25 Per Cent of Italy’s Famous Buffalo Mozzarella Is Halal

mozzarella
MARIO LAPORTA/AFP/Getty

One in four Italian buffalo mozzarellas are made for the halal market as demand from Muslim consumers in Europe and the Gulf states soars.

Halal buffalo mozzarella was launched in 2011 by a Naples cheesemaker, with 22 million pounds of the Islamic certified product being made last year alone, reports The Times.

Buffalo mozzarella is made from the milk of buffalos and is creamier than the mozzarella made with cows’ milk, and also more expensive.

The cheese is produced in line with halal food preparation guidelines, meaning machines used to make the cheese must be cleaned with alcohol-free products and animal rennet used to make the cheese must come from halal-slaughtered animals. The product must be certified by the imam of Naples’ mosque.

Combined sales to France and Germany account for half of all products exported. Britain buys 13 per cent of the exported product.

Demand from the United Arab Emirates has risen by 50 per cent in the past two years, with customers from the Gulf state paying around £30 a pound, once exported, compared to around £3 a pound in Italy.

Domenico Raimondo, head of the Italian producers’ association, said demand for halal buffalo mozzarella will only grow. “There are around two billion halal consumers in the world, and by 2030 they will constitute around 26 per cent of the world’s consumption,” Mr. Raimondo said.

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