A Manchester businessman has launched what he says is the UK’s first Halal-friendly cat food.

Tiana is aimed at some 500,000 Muslim cat owners in the UK, who are said to be spending 'inordinate amounts of time and money tracking down appropriate, fish-themed brands or making home-cooked recipes with appropriate human-grade ingredients'.

Tiana founder, Pankaj Hurria said the idea for halal-centric cat food was initially sparked by a throwaway comment made by a good friend’s mother who asked, ‘when would the pet food sector would wake up to the ‘halal-friendly’ opportunity?’ After carrying out research with his good friend Umar, a devout Muslim and owner of communications agency, Pie Analysis, Pankaj launched a speculative 4-week teaser campaign.

He said: "In a way it makes perfect sense that a ‘pet humanisation’ movement that already encompasses every imaginable ‘food minority’ interest from grain-free, vegan, bio-organic, paleo, improved gut health and an array of dietary specific offerings: joint relief, hypoallergenic, teeth health, vitamin plus, would ultimately crave a first mover in halal-friendly meals."

He added: "I’ve always known that when I made the transition to brand owner my brand needed to embrace ‘sustainable, planet-friendly thinking which is why the three-strong range utilises state-of-the-art freeze-drying over nutrient-sapping heat pasteurisation.

"The removal of 70% moisture means that transport/storage costs are dramatically slashed, because adding water at source makes so much sense."