 "Chicken chettinad")
The worldwide spending on halal food and lifestyle products is estimated to rise by 10.8 per cent every year until 2019, creating an international industry worth $3.7 trillion, according to a report.
The 'Global Islamic Economy Report' states that the halal food sector alone is estimated to grow to $2.537 trillion by 2019, up from $795 billion in 2014, which is 21.2 per cent of global food expenditure.
Witnessing the increasing demand for halal-certified food, airlines worldwide are eager to tap into this growing segment and are encouraging suppliers to develop new products and enhance their production capacities, the report said.
"There has been a strong growth in demand for frozen halal food in airlines.We have witnessed a double-digit growth in this requirement within the last one year and in 2016, we are expecting to supply over 40 million meals," said Matthieu Roussel, Commercial Director, Catering, North America, for Delta Daily Food Canada, which manufactures and supplies frozen halal-certified food to over 30 airlines worldwide.
Roussel said he expected this growth to continue "due to the massive increase in the number of air passengers, and, at the same time, with the airlines focusing on catering to the customer segment that prefers halal-certified food."
Amid rising number of international passengers worldwide, estimated to cross 7 billion by 2030 according to International Air Transport Association (IATA), airlines in the Middle East are keen to ensure a comfortable and positive passenger experience.
Catering to the food preferences of the passengers and providing them innovative and high quality food options is a critical factor determining happiness of passengers.
"Air travellers, especially those who travel frequently, are growing increasingly health conscious and would want to stay healthy even as they are on the move," said Farnaz Farzanrad, Business Development Manager, Distinguish Union General Trading, a Duba-based import-export corporation.
