Starting from this issue, MATRADE News will present comments and observations from Malaysian Trade Commissioners stationed all over the world. This first installment features information on the US Halal market from the US Trade Commissioner Tengku Ashaharina Tengku Ahmad in Los Angeles.
How many Muslims are there in the US?
The Muslim population in North America is estimated at 6 million, with 2.5 million in the US. Other estimates put the Muslim population between 4 to 8 million, a figure strongly disputed by a recent study by the University of Chicago commissioned by the American Jewish Committee. They came up with 1.7 million Muslims.
How could you explain this variation?
The wide range of variation is estimates happen because the US does not collect census data based on religious affiliation.
Where do American Muslims come from?
The Britannica Book of the Year estimated that in mid 2000, there were 4.1 million Muslims in the United States, out of which, 1.65 million are of African American origin. A study of mosques in the US estimated that 6 per cent of American converts to Islam are Hispanic, 27 per cent are white and 64 per cent are African American and 3 per cent a mixture of other backgrounds.
Where is the Muslim community concentrated in the US?
32.2 per cent are in the East Coast, 25.3 per cent in the South, 24.3 per cent in the Central and Great Lakes Region and 18.2 per cent in the West. The ten states with the highest Muslim concentration are California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Indiana, Michigan, Virginia, Texas, Ohio and Maryland. These ten states constitute 3.3 million Muslims.
What is the size of the US Halal industry?
Data is unavailable. However, the Muslim buying power for food was estimated at US$12 billion in 1999.
Does a Halal section exist in supermarkets?
A halal section, even though small and hardly extensive, is only available in some large chains. An example would be ValuMart, a chain frequented mostly by a Hispanic clientele in California. Apart from Halal beef, lamb and chicken, it offers Halal pizza and ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat frozen food.
Other mainstream food markets practically have no Halal section. An Asian section however, has been introduced in these markets. In Asian ethnic stores, many products from Thailand and Malaysia sport a Halal logo.
What is the general perception of Americans towards Halal?
Most have not even heard of it, which is hardly surprising as many do not even know of quality standards like ISO and HACCP. However, American staff at MATRADE are aware that a Halal label signifies quality and religious handling.
Does the US government support its Halal industry?
Yes, in a way. As the recognition of Halal is backed by the government, state authorities have also supported the passing of a Halal Bill in California, Michigan, New Jersey, Illinois and Minnesota. The bill ensures that food with a Halal logo is not falsely labelled.
Is the potential of Halal products fully tapped in the US?
No. there is yet to be a definite market.
USA AT A GLANCE:
Name: United States of America
Area: 9.63 million sq km
Population: 290 million
Capital City: Washington DC (pop: 607,000)
People: Caucasian (71%), African American (12%), Latino (12%), Asian (4%), Native American (0.9%)
Language: English, Spanish, Native American
Region: Protestant (56%), Roman Catholic (28%), Jewish (2%), Muslim (1%)
GDP: US$10.45 trillion
GDP per capita: US$36,300
Inflation: 2.2%
Major Industries: Oil, electronics, computers, automobile manufacturing, aerospace industries, agriculture, telecommunications, chemicals, mining, processing and packaging
Major Trading Partners: Canada, Japan, Mexico, the UAE
For more information contact the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) head office at +603 2616 3333 or visit its website at http://www.matrade.gov.my
**This article was first published in The Halal Journal May/Jun 2005 edition.