How Chinese Ice Cream Can Leverage Halal Certification to Unlock a Hundred-Billion Overseas Market

Capturing global taste buds: how can Chinese ice cream leverage "Halal certification" to unlock a hundred-billion overseas market?

On a scorching summer day, an icy ice cream is not only a cooling treat but also a "sweet envoy" of Chinese manufacturing going global. As midsummer nears, ice cream production also enters a booming peak season. For domestic ice cream factories and upstream supply-chain enterprises, this year''s vision should perhaps not be limited to the price war in the domestic market. The latest customs data show that in 2025 China''s ice cream exports continued strong growth, with exports to Southeast Asia and the Middle East repeatedly hitting new highs, becoming a striking "cool" highlight in China''s food industry.

01 The blue ocean behind the data: the golden age of ice cream going overseas

According to the latest industry report, the global Halal dairy market reached USD 544.85 billion in 2025 and is expected to break through the trillion-dollar mark by 2034. Among these, ice cream, as an important sub-category, shows astonishing growth potential in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and African regions.

Especially in supermarkets in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Chinese-brand ice cream now occupies a prominent position in the freezers. A Saudi operator of a Chinese ice cream enterprise revealed that currently in Saudi Arabia alone, nearly 500,000 ice pops can be sold in a month, with sales points all over Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and elsewhere. This marks that Chinese ice cream has successfully broken the market pattern long "frozen" by Western and local brands.

And in the "equatorial country" Indonesia, Chinese ice cream enterprises are cultivating even more deeply. It is hot year-round here, and the population structure is relatively young, with young people under 35 accounting for more than 60%, with very strong demand for cold drinks and sweets. A certain Chinese brand has built its first self-owned factory in Southeast Asia in Indonesia, able to ship 400 tons of goods a day at peak - equivalent to 8 million ice creams - quickly entering the front ranks of the local market.

02 Decoding "taste buds": the ice cream preference map of different markets

To capture the hearts of overseas consumers, you must first conquer their stomachs. Halal-observing consumers in different regions have distinctly different preferences for ice cream flavors:

Southeast Asia: a preference for rich and intense. In Indonesia, despite the abundance of tropical fruits, locals do not favor the mango and pineapple flavors popular in the Chinese market, but instead are partial to chocolate flavors. In addition, flavors such as taro and chocolate are also extremely popular. Thailand''s ice cream market shows strong "localization" innovation capability, with brands like Dairy Queen frequently launching limited flavors such as durian, Thai milk tea, and glutinous rice, sparking heated discussion on social media.

Middle East: blending luxury and health. In the Gulf Arab countries, consumer demand for high-end and artisanal ice cream surges. Besides classic chocolate flavors, ice creams with strong Middle Eastern elements such as saffron, rose, Turkish delight, pistachio, and camel milk are becoming new favorites. At the same time, due to the high diabetes incidence in the region (over 20% in parts of the UAE and Saudi Arabia), healthy ice creams with no added sugar, using natural sweeteners or functional ingredients (such as date extract) are becoming an important growth point.

Africa: different opportunities in a tiered market. In Africa, the market shows clear tiering. In relatively mature markets such as South Africa, consumers have strong interest in natural ingredients and local plant ingredients such as baobab pulp; while in countries such as Nigeria, with the penetration of solar cold-chain logistics, affordable, small-size chocolate-flavored ice cream has broad distribution space.

03 The key to breaking the "ice": why is Halal certification the first threshold for going overseas?

Whether it is the Indonesia localization strategy or entering the Gulf market, Chinese ice cream enterprises all face a common prerequisite - Halal certification.

Compliance is the baseline, trust is gold. For the world''s 1.5 billion Halal consumers and non-Halal groups who value ethical consumption, Halal certification is not only a religious requirement but also a guarantee of quality and purity. Reports show that the manufacturing process of Halal food must comply with Islamic law, raw materials (such as gelatin, emulsifiers, colorings) must be sourced from Halal-certified regions, and the entire production environment must avoid contamination.

Taking Indonesia and Malaysia as examples, strong government regulations require imported food to have Halal certification, which not only enhances consumer trust but is also the "entry ticket" for products to enter mainstream channels such as supermarkets and hypermarkets. Without certification, you can''t even get onto the shelves.

Meeting certification challenges, the value of professional consulting stands out. However, the process of obtaining Halal certification is not smooth sailing. Many manufacturers face challenges: the certification process is lengthy and requires comprehensive paperwork; certification bodies in different countries have inconsistent standards, easily causing confusion; for SMEs, certification fees and audit processes can be a huge burden.

This is exactly where professional consulting companies come into play. We not only help factories sort out the raw-material supply chain to ensure key auxiliaries such as gelatin and flavors are compliant, but also guide enterprises in establishing a production system that meets Halal regulations, avoiding the risk of cross-contamination between "Halal" and "non-Halal" products.

04 More than finished products: the "golden opportunity" of upstream ice cream powder

As ice cream exports boom, smart entrepreneurs should not ignore the huge business opportunities upstream in the industry chain - ice cream powder, milk powder, butter, vegetable oil, and the like.

Why does the upstream supply chain also need certification?

1. Cost-reducing, efficiency-boosting local production: many overseas importers (especially in the Middle East and Africa), to avoid high cold-chain transport costs and tariffs, prefer to import Chinese ice cream powder and do filling and production locally. If your ice cream powder has Halal certification, it will become the preferred supplier for these overseas factories.

2. The rigid demand of the supply chain: according to the strict rules of the Halal market, the Halal attribute of the end product depends on the Halal nature of all raw materials. Large multinational dairy enterprises such as Lactalis and Danone mandatorily require upstream suppliers to provide Halal certification when sourcing raw materials, to ensure the compliance of their own products. Therefore, certified factories of ice cream powder, compound stabilizers, and flavors and fragrances will be able to embed into the supply chains of the world''s top food giants.

3. Seizing the technological high ground: with technological progress, using Raman spectroscopy and DNA technology to verify raw-material origins has become a trend. The process of passing Halal certification is also an excellent opportunity to force upstream factories to establish a more complete quality traceability system and enhance product competitiveness.

A final word

From convenience stores in Southeast Asia to supermarkets in the Middle East, Chinese ice creams are melting cultural barriers and linking the global market. For China''s ice cream and upstream supply-chain enterprises, summer brings not only heat waves but also the best opportunity to test capacity and lay out overseas.

Your product is just one certification away from the "sweet freedom" of global Halal consumers. If you have any questions about the Halal certification process for ice cream and ice cream ingredients, or the specific certification rules of target markets (Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Africa), feel free to contact us at any time. As a professional Halal certification consulting body, we will provide you with one-stop service from formula review and factory rectification to overseas certification matchmaking, helping you stay cool all summer and sell well worldwide!