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.
Are "Muslim meals" on airplanes halal?
2025-05-15
The formation of Muslim meals:
Changes to meet customer needs
Airlines are interested in providing special meals to create a higher value perception for their customers, as early as1970In 2016, British Airways began offering vegetarian meals to its first-class passengers.
As the number of menu items and customer preferences involved grows with the addition of dietary specialties (e.g., gluten-free, salt-free, etc.).
In a telephone interview,Michael White, IATA Cargo Vice President of Government and Corporate Affairs toldSalaam Gateway, at one point, Chicago-based United Airlines offered more than20There are a lot of special dishes on the menu, but now there are only10species available.
Some travelers, even if they are not Muslim, enjoy Halal meals and love to explore different cuisines, as this blogger clearly confirmed: “I always ask for Muslims on most flights./Halal food; it's usually some form of 'ethnic' cuisine that's a nice contrast to the usual fare."
The growing familiarity with halal and its selection as a desirable specialty item even validates its popularity in the United States, where it has grown from food carts in New York to brick-and-mortar restaurants across the country, featuring Middle Eastern dishes featuring béchamel sauces, sparking a desire among many Americans. Restaurants often have long lines of customers waiting outside to enjoy their halal meals.
Growth Market
Travel is a growth industry, IATA confirms, with2015Compared with the previous year,2016Demand for air travel increased year-on-year6.3%IATA said the growth rate exceeded5.5%The ten-year average growth rate.
DO&CoofTrisha Ramdihal, on three continents11countries have30Caterer and full-service hotel supplier for gourmet kitchens,2017Year4Held in ChicagoIFANCAAt the meeting, the delegates were informed that2013-14arrive2016-17Between 2006 and 2011, the growth rate of demand for halal meals exceeded38%She also pointed out that the International Air Transport Association said that the number of international passengers worldwide has reached2030It is expected to grow to70100 million.
Halal and Muslim travel expert Crescent Ratings estimates,2016Year1.21million Muslims travel internationally and plan to2020This number will reach1.57100 million.
Need to change?
More and more people are aware that the necessity and consistency of Halal certification isOICMovement between member states to safeguard their halal ecosystem and halal consumers can only be properly tracked and monitored by halal certification.
These developments are aimed at ensuring that all stakeholders in the food supply chain adhere to halal standards, including checking production and logistics processes to ensure that halal products are not contaminated.
In light of these developments, and given the growing trend of Muslim air passengers and the huge market they will represent, airlines are motivated to explore solutions for halal-certified meals.
When asked how to change the specialsMOMLand change the code descriptor to one that more accurately represents the halal certified food.HLMLIndustry Code, IATAWhiteIt was clarified that solutions would require airlines to negotiate at the World Passenger Symposium to advance this agenda. The next meeting will be10moon24to26Held in Barcelona, Spain.
The airline willMOMLMuslim meals changed to certifiedHLMLThe main body of halal meal.
Bilal Jonathan WilsonProfessor, the spiritual leader of the halal brand, saw theBEHOLDThere are positive incentives to draft resolutions to amend the current code. “The term ‘Halal’ has become standard and associated with food consumption, with many products now carryinghalal"So a code that's inconsistent with that doesn't make any sense today," he said.
“This also has marketing implications as Muslim consumers can review and promote them on various social media platforms,” he added.
IATAWhiteIndividual airlines can request a code change through resolution, but airlines need to know the consumer's preference. Consumers can inform the airline directly by contacting the airline's customer relations department whether they want halal-certified meals on board and by creating aBEHOLDresolution,HLMLCan replace the currentMOMLThis Muslim meal code to improve the special dishes.