Over the past two years, plant-based food consumption has grown by 49% across the EU, reaching a total sales volume of €3.6 billion.
Classification of HALAL certified food
2025-05-15
According to Halal regulations, all foods and beverages can be classified into one of the following categories:
1. HALAL
Halal comes from the Arabic word meaning suitable or permissible. Any food or drink that falls into these categories is permissible. Most foods and drinks are considered halal unless specifically stated as prohibited or non-halal in the Halal regulations, policies, and guidelines.
2. Non-HALAL Food
"Non-Halal," also traditionally called "Haram," means forbidden or disallowed. As the name suggests, any food or drink classified as non-Halal is prohibited. Generally speaking, anything harmful is non-Halal. Examples include meat from dead animals and birds, pork, intoxicating drugs, and alcoholic beverages.
3. Doubt
Any food or drink that falls within the grey area and does not clearly fall into the halal or non-halal category is categorised as “Syubhah”, or suspicious or suspect.
A typical example of a syubhah ingredient is lecithin. Lecithin can be derived from plants or animals. If lecithin comes from plants, it is considered halal. However, non-halal ingredients must come from animals that have not been slaughtered according to halal slaughter regulations or from prohibited animal sources.Until the status becomes clear, halal consumers should refrain from consuming Syubhah food or beverages.