halal

There are an estimated 3.35m Muslims in France, or 5% of the population, so many supermarkets will have a halal section; many towns also have halal butchers (which are often the only place where you can find ground lamb).

The market is extremely important in France and dominated by three brands: Isla Délice, Wassila (Casino) and Réghalal. Along with fresh meat, supermarkets oftencarry frozen and prepared halal meals.

In France, there is some controversy over the number of sheep and cattle that are ritually killed according to halal practices. In several other countries in western Europe it’s illegal to slaughter an animal before it is stunned, but not in France.