. The non muslim country will also be a place for them to give the tourism sector a boost by having the Halal certification for every product they might take. Although in a political stand point, there can be some that don't see it as something to add for their economy and are denial about what it can contribute to boost their economic figures.

You're right. It is also a potential sector to be developed in the future. People prefer halal commodity because people trust more with moslem. Nowadays people become smarter and more careful in choosing any product. So, they don't stick to certain products and they aren't easily influenced by the adds of the products. People more often choosing halal commodity means there is great quality of the products. By the way, I don't think we should be worried with this fact because it is purely a competition in trading field. There is no geopolitical issue here. 

Yes halal bussines in all sector seen by non moslem countries as purely capitalizing on foreign exchange earnings through moslem friendly tourism amd doesn't have correlation with domestic political dynamism.

There always be a geopolitical aspect inside free trade competition, Whoever mastering global quality standard regulations controls the flow of international logistics. When a country choose ignoring or delaying this standard adoption with political sentiment consideration they deliberately doing economi propectionism policy with harm their own interest

Travel is the fastest growing segment (from US$249B to US$424B), with modest fashion being the second largest after food. When it comes to non-Muslim countries getting serious about this, it's very real: Malaysia's JAKIM has 56 certification bodies in 33 countries, Singapore and the UK have edged their way into the top 15 of the Islamic Economy Indicator, and ASEAN is planning to make halal certification a requirement from October 2026.

Most importantly, the industry is now moving toward a new concept of "halal economy sovereignty," which goes beyond demand and relates to the control of the value chain, trust infrastructure, and even financial systems.

So, to answer your question: Yes, there is definitely a trend in that direction. More and more countries are developing their own certification bodies (JAKIM, MUIS, CICOT, etc.) and if these standards aren't compatible with one another, they automatically become obstacles to products entering each other's markets. It functions much like a tariff, just disguised as technical regulation — more subtle, but with the same effect, giving the halal trade arena a distinctly geopolitical and increasingly competitive edge.

Halal economy sovereignity and regulation which actually a non tariff barriers are the core of this industry's future.ASEAN mandatory certification can be a major turning point for the halal industry, if international certification body doesn't have agreement on interoperability or mutual recognition then halal regulation will become bastion of disguised trade protectionism effectively. Who will dominate trust infrastructure along with upstreamdownstream value chain ?

So far we see halal industry landscape has undergo a complete evolution, not only about individual seller morality it become macro business instrument capitalization, ppremium quality standarization and become international trade geopolitical tools  through non tariff barriers. I see non moslem country Brazil and Thailand leading and possibly having won the export market because they are focused on building supply chain efficiency and technology infrastructure.

[Hamza2424]

Drinking alchohol but pork phobia are example of hardline commodity boundary, global industry see it not as a moral unconsistency but only see it a window to million consumer (brand loyalty opportunity), and they will loose it if they doing something wrong with their food production line. So hygiene standardization in the food business will never be compromised because the cost of reputational damage is too high to be measured.

You have given a logical and financial explanation but bro, I really think it is a mentality game. Muslims can drink alcohol occasionally, not all because not every Muslim is like this, only a few are and I am talking about those few, but those few would never compromise on eating pork because they have heard enough bad stuff about pork, like how diseaseful it is and even it lacks the taste.

I have not tested but I can tell from this behavior of those people.

So they try alcohol because it must be giving them some kind of relief, but pork it is nothing but a house of diseases that can fill your body with worms and other problems so better to stay away from it haha, which is good but why this distinction anyway?

We can't discuss it unless someone who is like this comes and tells, or I can ask one. I have seen many haha.

[slapper]

They perceive this as some future question. Will there be a dominance of non-Muslim countries over halal? They already do. It is been years since that ship sailed.

Brazil exports more halal poultry than all OIC countries combined. JBS, BRF, these are industrial juggernauts, whose slaughter capacity Muslim-majority countries simply cannot replicate at such a cost. Approximately 45% of all New Zealand red meat is certified as halal. It allows them to maintain the fluidity of their export pipeline among destinations.

Having a big Muslim consumer base does not mean you win the production game. Comparative advantage is not like that. Never has been.

What then are the counter-move from importing countries? Regulation. Indonesia's BPJPH mandate kicks in next month. In October 2026, thed will expand the certification requirement to cosmetics, pharma, even logistics and warehousing.

This is the true battle here. It is not about who has more Muslims. They are trying to control the certification chokepoint. Bureaucratic gate-keepers on one hand, and factories on the other. Both extracting rent.

[Zaka1221]

If you're a barbarian (not the clever kind) then halal food might be what you think about for starting a new business, yet most civilized people don't need to torture animals while killing them. The sooner Muslims moderate and stop these kind of disgusting practices that should have been kept in the stone age, the better quite frankly. It's a real shame that tolerating such practices often ends up in catering to the lowest common denominator and more food producers are doing this to capture a certain audience. Most intelligent developed countries have become less and less religious over the decades, but sadly religion is still able to infest and infect the world with it's backwards practices that are so inhumane. If business had more of a backbone it would stand up and reject such practices only encouraged by awful religions.

There is a legitimate market for halal food with millions of customers, so if a business is offering halal food and products, then it means they are responding to the actual customer demand, just like they do for vegetarian, kosher, vegan or other dietary requirement based food. A business is serving a particular group of people that does not necessarily lack backbone. It is not okay to blame any religion for any particular thing that they do. The halal market is very large and business is our serving them all over the world. You cannot call religious people barbarians.

[abhiseshakana]

I believe standardisation might be one of the biggest problems for halal trade, particularly if it has to go through a number of markets. However, if there are slightly different requirements from country to country or by different certification bodies, companies will need to have to undertake re-audits, re-documentation and re-certification, costing businesses more. Meanwhile, establishing one standard is not easy as each authority will have different interpretations of the requirements. Instead of just churning out more halal products, the competitive edge may be gained by developing trusted international certification systems will become the norm. In this regard, the halal is capable of becoming a consumers market and a market industry that is based on standards.

I am interested to note that the concept of halal certification is not only a religious one. It can also indicate for some consumers traceability. Control of ingredients and a very clear production process. The value of the certification series is thus dependent on the credibility and reliability of the certification process. But where the standards are not compatible. Between different countries. Then certification can be a cost of the trade, not a benefit. International recognition of standards may be more important than just putting more halal certified products on the market.

Agree, if standards across countries are not mutually compatible, certification become additional cost thats why world need to build global trust infrastructure. Maybe we can integrate halal industry with blockchain technology to ensure supply chain compliance from upstream to downstream that can be verified instantly across national borders or we can create digital passport of a product.

What I like about Islam is that it is very logical and scientific. Most of it is already scientifically proven too (science hasn't caught up to the rest). Take fasting for example, something Muslims have been doing every year for 1400 years during the whole month of Ramadan. That is literally the natural cure for cancer (scientific term: Autophagy which is an orderly degradation and recycling of cellular components starting from dysfunctional or cancerous cells).

As for food, there is a solid reason behind all the teachings of Islam. Like what is categorized as Haram. Take alcohol for example. If you look up any diseases they categorize alcohol as one of the root causes and categorize those who consume it as high risk category. And that's just one of the reasons why it is haram.

Ignoring the fact that the business of certification sometimes resides simply in charging for granting the seal, which I hope is not always the case, and also ignoring religious reasons, I believe that the painless slaughter of animals should be a goal of all humanity, for ethical and empathy issues basically.

Indeed. Islam is logical and scientific because it is from the God. 
Sure, Ramadhan fasting is good because it is metabolic reset and it exercises our mentality. It isn't so surprising that it also can cure cancer. However, people who do Ramadhan fasting must also take attention with their foods and drinks. It must be healthy foods and drinks, too.

Islam claims haram for certain foods or drinks must be with strong reasons. Most of them must bring harmful impacts to our body. The teachings of Islam want to ensure that we all consume proper foods/drinks.

Thanks for your all strong perspective which show why this standardization was massively adopted by non target consumers.
scientific explanation from authopagy process from fasting, healthy risk from alchohol to slaughter methods that minimize pain for the animal which actually real example of biological risk management and modern production ethique. On western market, humane slaughter that minimizes pain just now part of the global animal welfare and ethical sourcing movement. Which bring economic benefit and new market where consumers are willing to pay a premium price for products that treat animals more humanely. Another phenomenon, global industry views the ban on certain contaminants as a guarantee of purer,  which bring clean label products.

So, what was previously a moral principle is now scientifically proven and has transformed into a functional quality indicator which demanded and sought after by the global healthcare market.

[Wind_FURY]

They perceive this as some future question. Will there be a dominance of non-Muslim countries over halal? They already do. It is been years since that ship sailed.

Brazil exports more halal poultry than all OIC countries combined. JBS, BRF, these are industrial juggernauts, whose slaughter capacity Muslim-majority countries simply cannot replicate at such a cost. Approximately 45% of all New Zealand red meat is certified as halal. It allows them to maintain the fluidity of their export pipeline among destinations.

Having a big Muslim consumer base does not mean you win the production game. Comparative advantage is not like that. Never has been.

What then are the counter-move from importing countries? Regulation. Indonesia's BPJPH mandate kicks in next month. In October 2026, thed will expand the certification requirement to cosmetics, pharma, even logistics and warehousing.

This is the true battle here. It is not about who has more Muslims. They are trying to control the certification chokepoint. Bureaucratic gate-keepers on one hand, and factories on the other. Both extracting rent.

Besides Halal as a "marketing tool". Is this "Halal" thing merely another form of propaganda to create an illusion that if a product is "not Halal", then it's a "bad" and "inferior" product?

If enough people will believe in those sorts of none-sense, it might start affecting their life-choices, and therefore opens an attack vector for manipulation.