Whether a reflection of their sheer numbers or the rising incomes of second- and third-generation Muslim immigrants, the market in halal goods is nearly twice the size of the market for organic food.

France is clearly worried about the cultural loyalties of its Muslims and what that may mean for the future. The lower house of Parliament voted overwhelmingly this summer to ban the wearing of full facial veils in public places, and the Senate is expected to take up the matter in the coming months. The expansion of halal has also stirred protest, with some government officials denouncing it as spreading “sectarianism” and inviting discrimination against non-Muslims.

Proponents of the phenomenon agree that the expanding array of halal food here is a sign that the blending of religion, commerce and culture has been more extensive than many realize. But they have a very different take on the trend.

“It’s a sign of integration,” said Abbas Bendali, the director of Solis, a market research agency, who says the halal market is growing nearly 10 percent a year and should reach about $5.7 billion this year. The younger segment of France’s Muslim population, he said, “no longer lives with the myth of returning to their home country.”

Regardless of the emotions it stirs, the growth of halal in France is undeniable. In the last five years alone, spending per household on halal food has grown twentyfold, according to the daily newspaper Le Figaro.