Chr Hansen eyes Halal market with meat cultures certification
According to HalalFocus.com, the global Halal food market is now worth almost US$760bn. Halal means ‘permitted’, and Halal foods may not contain ingredients or derivatives from non-Halal sources. Halal foods must be made on equipment that is not contaminated with non-Halal foods, and keep segregated.
Manufacturers are under increasing pressure to source ingredients that meet Halal requirements, as Muslims expect more products to comply with their needs. One driver is second and third generation Muslims in Europe, who want to eat the same kinds of foods as their non-Muslim peers while still adhering to the Halal rules.
To help meeting this market need Chr Hansen partnered with the Islamic Food Council of Europe to certify six of its meat cultures in the BactoFlavor, BactoFerm, and SafePro lines.
BactoFlavor cultures are designed for optimum flavour in fermented sausages and fast, reliable fermentation; BactoFerm, meanwhile, helps with the mild, round taste and colour of cooked cured meat products. SafePro cultures are geared to protecting against listeria.
John Jensen, marketing director for meat cultures at Chr Hansen, said: “The six cultures in question meet all the requirements as outlined in Muslim dietary rules while providing optimum flavour development, appealing colour, and natural protection against food bugs in the final meat product.”
Jensen confirmed to FoodNavigator.com that no changes have been made to the recipe or processing of the cultures, but the Halal offering is now possible because of certification.
“We looked into the cultures that are most relevant for this need,” he said, adding that a lot of the processes the company uses meet the requirements.
The Halal cultures are available in Turkey, France, Germany and Italy, and will soon be available in Spain too.
Chr Hansen also offers a limited range of meat cultures that meet the highest Kosher standard, Kosher for Passover.
