Rising demand, opportunities in Islamic markets driving up Bulgaria’s halal certification and exports

Bulgaria has had a long history with Islam. For close to 500 years the Ottomans ruled the Eastern European country, but over the past century Bulgaria has been secular, while the majority of the population is Christian. Now, Bulgaria has more than 100 halal-certified companies, as its food manufacturers seek to take advantage of rising demand and new opportunities in neighboring Islamic markets in Western Europe, Turkey, the Middle East and Iran. Can Bulgaria give its bigger EU neighbors a run for their money in the halal sector?