Some of the larger multinationals are creating more products to cater to the growing Muslim consumer group ahead of a new law that requires all halal goods to be labelled as such.

As the growing desire for halal products increases, so does the need for a clearer level of certification for the products. And the new law, the first of its kind, is hoped to do that.

L’Oréal, Beiersdorf, and Unilever are all said to be upping their halal production in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, with the new law requiring food to be labelled halal by 2017 and cosmetics by 2018.

Certified halal products – those that have been recognised as being manufactured in keeping with Islamic Sharia law – are growing in popularity as the ‘middle-class Muslim’ consumer group grows, and, as such, so does their spending power.

Therefore catering to this growing market is of utmost importance for the big brands, with many seeing the new law as unlocking new avenues, rather than being a financial burden.

Dirk Mampe of German chemicals company BASF, told Reuters, “It’s an enabler to do business in certain areas of the world. There is a trend that these halal products are being requested more and more, and the importance of being able to supply them is increasing.”