September 28, 2009

The chilled and frozen halal food market in Malaysia has an enormous growth potential, for 60 percent of consumers there are Muslim.

 

According to The Halal Journal, while fresh halal food represents the largest share 70-75 percent of total domestic halal food sales, turnover of chilled and frozen halal food products has a relatively faster average growth rate compared to the sales of fresh halal food.

 

The growth in sales of chilled and frozen halal food products in Malaysia are partially due to busy lifestyles, demographic changes, a higher portion of working women in the job market and delayed marriage.

 

In 2008, Malaysia's ex-farm value of fresh, chilled and frozen meat and meat products was at MYR8.1 billion (US$2.3 billion) - 83 percent of the total ex-farm livestock industry value.

 

In Malaysia, about 65-70 percent of the total halal meat and meat products is used in the foodservice and institutional sector, which includes fast food, quick service restaurants, hotels and resorts and catering services.

 

The remaining 30-35 percent is sold in the retail sector, which includes wet markets and modern hypermarkets such as Carrefour, Tesco and Giant.