Letters to the Editor, October 5, 2013
I refer to the report, ("McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut say no to request to offer halal meat" September 22).
Hong Kong's Muslim population is estimated to be around 250,000 to 280,000, or 2.5 per cent of the population. Compare it to Britain, where 4 per cent of the population is Muslim, and where halal produce comprises more than 15 per cent of all meat sold in the country, according to the Halal Food Authority.
Contrary to stereotypes, not all those who prefer halal food are Muslims. There is a small but expanding group of people who opt for halal much as they might choose free-range or organic meat because, according to some, halal meat tastes better and has more flavour.
Big business is recognising this trend. Firms such as DB Foods, Britain's largest meat wholesaler, recently converted one of its warehouses to producing halal meat and has launched a new online business, halal2go. Restaurant chains in the country are changing their menus.
With the global Muslim population estimated to be 1.6 billion in 2010 and growing at an annual rate of 1.8 per cent, the halal food market is valued at about US$560 billion a year according to SPRING, a Singapore agency dedicated to the promotion of Singapore's economic growth and productivity.
Therefore, it does make commercial sense for businesses in Hong Kong to be a part of, and benefit from, the profitable halal food industry.