What Halal Products Do Today’s Young Halal Consumers Want?

Young Halal consumers want products that let them live a life consistent with modern concepts of health, wellness, and fun as well as increased eco- and social consciousness, all while maintaining deeply meaningful religious practices. Many young consumers are thinking beyond just Halal certification to other eco and socially conscious certifications like Organic, GMO-free, Vegan, Cruelty-free, Humane Raised, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, and more. They also expect a new kind of transparency from companies, seeking out information on how animals were raised, how workers were treated, and how environmental concerns are addressed.

Millennials also want variety: they want to be able to enjoy vacations, global cuisine, ethical cosmetics, and healthy lifestyle products, and to be able to pick from a wide range of options. Combining Halal certification with another environmental or ethical certification and offering information about sourcing and production can make your product truly stand out.

Halal, Organic, Free-Range

A great example of meeting Halal and other concerns is Halal Pastures, a family farm in New York that offers Halal, Organic, grass-fed beef, lamb, and poultry. Their approach goes beyond a simplistic interpretation of Halal to encompass Tayeb, an Arabic word meaning pure and wholesome. They believe that:

• health,
• nutrition,
• and sustainability​​​

are key aspects of a holistic approach to Halal food, and the photos and videos on their website show that they are proud of everything they do.

Global Halal Cuisine

In addition to traveling, Halal consumers today want to be able to experience the world through cuisine. An interest in food isn’t limited to dishes from traditionally Muslim countries but includes new favorites from many parts of the world. Several companies have had success marketing Halal-certified English staples to the new generation of Muslim Britons – a quick search on UKFrozenFood.com turns up over half a dozen options for Halal meat pies, a classic English dish.

In the US, the popular Halal-certified brand Midamar offers a wide range of products, from beef breakfast strips to gyro slices to chicken nuggets. This kind of variety is exactly what young Halal consumers are looking for.

Halal makeup and consumer products

These interests extend well beyond just Halal food and beverages to a wide range of consumer products. Recent years have seen more makeup, supplement, and clothing brands gain Halal certification. A great example of this is the Halal-certified, water-permeable nail polishes offered by brands like Vivre and 786 Cosmetics. While traditional nail polish forms an impermeable layer that prevents water from touching the nail and thus, prevents Muslims from properly performing ritual washing before prayers, these brands are water permeable. This allows the wearer to wash before prayer without needing to remove the nail polish, and in doing so, meets both religious needs and modern style preferences. They are also alcohol and animal product-free, making them Halal, Vegan, and PETA-certified Cruelty-Free, a consideration that matters deeply to many young Halal shoppers.

Vivre and 786 Cosmetics aren’t alone: there are over a dozen popular and emerging brands now focused on Halal products, including Shade M, Halal Beauty Cosmetics, Tuesday in Love, Claudia Nour, and PHB Ethical Beauty. Several other popular brands are not certified but emphasize the Halal suitability of their products, realizing that this is important to young Muslim consumers. For example, INIKA Organic does not specifically mention a Halal certification but is certified Organic, Vegan, and Cruelty-Free and on their website, states that they are committed to Halal values. In addition to makeup, many young Halal consumers are interested in shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and other body care products that meet Halal standards, as well as those that use natural, organic, and vegan ingredients.

As young Halal consumers around the world enter adulthood, they look for ways to navigate the overwhelming choice in packaged foods, consumer goods, lifestyle products, and experiences. They want variety, authenticity, and transparency, all with the assurance that comes with Halal certification.