Halal meat is big business both within and beyond Muslim communities [Video]

More restaurants in Canada are turning to halal certified meat on their menus to make sure items such as chicken are religiously compliant for some observant Muslims.

But the move isn’t just about faith — there’s a larger business opportunity at stake as companies try to access what’s been estimated as a $3.3 trillion global market that’s expanding due to increasing demand from both religious and secular sources.

Many Muslims believe eating food deemed halal is a religious obligation. Halal is an Arabic term, often translated to “permitted” or “allowed” in English. The designation isn’t just for food, but also cosmetics or financial products such as loans or investments. For meat to be certified halal, the animal must be killed in a way that meets religious guidelines.

A 2020 study indicated that the global market for halal foods was estimated to be growing at 20 per cent each year, specifically due to demand from both Muslim communities and …