Consumer Survey Report: Executive Summary: Comparing Halal requirements for labelling food and cosmetics in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and United Kingdom (UK)

In 2016, we carried out a representative consumer survey to compare halal requirements for labelling food and cosmetics in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom (UK). The major difference that emerged between the UAE and UK was the greater range or requirements/demands of halal consumers in the UK, and the equal lack of demand/ knowledge in the UAE. Indeed, as the halal market has expanded in recent decades to become established globally, trust in the ability of the meat industry to produce ‘authentic halal meat’ has declined; the halal status of meat in the UK has thus been widely questioned, while the demands/ requirements of halal consumers have increased significantly (Lever and Miele 2012). In Islamic countries, food and meat in particular is still often taken to be halal at ‘face value’ (Bergeaud-Blackler et al 2015).