Embassy of the United States of America

Certified Halal in the USA

Ken White/State Department alal restaurants are boom- California early in the 20th cen- Arab Chamber of Commerce, ing in the United States, tury kept their traditions in small, which helps businesses com- Hfrom kabob shops to local groups. This was repeated plete paperwork and certifica- trucks. South Asian and Middle throughout the United States, in tion requirements for exports Eastern cuisine is appreciated by places like Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to the Middle East. Those con- and non-Muslims alike, home of the first U.S. , cerned about halal called the and most such restaurants feature where observant Muslims have U.S. Department of Agriculture halal . resided since the 1880s. (USDA) to find out about halal- certified , but the USDA As the U.S. Muslim population According to Habib Ghanim, monitors food health and safety increases, more authorized orga- president of the USA Halal rather than compliance with reli- nizations certify food as halal — Chamber of Commerce and direc- gious requirements, so people conforming to Muslim standards. tor of Halal Certification at the turned to the U.S. Arab Chamber Consumers who see one of these Islamic Society of the Washington of Commerce. organizations’ symbols on a pack- Area (ISWA) in Silver Spring, age know that the food is free Maryland, Muslim student asso- “I would refer some of these peo- from pork or anything , or ciations sparked demand for halal ple to local centers to have some- forbidden. Certification ensures food in the 1960s, a demand that body do the slaughter and issue that Islamic guidelines for the increased as the Muslim popula- the paper and I would stamp it to slaughter and processing of meat tion grew. show it was in compliance. It was have been observed. very scattered and very informal. Also, American businesses export- So that is how we got started in Early Muslim immigrants to the ing food to Muslim countries 1987,” Ghanim says. United States formed informal needed a reliable way to demon- associations to preserve religious strate that their food was halal. More certification organizations customs surrounding birth, death Ghanim’s organization started sprang up. Today, besides ISWA, and daily life. Muslim migrants to when he was working for the U.S. there are several main certifiers Certified Halal in the USA

suppliers, the large and small facto- ries that process meat. Large poultry producers Tyson, ©USA HALAL/ISWA George’s, Koch and Pilgrim are among operating in the United States, ISWA’s clients. among them the Islamic Food and Ghanim says the Nutrition Council of America, halal certification Islamic Services of America, the business owes a lot Islamic Society of North America’s to kosher food cer- Halal Certification Agency and tifiers, who have Customers crowd a Falls Church, Virginia, halal butcher shop ahead of Ramadan. Halal Food Council International. performed a similar Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images Until recently, most halal certi- function for much fication was for foods exported longer and know the industry. “We ISWA inspects factories to make to Egypt, , Oman, have learned from them. We have sure that halal are processed Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, a good relationship with people separately from nonhalal meats, on Pakistan, and , like Star-K and others because equipment that has not been used among other Muslim countries. But of the similarities,” he says. “We for pork. Small factories may set the domestic market is catching up. learn from our Jewish cousins who aside special days for halal pro- “Business is growing so fast — like have been doing it for years. We are cessing. Larger factories that export lightning. It amazes everybody. … learning and we are getting a lot of to foreign markets have dedicated You have hospitals, schools, caf- support from them.” halal processing facilities. eterias, all the main chains like The United States government ISWA certifiers cooperate with Kentucky Fried Chicken, Subway, is not involved in religious mat- USDA agents and on-site vet- Cheesecake Factory,” Ghanim says. ters, which is why agencies such erinarians. They also verify that The halal label attracts business as the USDA do not certify halal individuals who oversee the halal too, he adds. or . That must be slaughter and recite appropriate Halal certification organizations done by religious authorities or prayers are practicing Muslims of inspect restaurant and grocery those they sanction. USDA does good standing. ISWA guarantees inform exporters of other coun- all procedures are followed. tries’ import standards and directs ISWA certified this halal meat sold in a Dearborn, ISWA staff offer training for food exporters to U.S. halal certifiers Michigan, Wal-Mart. ©AP Images industry personnel and programs approved by destination countries. to increase cultural understand- ISWA is among those internation- ing. As a co-founder of the World ally recognized halal certifiers. Halal Council, ISWA works with Besides being halal, food must be a network of halal certification tayyiban, or wholesome, meaning organizations to promote unified, clean and free from contamina- global halal standards. “We are tion, to be certified. “The USDA trying to do more education pro- does half of our work there,” grams with trade missions and get Ghanim says, referring to strict people to recognize and trust the USDA hygienic standards. halal symbol,” Ghanim says.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE Published July 2012 BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION PROGRAMS