ENGLISH BEEF AND LAMB EXECUTIVE (EBLEX)

Demand for halal beef and lamb products

EBLEX wished to support the halal meat market but required a better understanding of this market segment in order to develop its work with confidence. It commissioned ETHNOS to:

• provide a better knowledge and understanding of the Muslim community in relation to the perception, purchase and consumption of halal meat
• review current and proposed halal meat assurance schemes
• identify gaps in current halal product offering and potential improvements in the marketing and distribution of halal products

Based on a combination of desk research, in-depth interviews with key stakeholders (Muslim scholars, halal food certification authorities, halal butchers, multiple retailers and halal abattoirs) and focus groups with 128 Muslim consumers from different minority ethnic backgrounds, ETHNOS identified the growth potential of the halal meat sector in relation to various sections of the UK Muslim population. We reported on the main factors likely to shape both the demand and the supply of halal meat in the years to come and gave EBLEX the knowledge it required to tackle this market.