There are various factors that affect the purchasing decisions of consumers. One of these factors is the religious beliefs and identities of the consumers, such as Halal and Kosher, the dietary choices based on Islamic and Jewish laws. Understanding these religious dietary requirements will better prepare your product lines to satisfy consumer diversity.
Halal and Kosher food certifications resulted from the efforts of Muslims and Jews respectively, to protect their religious identities and honor food culture heritage. By opting for Halal-certified food products, Muslim consumers can be confident that what they consume is in alignment with their culture and beliefs. Similarly, products can also be Kosher certified, which gives Jewish consumers the same piece of mind.
Halal and Kosher-certified Ingredient Bulk Supply
Klee is proud to supply a number of Halal and Kosher-certified ingredients in bulk. These foods are considered to be ritually pure, genuine, clean, and authentic. Contact us here for more information.
Comparing the Basics of Halal and Kosher
Some of us may tend to assume that Kosher is Halal, as they bear numerous similarities, from the presence of slaughtering rituals to the prohibition of the consumption of swine and blood. While in fact, they had established their own specifications, procedures, and rules which apply to every aspect of food production and consumption.
It is true that Halal and Kosher-certified products remove a barrier to certain consumer groups and by doing so, help food businesses expand their market share. But how exactly do these two dietary choices differ from each other? To help understand these religious practices, each diet will be examined in greater depth, along with relevant industry trends.
| Halal | Kosher |
| Islamic dietary law (based on Quran) | Islamic dietary law (based on Quran) |
| no porcine | no porcine |
| no blood or its by-products | no aquatic animals |
| animals must be slaughtered by Muslims; prayer required | the butcher must be a Jew who understands Jewish law |
| no alcohol | alcohol made with Kosher ingredients is allowed |
| food pairing is not regulated | meat cannot be served alongside dairy |
What Is Halal?
Halal refers to a diet without porcine and alcohol. Halal certification for the food and dietary supplement industry, on the other hand, confirms a product fulfills the requirements demanded by Islamic law.
The term halal means “permissible” or “lawful” in Arabic. Although the term applies to a variety of life’s daily tasks, when it relates to food, it concerns the composition of the product and the environment in which it is produced. The Quran classifies food and goods into different categories such as “halal” (permitted) or “haram” (forbidden), therefore, Halal is sometimes viewed as the Abrahamic clean label.
For a food product to be Halal certified, it must be devoid of any impermissible ingredients—porcine, contents of alcohol or blood, and certain animal derivatives are some major red flags. Meanwhile, the production in question has to be prepared, processed, transported or stored using appliances or media that are exempt from what is unlawful under Islamic law. These have to be inspected by a valid, competent, and impartial institution.
What Is Kosher?
Under Kosher rules, the consumption of porcine, shellfish, amphibians, or insects is prohibited. The word itself comes from the Hebrew word Kashrut, meaning “proper” or “fit.” According to Jewish dietary law, kosher food is divided into three groups: meat, dairy and pareve. Meat and dairy products cannot be combined or eaten in the same meal, while pareve foods do not contain any meat or dairy, therefore they can be eaten with either one.
Despite popular belief, certified Kosher food products are not blessed by a Rabbi. Much like Halal food, the product is considered Kosher as long as the means of production and the product itself conform to the laws and guidelines of the faith. Specifically, the certifying agency investigates the applied ingredients, and production procedures, and conducts periodic audits of the manufacturing facility.
What Benefits Do Halal & Kosher Deliver to the Food Industry?
Having ingredients go through the certification process has now become an essential step to gaining ground in new markets. Currently, Kosher ingredients are predominantly requested in the North American market, while Halal-certified products are demanded throughout South East Asia, especially Indonesia.
But while Kosher or Halal certifications are commonly known as religious dietary requirements, they are increasingly seen as a way to safeguard consumers’ health and wellness-based lifestyle choices. This burgeoning demand comes from consumers of various ages and demographic groups, cultural backgrounds, and geographies.
1. Meeting naturality, clean label, and food safety criteria that modern consumers actively seek
The Halal and Kosher food markets are growing, not so much because of religion but for perceived quality and safety reasons. When it comes to F&B products, getting certified demonstrates adherence to stricter quality standards that are evolving into the norm. Meanwhile, Halal and Kosher certifications seem to go hand-in-hand with suitable for vegetarian/vegan diets labels, non-GMO verifications, and free-from certifications.
Certified food products are considered safer and clearly marked as to ingredient content; many consumers believe that these are produced under stricter supervision than is provided by government inspection (although in many cases, this is a perception rather than fact).
2. Halal as the passport to the growing Islamic trade platform
The Halal certification states that the food or the products are permissible for the followers of Islam and no haram product or procedure is used while its manufacturing or processing. In order to take full advantage of the opportunities of the Halal economy, in terms of consumer confidence among the broad Muslim consumer demographic, Halal certification of their products is a critical component of success for any go-to-market strategy.
As Ashraf el Tanbouly, CEO of the Islamic Chamber of Halal Certification (ICHS) said in an interview in 2020, with over 24% of the world’s population in 57 countries and 1.9 billion Muslim consumers, companies have realized that the global Halal economy is of significant economic importance. This propels them to get their products Halal certified before exporting them to Islamic countries—the two most popular markets for Halal food are South East Asia and the Middle East.
3. Kosher broadening appeal among consumers with specific dietary needs
For a product to qualify for a Kosher certificate, each ingredient, food additive, and processing aid used in its production must also be Kosher. Kosher compliance is being increasingly demanded in the food sector, particularly in North America and Europe. Aside from religious requirements, kosher supervision adds another level of quality control in responding to the needs of the discerning consumer.
Take a non-religious group of kosher consumers: lactose intolerant, for example. By simply checking the Kosher certification label rather than scanning the entire ingredient list, they are able to verify whether or not the product is dairy-free, as Kosher ‘pareve’ products must not contain milk, meat, or any of their derivatives.
4. Certification process adding an extra level of quality control
Certification processes can enhance the overall quality control of a production line, as they require additional investigation at every control point from raw materials purchasing, receiving, label, and document verification, to the manufacturing process itself, including the condition of equipment, filling, packaging, and labeling of the finished product.
This provides an extra layer of supply chain security, leading to an improvement in not only the product quality but also the monitoring process throughout the quality control system. Again, the same holds true from the consumer’s point of view. If a product has a Halal or Kosher seal, the customer can be sure that what they are purchasing has been subject to higher scrutiny than a non-certified product would.
Halal and Kosher-certified Ingredient Bulk Supply
Klee is proud to supply a number of Halal and Kosher-certified ingredients in bulk. These foods are considered to be ritually pure, genuine, clean, and authentic. Contact us here for more information.
Halal and Kosher Certified
• Salmon bone collagen calcium powder
• Hydrolyzed salmon protein
• Soy isoflavones
• Pea protein isolate
• Organic fucoidan
• Non-GMO Lecithin
• Collagen
• Rooibos tea
• Chia seed
• Cow colostrum
• Apple fiber; sugarcane fiber
• Glucosamine hydrochloride
• Silicon dioxide
• Edible Pigment
• Guar Gum
• Lactose
Halal Certified
• boocharati®kombucha powder
• Fish oil
• Nutrition premix
• Psyllium husk
• Marine squalene
• Grape skin extract
• Citrus and pomegranate complex; citrus extract
Kosher Certified
• Sacha inchi oil
• Bitter melon peptide; oyster peptide
• Egg powder
• Flaxseed oil
• Avocado oil
• Shea butter
• Natural fragrance
From Valued Attributes to Industry Standard
Halal and Kosher certifications are necessary conditions for the production of an acceptable, reliable, and consumable product for religiously sensitive consumers. Ethnic and religious considerations, however, are not the only reasons why consumers are choosing Kosher and Halal-certified foods.
“Where does my food come from, and what’s in it?”
Questions like these are always at the forefront of the consumer’s mind during their buying journey. As ingredients and preparation procedures are often uncertain in today’s world, certifications like Halal and Kosher are provided by respected organizations to put consumers at ease and provide fast, easy identification of the products they’re seeking. Looking beyond, just like the trends of vegan and clean labels which have evolved into a lifestyle, this is where Halal and Kosher foods are expected to go in the future.