French Muslims Confused Over Halal Restrictions

The news suspended forks on their way to mouths, and sent supermarkets rushing to pull goods from shelves. Last month, the website Débat Halal claimed it had evidence that a popular brand of halal-certified poultry sausages marketed in France by a giant international food producer actually contain pork, rendering them forbidden — or haram — to Muslims. The accusation led many French Muslims to question how they can be sure that any of the halal food they buy meets certification standards — only to discover that no single set of standards exists for determining which products are halal and which aren't. Now, some observers are hoping that the haram hubbub may finally push France's Muslim leaders to agree upon a united code for the halal food sector — one of the biggest-booming niche markets in the nation.

The stir began when Débat Halal published a Jan. 16 report saying that tests had detected pork — a substance forbidden under both halal and kosher rules — within halal-branded poultry sausages produced by Herta, a unit of global food giant Nestlé. Counter-tests revealed by Herta a week later found no traces of pork in their Knacki Halal poultry sausages. Nevertheless, on Feb. 1, one of France's largest supermarket chains, Casino, removed the sausages from its stores to run its own test to "guarantee the strictest respect of halal certification." Still, the entire episode led Muslim consumers to wonder about the reliability of all the halal food they buy.

Courtesy by: Time

Most halal products lack official approval

Just over a third of all the halal products offered for sale in Indonesia actually have official halal certificates, according food and drug monitoring agencies.

Only 41,495 products — 36.73 percent of all products registered at the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) — had official halal certificates, according to the BPOM.

Lukmanul Hakim, the Indonesian Ulema Council’s (MUI) Food and Drug Analysis Agency chairman, said on Tuesday that there was lack of awareness among manufacturers about the need for halal certification.

Halal certification was needed to show that certain products could be safely consumed Muslims and to ensure that the products could be consumed by all people, regardless of religion, due to the healthy and nutritious ingredients and hygienic production process required for halal products, he said.

“Halal certification will assure that the products are safe both in terms of sharia and hygiene,” he said on the sidelines of a hearing with the House of Representatives’ Commission VIII overseeing religious affairs.

According to government regulations on food labeling and advertising, every manufacturer or importer of products to be circulated in the Indonesian market had to declare that their consumable goods were halal.

They were also responsible for affixing halal labels to their products.

A 1996 Health Ministry regulation stipulated that the MUI’s halal certification process would be based on an edict (fatwa) issued by the council’s commission on the use of product ingredients.

The regulation further stipulated that a agreement letter on the use of halal logos would be issued by the BPOM.

“By attaching a halal logo, a manufacturer ensures that the product is safe for Muslims,” Lukmanul said, adding that such certifications were needed since most Indonesians were Muslim.

In fact, many consumable goods circulating in the domestic market lack halal certificates.

The House of Representatives has been deliberating a bill on halal products that would make it mandatory for food and drugs offered for sale in Indonesia to bear a halal label.

The bill, however, has sparked controversy among manufacturers, who said it would be an additional burden on the national economy. The bill was also criticized as superfluous since existing laws regulating food and drugs were sufficient.

Lukmanul, whose organization and the BPOM have been authorized to issue halal certifications, said the bill would hopefully increase awareness on the importance of certification.

According to a BPOM market survey, 54.9 percent of all products with halal logos that it found offered for sale had not been officially certified halal.

“Not all products with halal logos have official halal certificates,” Lukmanul said, adding that most halal logos were counterfeit.

Lukmanul said the situation was worsening since people were unable to determine whether if the products they purchased were genuinely halal.

BPOM director Kustantinah said the agency had continuously monitored consumable goods safety by intensifying pre-and post-sale controls.

“We still find many products improperly using halal logos, however,” she said.

She said that 357 products of 843 products surveyed by the agency in 2010 improperly displayed halal logos, meaning that they actually had no halal certificates.

Lukmanul said that popular awareness of the importance of halal certifications for daily consumable goods had significantly increased.

Citing a recent report, he said 21,837 products were certified halal in 2010, a 100 percent increase from 2009. About 21 percent of the products certified as halal were imported from the US, the EU, Australia, New Zealand and China, among other countries.

“We have seen a sharp increase in interest among foreign manufacturers to obtain halal certificates for their products. This is part of their strategy to win our market,” he said.

He said Chinese manufacturers’ awareness of halal certifications had increased sharply, as evinced by China’s 21 percent share of halal-certified imported products.

“They may think that a halal certification will increase the competitiveness of their products in the Indonesian market,” he said.

In another hearing session on the bil at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Indonesian Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI) chairman Soedaryatmo questioned the government’s ability to make the certification obligatory, saying that it had turned blind eye to companies that have refused to comply with the policy.

“It would be better that the certification is voluntary,” he said as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

He also said that the existing procedure also burdened micro and small companies as certification officials have asked fees to conduct surveillance on their products.

Courtesy by: The Jakarta Post

How Democracy Became Halal

IN the Western study of medieval Islamic history, the institution of iqta — land grants from the sovereign to his soldiers — once loomed large, because scholars searched for reasons behind the Muslim failure to develop feudalism, and with it the contractual relationships that eventually led to constitutional government. But looking for parallels between the West and Islam — especially the classical Islamic heartland from North Africa to Iran — has always been politically a sad endeavor, since the region seemed so resistant to the ideas and institutions that made representative government possible.
President George W. Bush’s decision to build democracy in Iraq seemed so lame to many people because it appeared, at best, to be another example of American idealism run amok — the forceful implantation of a complex Western idea into infertile authoritarian soil. But Mr. Bush, whose faith in self-government mirrors that of a frontiersman in Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America,” saw truths that more worldly men missed: the idea of democracy had become a potent force among Muslims, and authoritarianism had become the midwife to Islamic extremism.
One of the great under-reported stories of the end of the 20th century was the enormous penetration of the West’s better political ideas — democracy and individual liberty — into the Muslim consciousness. For those of us who speak and read Persian, the startling evolution was easier to see. Theocracy-versus-democracy has been a defining theme of the Islamic Republic of Iran since the revolution, which harnessed both Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s religious charisma and the secular intelligentsia’s democratic aspirations. Over the last three decades, clerical Iran has nurtured an intense intellectual discourse about the duties that man owes to God.
When the legitimacy of theocracy started to unravel amid the regime’s corruption and brutality in the late 1980s, democratic ideas, including powerful democratic interpretations of the Islamic faith, roared forth. The explosion on the streets after the fraudulent presidential elections of June 2009 was just the most visible eruption of the enormous democratic pressures that had built up underneath the republic’s autocracy. More regime-threatening moments are surely coming.
Today’s Arab societies — less intellectually vibrant than Iran, in great part because their regimes have been more effective in shutting down internal debate — have become increasingly schizophrenic. Long before the tumult in Tunisia and Egypt, Arab liberal secular intellectuals had divided. Except for the fearless, who went to prison, liberals who didn’t flee their homelands usually became “court liberals,” whose views never seriously challenged the rulers.
Aware of the dismal fates of their kind in Iran under Ayatollah Khomeini, they faithfully echoed the anti-Islamist, après-moi-le-déluge fears that the region’s autocrats used in Washington whenever American officials objected to tyranny. Democracy remained for them a cherished ideal, attainable at some future date when the Islamists had lost their appeal and the despots their power.
The secular intellectuals in exile, however, more forcefully embraced the democratic cause — their newspapers, books, magazines, Web sites and, increasingly, appearances on Al Jazeera — delivered their views back home. Intellectuals of such diverse viewpoints as Kanan Makiya, Edward Said, Saad Eddin Ibrahim and Burhan Ghalioun opened up an ever-increasing liberal, democratic space in foreign and Arabic publications. Yes, some mixed their message of liberty with other “Arab” priorities: anti-Zionism, anti-Americanism and anti-imperialism. But their support of democracy was clear, and became more acute after the 9/11 attacks.

Courtesy By: The Opinion Page

Halal market valued at $1.2 trillion

More than 1.8 billion consumers worldwide purchase halal products according to the International Halal Integrity Alliance with the halal food market forecast to grow by more than 20% over the next decade.
Taking place from February 27 to March 2 at the Dubai International Convention and Conference Centre, Gulfood 2011 hosts companies from more than 100 countries around the world, and is ideally positioned at the epicentre of a burgeoning international import and export halal market.
“Gulfood plays a pivotal role in the industry by both showcasing products and fostering growth in the regional markets. In terms of the halal food and beverage category specifically, this is demonstrated by the wide range of international companies participating at Gulfood, and the increasing number of local and regional companies specialising in the halal market who attend to broaden their markets beyond the GCC,” said Helal Almarri, CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre, organiser of Gulfood.
“Halal is an increasingly important pillar of the trade, and Gulfood is perfectly positioned both geographically and economically as a trading hub to support and facilitate continued growth for local, regional and international businesses in the halal segment,” he added.
The focus on halal products at Gulfood extends from almost every corner of the world, with beef, poultry, dairy, raw ingredients and flavourings, baby foods and processed foods just some of product lines on show. Country pavilions including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, New Zealand, and the US all have exceptionally strong halal product representation.

Khazan Foods, one of the Middle East’s top producers of premium chilled and frozen meat products and quality food in the FMCG market, and the platinum sponsor for this year’s Gulfood exhibition, will be unveiling their latest halal product range aimed at the health conscious consumer. Called Light & Vital, the premium beef, turkey and chicken products are low fat, and free of lactose, MSG, soya and gluten.
“We have chosen Gulfood to launch our latest range because the reach of this exhibition enables us to keep our customers updated on our product offerings, rev up our sales and increase our market share, all at the same time,” said Frank Andreu, General Manager of Khazan.

Included in the 300-plus halal exhibitors at Gulfood this year, are: Al Accad Department Stores, Al Islami Foods, Americana Meat, Brazil Food, Herfy Food Service Co., Matrade, Nestle, Rembrandt Foods Inc., Sadia International, The Halal Catering Argentina and Volys Star.

Courtesy by: Hotelier Meddle East

Halal industry awareness campaign starts

Lahore—National Awareness Road Show on Halal Industry organized by Halal Research Council has been started from Peshawar. The prime aim of this road show is to promote nationwide awareness of Halal industry and Halal products of Pakistan in the international market. While conducting 150 Awareness Seminars it will pass by 50 Major Cities of Pakistan and end up on 01st Mar 2011 in Karachi.

Dr. Tila Muhammad, Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Peshawar briefed the audience about the latest trends of Halal industry. He admired the selfless efforts of Halal Research Council for the promoting of Halal industry and confirmed his full support for the cause. Addressing to the audience, Mr. Muhammad Sulaiman, Director, Pakistan National Accreditation Council Islamabad admired the efforts of PNAC and gave the details of the workouts of the council. Dr. Subhan Queshi, KPK Agriculture University Peshawar praised noteworthy endeavors of the department of food technology. An awareness program was also conducted to help industrialists and exporters to develop the awareness of the international Halal linkages. This was arranged in Sarhad chamber building with the mutual collaboration of Tribal Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Exporters and industrialists in bulk participated in this program.

While speaking to the participants, Mr. Muhammad Zubair Mughal, CEO, Halal Research Council said that the volume of Halal market is 2.3 trillion dollars in which Pakistan doesn’t have even a smaller share into that. Pakistan can earn heavy revenue with Halal branding. He further added that ten countries are on the top of the list of Halal food exporters e.g. Brazil, America, France, India, Russia and New Zealand etc. Pakistan having name being the large Muslim state can earn name in 1.8 billion dollars market of Halal food industry of Muslim world.

It is to clear that Halal Research Council is working for the promotion of Halal industry. This road show will conduct different programs in Sarhad, Truibal, Murdan Islamabad, Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, SMEDA, Minsitry of Science and Technology. State bank of Pakistan ARID University etc and will end up with a grand closing ceremony in Karachi on March 01, 2011.

Courtesy By: Pakistan Observer

Gov’t targets to finalize national halal standards by April

THE GOVERNMENT hopes to finalize unified standards for halal products by April, in time for presentation in an international conference scheduled that month, the Agriculture department said in a statement yesterday.
Such a move, in turn, has long been cited by both government and industries as a requirement to penetrating the global halal market that is estimated to be worth some $2.3 trillion.
Halal refers to the prescribed process of preparing certain products according to Islamic law.
Local halal products have been certified by groups like the Ulama Conference of the Philippines. But Republic Act No. 9997, or the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) Act of 2009, sought to introduce a national system by forming this agency to accredit halal-certifying bodies.
Still, these standards and certifying procedures have to be harmonized with what is enforced in major Muslim countries if Philippine halal exports are to gain a foothold in these markets.
The press statement quoted Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala as saying that nationwide consultations are now under way to finalize three draft standards, namely: the Halal Agriculture and Fishery Products, the Code of Halal Slaughtering Practices for Poultry and the Code of Halal Slaughtering Practices for Large Ruminants. Besides prescribing specific procedures for each food group, the standards will also "address issues on genetically modified organisms," the statement added.
The Agriculture department hopes to finalize these halal standards in time for their presentation at the meeting of the ASEAN Technical Working Group on Halal Food and the World Halal Forum this April in Malaysia, the statement said.
"I had instructed the Department of Agriculture’s Halal Food Industry Development Committee, chaired [sic] by BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) 12 (Central Mindanao) Regional Director Sani D. Macabalang to undertake a series of consultations with stakeholders nationwide, so they could share in refining the proposed draft standards," Mr. Alcala said.
The first consultation, held last Jan. 24 at the Bureau of Plant Industry office in Quezon City, was attended by 50 Muslim scholars from Metro Manila, as well as representatives of NCMF, relevant agencies and the private sector, the statement said.
Datu Tahir S. Lidasan, Jr., NCMF director for External Relations and Halal Technical and Accreditation Unit, said in a phone interview yesterday that another round is scheduled in Cebu City from Feb. 7-9.
The statement said two other hearings have been planned: one in General Santos City on Feb. 16 and another in Zamboanga City sometime in March.
"[Middle Eastern countries] do not produce their own food," Mr. Lidasan explained. "The Philippines wants to get a share of that market, which is actually dominated by non-Muslim countries like New Zealand, Australia, and the United States."

Courtesy by: Business World

Kuwait Resolutions supports the banning of machine slaughter for Halal.

"The First Gulf Conference on Halal Industry and its Services". Organized by Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs State of Kuwait, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research and GCC Standardization Organization. 

The conference which was hosted by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs of Kuwait (MAIASK), the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), and GCC Standardization Organization.

The conference enjoyed the cooperation with international specialized organizations in the halal standards industry, the Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation, the Public Authority for Industry in Kuwait, Halal Industry Development Foundation for the Awqaf Ministry of Malaysia, International Halal Integrity Alliance of Malaysia (IHIA), the Association of Awareness and Information to the Defence of Muslim Consumers in France (ASIDCOM), Muslim council of Britain (MCB), and the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA).

The conference also lined up diverse group of speakers from all over the world, including Malaysia, South Africa, USA and UK. The conference covered a wide array of topics ranging such as global halal standards, status of ingredients, and animal welfare standards.

Deputy Prime Minister for Legal Affairs, Minister of Justice, and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Rashed Al-Hammad said, “All products of this industry should be fully compliant to the provisions of Islamic sharia.” the minister made his remarks when addressing the first Gulf conference on halal.

The Conference called for providing the necessary financial support for scientific research centres and universities to conduct research on ways to detect Hararn (prohibited) materials in the foods, considering the great need for such findings in substantiating the religious decisions adopted by the Islamic jurisprudence bodies.
The Conference recommends applying caution with the use of stunning methods as much as possible and alternatively advocates use of hand slaughtering when performing Zibbah, with emphasis on the enforcement of the Islamic jurisprudence bodies resolutions, and in particular the Decision of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy No: 95 (3 / 10).
The Conference recommends referring the scientific papers presented throughout the conference sessions on stunning methods to the International Islamic Fiqh Academy for review and appraisal.
At the conclusion of the conference the participants decided to extend their deepest thanks and gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Sabah A1-Ahmad A1- Iaber A1-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, may Allah protect him, and His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad A1-Iaber A1-Sabah, the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Moharmriad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister for Legal Affairs, and Minister of Iustice, the Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Chancellor Rashed Abdul Mohsen Al-Hammad Chancellor, for his patronage of the Conference.

Courtesy by: Halal World

National Awareness Road Show on Halal Industry Starts from Peshawar

 

National Awareness Road Show on Halal Industry Starts from Peshawar

While conducting 150 Awareness Seminars it will pass by 50 Major Cities of Pakistan and End up on 01^st Mar 2011 in Karachi

Feb 02, 2011

(Lahore) National Awareness Road Show on Halal Industry organized by Halal Research Council has been started on Feb 01, 2011 from Peshawar. The prime aim of this road show is to promote nationwide awareness of Halal industry and Halal products of Pakistan in the international market. While conducting 150 Awareness Seminars it will pass by 50 Major Cities of Pakistan and end up on 01^st Mar 2011 in Karachi.

Dr. Tila Muhammad, Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Peshawar briefed the audience about the latest trends of Halal industry. He admired the selfless efforts of Halal Research Council for the promoting of Halal industry and confirmed his full support for the cause. Addressing to the audience, Mr. Muhammad Sulaiman, Director, Pakistan National Accreditation Council Islamabad admired the efforts of PNAC and gave the details of the workouts of the council. Dr. Subhan Queshi, KPK Agriculture University Peshawar praised noteworthy endeavors of the department of food technology. An awareness program was also conducted to help industrialists and exporters to develop the awareness of the international Halal linkages. This was arranged in Sarhad chamber building with the mutual collaboration of Tribal Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Exporters and industrialists in bulk participated in this program.

While speaking to the participants, Mr. Muhammad Zubair Mughal, CEO, Halal Research Council said that the volume of Halal market is 2.3 trillion dollars in which Pakistan doesn’t have even a smaller share into that. Pakistan can earn heavy revenue with Halal branding. He further added that ten countries are on the top of the list of Halal food exporters e.g. Brazil, America, France, India, Russia and New Zealand etc. Pakistan having name being the large Muslim state can earn name in 1.8 billion dollars market of Halal food industry of Muslim world.

It is to clear that Halal Research Council is working for the promotion of Halal industry. This road show will conduct different programs in Sarhad, Truibal, Murdan Islamabad, Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, SMEDA, Minsitry of Science and Technology. State bank of Pakistan ARID University etc and will end up with a grand closing ceremony in Karachi on March 01, 2011.

Halal burgers and hotdogs now available at Union Market

Two halal meat options, a burger or hotdog, are now being offered at the Union Market as of Jan. 28.
"Our goal is to make (halal food) available as much as possible," said Zia Ahmed, senior director of Campus Dining Services at Ohio State.
Halal meat is meat that Muslims are permitted to eat according to Islamic dietary guidelines and the Quran. "Halal" means "lawful" in Arabic. The meat, which can never be pork, must be slaughtered in a certain way and in the name of Allah.
Some Muslim students at OSU opted out of eating meat on campus because of the lack of any certified halal meat through dining services.
"As a freshman with a meal plan, I could not eat meat. I had no choice but to eat a vegetarian diet. Many Muslim freshmen, limited to meal plans, do not eat meat on campus," said Maria Ahmad, president of OSU's Muslim Students' Association and a third-year in speech and hearing sciences.
Students unable to eat meat on campus were the main inspiration behind Ahmad's campaign platform in Spring 2010 to bring halal foods to OSU.
Ahmad caught wind of Food Service Express' media outreach via webinars and speeches at conferences that advised students on ways to approach campus administrators about providing halal options.
Don Tymchuck, president of HalalHealthy.com and Med-Diet, a parent company of Food Service Express, spoke at the Muslim Students' Association Conference on Jan. 30 at the Ohio Union.
"Students must create the demand. Campus Dining Services will not provide alternative dining options unless that demand is expressed," Tymchuck said. "It is my goal to prime the pump by guiding students."
After reading a packet on Tymchuck's steps for addressing campus administration, Ahmad contacted Ahmed in Autumn 2010.
"I came from the University of Akron four months ago and my goal is to refocus commitment to student feedback, to address all backgrounds: religious, cultural, and even dietetic needs," Ahmed said. "We've met with students from the USG, BSA (Black Student Association) and graduate societies."
Campus Dining Services is not just waiting for requests; it is also focusing on reaching out to students.
"We are reaching out and soliciting information. But we would never arbitrarily place a product out there … it would not make sense to introduce a product no one wants," Ahmed said.
Tymchuck said there is a niche for halal.

"Halal has a market. Nearly half of the colleges we surveyed had 100 or more Muslim students; however, only 6 percent had halal meal plans," Tymchuck said.
Ahmad said it took three meetings with the Undergraduate Student Government's Diversity Committee supporting the Muslim Students' Association and one meeting with the Muslim Students' Association representing itself to convince Dining Services that halal should be offered.
Ahmed said Campus Dining Services took its time sorting out the logistics of offering halal. Ahmad said it is difficult to provide food that meets religious guidelines. It took two weeks for dining services to get halal meat on the Union Market grill.
"It is important to do something the right way. You can imagine how terrible it would be if we called something halal or kosher and it was discovered not to be," she said.
Food supplier Restaurant Depot now provides meat that is halal-certified to Campus Dining Services. The issues of contaminating halal were also addressed. Halal meat ceases to be halal if contaminated by haram foods — "haram" means "forbidden" in Arabic.
Ahmed said measures were taken to educate chefs about halal and that one side of the grill is used specially to cook halal burgers or halal hot dogs.
"The University will probably see if students respond well to halal. They should; it's a big deal," said Ahmad. "Students want dining to be a home away from home." 

Courtesy by: The Lentern

Nestle suspends halal products due to pork traces

Nestle (NESN.VX) said on Tuesday it was suspending all production of its Herta halal products after a laboratory found traces of pork.
"We have decided to carry out DNA tests so this will delay deliveries ... As a result we are suspending production in France until we find a new production process," a spokeswoman said.

Retailer Casino (CASP.PA) decided earlier on Tuesday to pull from the shelves halal sausages with the Herta brand. (Reporting by Gerard Bon; Editing by Will Waterman)

Courtesy by: Reuter

Abu Omar: Houston's Only Halal Taco Truck

I scanned the short menu on the side of Abu Omar, a silver-sided taco truck on Hillcroft at Pagewood. It wasn't very forthcoming about the kinds of meats it served, just listing items like tacos and tortas.

"Do you have chicharron?" I asked the smiling young man, Roberto, inside. "No," he replied. "We're...um..." He trailed off as the word seemed on the tip of his tongue. Finally: "Halal! We're halal. Only beef and chicken."
Abu Omar is, as far as I know, the only halal taco truck in Houston. And even more interestingly, it switches from Mexican specialties during the day to Middle Eastern cuisine at night: After 6 p.m., the truck offers shawarma, falafel, foul, Turkish coffee and much more. When you think about it, shawarma isn't all that different from al pastor-style meat (except with regard to the meat itself) -- so an Arab taco truck isn't that much of an aberration.
Nevertheless, it's an exciting and wondrously new thing here in Houston. So when my friend John, who works with refugees in the area, emailed me to tell me about the little truck -- which just opened two weeks ago -- I was incredibly excited to check it out.

Arriving on a sunny afternoon last week, John and I took in the hand-painted, bright yellow sign next to the truck, displaying its name in both English and Arabic. As I snapped a couple of pictures after ordering, a handsome young man got out of a car parked near the truck and walked over to me and John, curious about our intentions.
The owner introduced himself as Alex, a young man originally from Amman, Jordan. Upon hearing this, John eagerly launched into a discussion about restaurants and food in Amman and the foods that Alex carries in his little truck.

"Do you have lebne?" he asked. Alex nodded yes. "What about hummus?" Another nod, as John continued listing off items.
"We also have hot tea everyday," Alex said. "For free."
"With mint?!" John seemed to be barely containing himself.
"Of course!" Alex responded.
And just then, our orders were called up. My lengua taco came on two fresh, hot corn tortillas with plenty of cilantro, which I quickly doctored up with some creamy salsa verde that sat on the truck's ledge. It tasted like the wonderful ají amarillo sauce at Pollo Bravo, all spicy jalapeno and olive oil and a pinch of salt.

The sauteed tongue nearly melted in my mouth, a wonderful sensation that tasted almost like someone had made lengua butter and spread it on the hot tortillas. And although I'd been wary of ordering a chicken quesadilla (I'm pretty much a tacos and tortas kind of girl), it was equally good. But I noticed it had a distinct Middle Eastern quality about it.
The chicken tasted like shawarma-style chicken, seasoned with plenty of garlic and hints of cinnamon and nutmeg playing at the edges. It made me even more excited to come back here on one of these cool Spring evenings and try Alex and Roberto's real specialties.

And as much as I enjoy the chef-driven, gourmet taco trucks that have sprung up around town, there's a lot to be said for this kind of adventurous, cuisine-spanning spirit in a simple little taco truck off Hillcroft.

Nashville Red Cross to cater to religious dietary needs

The American Red Cross learned a few lessons from last year's catastrophic flood, including the growing religious diversity of Middle Tennessee and the food needed to honor those different ways of worship.

The result is a push by the charity to find vendors that can supply kosher meals for the area's Jewish population and halal meat for Middle Tennessee's Muslims.

It is part of an ongoing effort by the Red Cross to take more note of what different populations eat in order to better prepare for disasters.

"In a disaster, there are very limited resources, but we try to plan menus to accommodate as best as we can," said Joel Sullivan, CEO of the local chapter of the American Red Cross, which serves 17 counties surrounding Nashville. "We learned during the flood that there are dietary needs out there that there wasn't a demand for in this area before."

In the months after the flood, staff at the Red Cross have been calling community leaders to get advice on how they could have better responded.

Food was a popular topic.
The local Red Cross' primary meal suppliers are Second Harvest Food Bank and Southern Baptist Disaster Relief. They are looking for more vendors, especially those that can in a pinch supply meat-free and ethnic foods.

Kosher meals are prepared by Jewish standards, including the way an animal is slaughtered. Of the 8,000 Jewish people in greater Nashville, about 500 have strict kosher diets, said Rabbi Saul Strosberg of Congregation Sherith Israel on West End Avenue.

Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel of Chabad Nashville said he applauds the effort. The day the flood hit, Tiechtel and volunteers from Chabad Nashville delivered to shelters more than 300 kosher meals that had been prepared for an event that day.

"The Red Cross raises money from the general public, so the food it serves should be available to the general public," Tiechtel said.

Shelter is concern
Amir Arain, public relations director for the Islamic Center of Nashville, regularly buys meats from area restaurants that supply the center with halal meats, which are also slaughtered in a specific way. Most Muslims, per their religion, will eat anything in a disaster situation, he said.

Arain said there are 25,000 Muslims living in Middle Tennessee.

Arain's primary concern is for emergency shelter. Women must stay in a separate area, he said.

Santosh Kortian is the manager of Woodlands Indian Vegetarian Cuisine on West End Avenue.

During the flood, he sent money and vegetarian foods to shelters. The India Association of Nashville called him to send meals.

He said he hopes to never have to be in a situation in which he has to decide whether to compromise his vegetarianism in an emergency. Like Strosberg, Arain and Tiechtel, he appreciates the preparedness.

"It's impressive," Strosberg said. "They did such a good job that people are complaining about the food. That means they covered all the necessary ground."

Courtesy by: WBIR.com

Reputation of Halal Monitoring Committee of UK at Risk by Abusive Companies

Before the credible organisation took root in Muslim areas and began to proactively monitor and regulate the halal meat industry in the UK, one could not actually be sure whether the meat being sold as ‘halal’ was actually halal; or that it met the stringent demands of being Halal, from cradle to plate.
Expose after expose of malpractice and profiteering, by unscrupulous business men, had led many Muslims to either leave eating meat altogether, or feel deeply suspicious and apprehensive whenever eating meat.
So when the HMC label started appearing on shop windows, Muslims then knew with confidence, that a high level of scrutiny was taking place, by a credible organisation and they were willing to pay the difference in cost for peace of mind.

Many Muslims will now ONLY eat at HMC certified outlets, or outlets that source their meat from the HMC abattoirs and slaughterhouses; due to their trust in the brand and firm knowledge that it is not a profit driven organisation, manned largely by volunteers and overlooked by a body of authentic scholars.
So reports in the BBC of HMC bullying shops come as a surprise to many Muslims, given their reputation and standing within the community.
Now herein lies a problem, at first many meat shops and fast food outlets shunned HMC as a fad and refused to pay the paltry sum demanded, but when foot flow began to go elsewhere, a few began to change their mind and paid up. However, others have now began to ‘FAKE’ the HMC status, by having either amateur signs, or telling their customers that they are HMC certified, when they are not. Many cases of this have been uncovered in recent months.
HMC however, deny that they have been involved in any kind of bullying tactics or shaming retailers. There is no evidence other than statements by greedy, disgruntled shopkeepers who may not want to pay a few extra pence per chicken, or those disgusting retailers who deliberately try to pass haram meat for halal, and are now being found out.

Courtesy by: ABNA.ir

HDC signs 12 MoUs with Global Halal trade organizations

Karachi–The Halal Development Council of Pakistan (HDC) has made a major headway in associating the country products, industry and business with the global Halal economy currently being emphasized by the Muslim Ummah for lawful as well as good quality products, said Asad Sajjad, Secretary General, HDC.

Asad said that HDC has recently signed 12 memorandum of understanding (MOU) with acclaimed international Halal Certification Authorities, Research Centres, and Scientific Laboratories of Far East, South Africa, America and Europe for developing and promoting Pakistan as a major exporter of Halal goods and services to the global markets. The international organizations will offer support to HDC in maintaining the integrity of Halal products, to support in mainstreaming of Halal products for competing in the global market and to promote Halal certified products & services in Pakistan and OIC countries.

The MoUs signed by the HDC are with International Halal Integrity Alliance of Malaysia; Crescent rating Pte of Singapore; Department of Science and Technology of Philippines; Faroogh Sciences Research Lab of Iran; Halal Council of Mauritius; Muslim Judicial Halal Trust of South Africa; N.Z. Islamic Meat Management Co. of New Zealand; Halal Polaska of Poland; The Halal Catering Co of Argentina; Ethnic Focus Research of UK, Mufti’s Council of Russia and OnePure Beauty Company of Canada.

“Signing of MOUs with HDC by the renowned global organizations working for the trillion dollar global Halal economy reflect their commitment and support for the promotion of Halal goods and services from Pakistan and to take the International Halal movement forward from the platform provided by HDC..” said Asad Sajjad.

It may be mentioned that the HDC made the major breakthrough by organizing the 1st Global Halal Congress last month which succeeded in registering Pakistan as a potential player in the trillion dollar global Halal economy. Dr. Mustafa Ceric, the Grand Mufti of Bosnia, Malaysian State Minister of Trade & Religious Affairs and other eminent personalities from Far East, Africa, Europe, UK, USA and Canada participated in the Congress and shared their views and knowledge with the local leaders of trade, industry and policy makers.

Courtesy By: Pakistan Observer

Maple Leaf Farms Halal Duck Now Available to Purchase Online

Milford, IN, January 21, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Maple Leaf Farms Halal Whole Duck is now available for purchase online on the company’s website. Once available only to the foodservice industry, Halal Duck is now offered to consumers online and in limited retail stores.

Maple Leaf Farms Halal Whole Duck is a high quality USDA Grade A all-natural, farm-raised whole bird that has been certified by Islamic Services to comply with the principles and values of the Muslim community. The Halal Duck comes with giblets and a neck stuffed inside.

For more product information or to order Halal Duck online, visit the Maple Leaf Farms duck product page at http://www.mapleleaffarms.com/49?prod=276.

About Maple Leaf Farms:
Maple Leaf Farms, Inc. is America's leading producer of quality duck products, supplying retail and foodservice markets throughout the world with innovative, value-added foods. Founded in 1958, Maple Leaf Farms is a third generation family-owned company. For more information and delicious duck recipes.

Courtesy By: PR.com

Ramiz Hasanov: “Azerbaijan has not determined “halal” standard yet”

Baku. Shahriyar Alizadeh – APA. “Azerbaijan has not determined “halal” standard yet”, chairman of the State Committee on Standardization, Metrology and Patent Ramiz Hasanov told journalists, APA reports.


He said it was disputed issue. “We addressed all Muslim countries, but there are some problems. The mark of “halal” on any good is a trade mark and it has no any significance”.

Concerning the quality of foods, the committee chairman said there were problems with bakery production and sanctions were imposed against more than one hundred bakeries last year.

Ramiz Hasanov said much work has been done for coordination of Azerbaijani standards with European standards. “We try to make our standards recognized in Europe. There is a presidential order on this issue. We adopted 162 standards last year. Azerbaijan exports jams, juices to Europe now”.

Row brewing over halal meat regulation

An organisation which licenses companies dealing in halal meat has been accused of bullying the firms it regulates.

The Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC) was set up in 2003 in Leicester, with the aim of carrying out inspections in abattoirs and meat wholesalers and to monitor butchers. In return the businesses would be given a HMC licence - and pay a monthly fee.
Some retailers have complained the HMC is too heavy-handed, uses bullying tactics to get them to join the scheme and are just in it to make money.
But the HMC said it existed to give people peace of mind over quality of food, that it wanted to protect high standards and was not bullying anyone.

Mehboob Ayub, who has a butcher's shop in Huddersfield, alleged that HMC inspectors threatened him, tried to damage his property and told people in the local mosque not buy his meat.
"They tried to push me in my shop and argue with me, they tried to take my posters down and have been telling people in the local mosque not to buy meat from my shop," Mr Ayub said.
"I buy my meat from a HMC-registered slaughterhouse, my wholesaler has a HMC licence, so why should I pay them £30 a week to sell the meat? They just want money."
The HMC denies his claims, saying it does not go into mosques and "shame" retailers.

 

Halal meat: are you eating it without choosing it?

British public has no idea that they are eating halal meat, a senior member of the Church of England’s governing body said yesterday.

In comments likely to spark controversy, Alison Ruoff said, ‘this is just another back door way to the Islamification of our country.”

Livestock destined for halal meat is dispatched in a process that involves the animal being prayed over by a Muslim butcher as its throat is cut. Some religious abattoirs do no stun the animal, as Sharia law stipulate that the animal must hear the prayer. It’s estimated that it can take around 30 seconds to die.

Alison Ruoff continued: “We are still a Christian country in that 71% of people in the UK believe in a Christian God, not a Muslim God.”*

The interview on Premier Christian Radio’s Woman to Woman show yesterday tackled the issue of unlabelled halal meat being sold to unsuspecting customers in supermarkets; an issue that affect people of all faiths, and not just Christians.
Ruoff revealed that most stores stock halal lamb only, with Morrisons being the only store to label their products.

She believes that most meat imported from New Zealand is halal, enabling them to sell on to Muslim markets. She alleged that economically it’s cheaper to butcher the animals in the same way, rather than halal and non-halal.

Joy Barrow, Interfaith Relations Officer said: ”No person should be made to eat halal meat. Clearly it’s an issue of labelling.”

However, a Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “The specifications we give to our lamb suppliers relate to the safety, legality, quality, hygiene, animal welfare standards and product packaging for our lamb. We do not ask or check for compliance with any specific halal requirements, so couldn’t robustly support any halal claim on our packaging.”
Although when asked to explain a previous Sainsbury’s Head Office claim that all meat is halal, a later statement said, “In the case of lamb, Sainsbury’s purchases it from suppliers that use halal licensed abattoirs, which adhere to our strict quality and animal welfare standards.”
 
A Morrisons spokesperson said, “We only sell 100% British fresh beef, lamb and poultry. None of it is halal. The vast majority of our fresh beef and lamb is processed at our own abattoirs in Britain.  We adhere to high standards of animal welfare.  All of the cattle, lamb and poultry are stunned prior to slaughter.
 
However they went on to say: “Our own label frozen lamb is currently sourced from New Zealand and is halal, the animal is humanely stunned before slaughter and a prayer is read. We sell a limited range of halal and Kosher-branded frozen food products which are all clearly labelled as such.”

Peter Kerridge, CEO of Premier Christian Media Group said, “This is clearly a matter for concern. If meat were labelled properly people would have an educated choice on whether to eat halal meat or not. The British public, whatever religion they are, have a right to decide for themselves.”

Courtesy by: Inspire Magazine

Selangor sets up RM10m fund for Muslims affected by new guideline on non-halal jobs

The Selangor government today announced that it was allocating RM10 million to help train and provide capital for Muslim workers in the state who are doing non-halal (not permissible in Islam) jobs.
A statement issued by the Selangor Menteri Besar's press secretariat here today said the government symphatised with the plight of Muslims who worked in factories producing alcoholic drinks or outlets where liquor was sold.
Among the businesses the workers would be trained in are tailoring, beauty  salon operations, cooking and reparing of handphones, the statement added.
Those interested can contact any officer from the sectoral division of the state economic planning unit at 03-5544 7115/7965 or visit the division's office at the 5th Floor of Bangunan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, Shah Alam.
The announcement comes in the wake of guidelines under Selangor Syariah law enactments which prohibit Muslims in partaking in any non-halal job.

Courtesy by: Malay Mail

What the Hell Is Halal? (Hint: Heavenly)

One of the biggest complaints about Seattle's light-rail system is the distance between stops. If you live between two stations, it's a bit of a schlep--a miserable experience on a rainy day. As someone who mostly rides the train for the food, it means that I see dozens of restaurants that pique my curiosity but which are a longer haul from my stop than my level of hunger is usually willing to wait.

But it's time those cafes (and my post-holiday muffin top) got some attention. The stretch between the Columbia City station and the Othello is especially rich with diverse food possibilities--Chinese, African, Vietnamese, and barbecue line Martin Luther King Jr. Way. So from the latter, I jumped off and headed north.
The Cafe: While riding light rail, a sign I see frequently is "Halal," usually followed by some descriptor like "African Meats." Frustrated by my own ignorance, I found myself under the bright, welcoming sign at Moga's Market (6727-B MLK Jr. Way S., 723-3588).
Inside were shelves of culinary basics: flour, sugar, and the like. Racks of clothing filled an adjacent room. Hanging from the racks were the burqas and hijab headdresses worn by the women chatting at the counter. There were also stands filled with long beautiful skirts that made me wish I were six inches taller. But there was no sign of these halal meats, so finally I asked.

"Halal is from God," one of the women at the counter explained. "At Safeway, that meat isn't Halal. Like Allah."
With the language barrier making details a little difficult, I did some Wikipedia sleuthing back home. Based on the Internet encyclopedia and my conversation at Moga's, it appears Halal is a designation similar to kosher. Halal meat is slaughtered in a ritual method known as dhabiha.
"And you sell Halal meat here?" I asked the woman, glancing around the store.
"It's in the back, we cut it," she replied. "Do you want beef? Goat? Chicken?"
I ordered a pound of halal steak and another woman headed for the back. 15 minutes later she returned with a gorgeous red chunk of beef that looked well over a pound. "$3.99," she said.

I don't think I've ever paid that little for such pretty meat.

Courtesy by: Seattle Weakly