Halal, an emerging market caters to the world’s ‘third billion’. The Muslim population currently stands at 1.8 billion and is expected to grow at an average rate of 1.5% annually to reach an estimated amount of 2.2 billion by 2030, comprising 26% of the global population then. Taiwan has opened its doors to this potential and created a sizeable halal industry catering to local and international demands.
HALAL Taiwan, in its second year running, will be held from 25-28 June 2014 in the Taipei World Trade Centre and will showcase local halal certified food and beverages for the domestic and export market.
HALAL Taiwan is part of Asia’s Super 5-in-1 Food Show; an annual event covering the entire food supply chain and one of the biggest food related events in the Asia Pacific region. It combines the following:
- Taiwan International Halal Expo (HALAL Taiwan)
- Taipei International Food Show (FOOD Taipei)
- Taipei International Food Processing & Pharmaceutical Machinery Show (FOODTECH & PHARMATECH Taipei)
- Taipei International Package Industry Show (Taipei PACK)
- Taipei International Hotel Restaurant & Catering Show (Taiwan HORECA)
In 2013, this event in its entirety was represented by 1,557 exhibitors at 3,637 booths providing a growth of 2% and 3% respectively from the previous year.
Asia’s Super 5-in-1 Food Show: Number of Booths and Exhibitors 2011 – 2013
The number of international visitors attending has been on the rise since 2011 all hailing from different parts of the globe including Africa, Australia, North America, South America, Europe and other parts of Asia.
Asia’s Super 5-in-1 Food Show: International Visitors by Numbers 2011 – 2013
Taiwan, being an export-oriented industrial economy, has active local players within the halal market that leverage on their strengths of cultural food products to entice the Muslim consumer.
Royal Family Food Co. is one such local Taiwanese halal certified confectionaries company. One of the forerunners of promoting mochi (traditional Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice) desserts, Royal Family has responded to the recent trend for Asian food products across the globe. They combined this trend together with the demand for halal ingredients targeting emerging markets such as the Muslim market, Middle East, Asia, and the BRIC nations.
Inside the Royal Family store
Royal Family has two manufacturing plants within Taiwan producing mochi, bakery products, marshmallows, chocolates, and jellies. In order to educate consumers on their brand, Royal Family combines a factory, store and a museum used to provide information on their company’s history and product lines. The company is HACCP, ISO, and halal certified.
San Shu Gong Food Co. is another local Taiwanese company leveraging on unique cultural flavours such as mochi. Having decades of confectionary experience behind them San Shu Gong combines a factory, walk-in museum, café, and a beginner’s workshop for aspiring mochi makers.
San Shu Gong’s Café
The company regularly entertains school field trips educating students on the history of the company, Taiwanese confectionary, and local customs and traditions. San Shu Gong exports to companies across Australia, Africa, Europe, North and South America, as well as other parts of Asia.
Taiwan has also seen the demand for local halal poultry providers. Yunlin Yuanchang Poultry Product Coop responded to that demand and certified their company halal in 2013. Yunlin is a company consisting of a farm and factory where fresh, frozen, and ready-to-eat chicken, duck, and goose poultry products are provided.
The company caters to customers within Taiwan ranging from supermarkets, restaurants, companies, and individual customers. Fifty per cent of the demand for their poultry products comes from Muslim companies. Yunlin uses a farm-to-fork manufacturing process and ensures that the farm animals’ feed comes from organic sources and that they live according to their natural environment. The farm animals are therefore left to graze freely within their spacious enclosures.
Baby ducks nestling in their enclosure at the Yunlin farm
Operating in the region called Yunlin County famous as an agricultural farming area; Yunlin Yuanchang Poultry Product Coop ensures that they support local businesses by sourcing for local seasonal produce whenever needed within their supply chain. Yunlin is HACCP, ISO, and halal certified.
For more information on the exhibition, please visit the following: