Conversation about Malaysia's halal industry routinely mentions cosmetics and pharmaceuticals as if they sat alongside food. JAKIM's records do not support that.
Of 8,291 records in the directory, food and beverage holds 7,296. Medical devices holds 18.
The numbers
| JAKIM category | Records |
|---|---|
| Food & beverage | 7296 |
| Contract manufacturing | 1822 |
| Cosmetics & personal care | 446 |
| Consumer goods | 326 |
| Pharmaceutical | 249 |
| Medical device | 18 |
The scale of the gap
The food category is larger than every other category combined, several times over. That matters when reading market projections: growth forecast for "halal" in general is almost always food growth.
Small categories are an opportunity, not a weakness
446 cosmetics records and 249 pharmaceutical records mean a far smaller supplier pool. For a brand that means limited choice — but also less competition on the shelf.
About these figures
Counted from JAKIM's own Halal Directory, captured on 5 August 2026. The directory changes as certificates are issued, renewed and expire, so a recount on a later date will differ. Nothing here is estimated: where a record does not state something, it is reported as not stated rather than filled in.