The Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA®) is hosting a halal education session on May 22nd, 2010 at 10:00AM at the prestigious National Restaurant Association's 2010 Show. IFANCA will also organize a display booth, #1255W; to offer consultations to the attendees at the NRA Show for the entire duration.

The education session, entitled Serve 9 Million American-Muslims Searching for Halal Meals, is designed to raise awareness among American hospitality industry and how it can better serve halal consumers. Speakers will share information about the potential of the American Halal Market. The session has been designed to demystify the concept of halal food and to educate food development, production, marketing, distribution and service professionals.

The NRA halal education panel will include Dr. Muhammad Munir Chaudry, President of IFANCA, and leading expert on halal food ingredients. Dr. Chaudry will outline key requirements for halal food service. The panel will also include Mr. Don Tymchuck, President of Med-Diet Laboratories, Inc., a specialty food distribution company. Mr. Tymchuck will discuss the distribution channels for pre-cooked halal food items, meals and raw materials. Celebrity Chef, Mr. Mahmood Yousaf, will share his halal culinary experience with the attendees. Chef Yousaf has several years of experience in managing large halal kitchens in cafeteria's, hotels, and award-winning restaurants. Ms. Maggie Mendoza from Sheraton Hotels & Towers will offer insights into serving halal food in the mainstream hospitality industry. As Catering Sales Manager for weddings and large social events, Ms. Mendoza will present key tips on how to meet halal needs at conferences, weddings and banquets.

IFANCA will also be exhibiting its halal certification services during the show. Its Food Technology team, at booth #1255W, will share specific, halal technical information and how-to manuals, for creating separate halal sections in their kitchens.

More than Six Hundred Students Participate in a Nationwide Survey

IFANCA, in collaboration with Med-Diet Laboratories, Inc., a leading US specialty food distribution company, is conducting a nationwide survey in the U.S. universities and colleges about the status and the extent of halal food services at those institutions. More than 600 participants from 90 institutions have already responded through the web link. The survey has had a phenomenal 81 percent completion rate as of April 19, 2010. Muslim college students interested in being part of this or future surveys should contact IFANCA's Media Department at media@ifanca.org. The data collected through this survey will be used at the IFANCA — Med-Diet Laboratories, Inc sponsored halal education session at the National Restaurant Association Show 2010, to be held in McCormick Place, Chicago. The data will showcase the demand for halal food services at educational institutions.

IFANCA on KZUM, 'American Muslims Today', Talk Radio

IFANCA's Community Relations and Media Relations Directors, Dr. Farhat Quadri and Maria Omar respectively, were interviewed on KZUM's popular Thursday show 'American Muslims Today'. The interview aired on April 15, 2010 at 6:30 PM CST and is available on the show's archive at www.go-amt.net. Radio host, Yousef Wells, had questions about IFANCA's services and the status of halal food in America. Dr. Quadri was able to provide both religious and technical insight to the host's questions, and viewers were encouraged to visit IFANCA’s homepage to access free halal educational literature, such as past issues of the Halal Consumer Magazine© and Halal Digest©. 'American Muslims Today' began as a radio show broadcast on local community radio station KZUM in Lincoln, NE. The show was founded out of a desire to share the views, beliefs and lives of dedicated American Muslims with the broader American public.

Halal Consumer Magazine© is IFANCA's print magazine, covering topics of interest to the halal consumer. We invite you to place an advertisement with Halal Consumer magazine, Summer 2010 issue, which reaches 30,000 Muslim families and organizations in the U.S. and abroad, including over 2000 IFANCA clients such as your company, Nestlé, Abbott Laboratories, Pfizer, Cargill and others - our esteemed clients. Each issue is both printed and uploaded to our website. The deadline is May 28, 2010.

Contact: nykatwork@gmail.com with "HC Ad" in the subject line.

1. The food buying power of American Muslims is estimated at U.S.$17 billion annually.
2. A 2007 report from the global ad agency JWT describes the Muslim market thus: "It's young, it's big, and it's getting bigger." Parts of it are well-educated and wealthy.
3. "59% of Muslim adults in the U.S. have a college degree, compared with only 28% of all American adults. Surveys show that median family income among America's Muslims exceeds the national figure of $55,800." Studies also show that one in three Muslims earns more than $75,000 per year. - Business Week, Jan. 2007.

IFANCA Certified Wonderful Pomegranate Juice Speeds Recovery Time and Reduces Muscle Pain after Strenuous Exercise

Los Angeles (March 1, 2010) – You've seen it in grocery stores and you've heard about the many benefits of pomegranates and pomegranate juice. Now, POM Wonderful, the 100% pomegranate juice product, is also halal certified by IFANCA. According to a media statement by the company, “research released in March indicates that the antioxidants found in Wonderful variety of pomegranates can speed muscle recovery while reducing the soreness that often follows intense physical activity. The study, conducted at the University of Texas at Austin and published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, is the first to link the daily intake of polyphenol antioxidants from Wonderful variety pomegranates with a boost in exercise performance.

The placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study showed that when the research subjects consumed a daily dose of POMx, a highly concentrated source of pomegranate polyphenol antioxidants, they experienced over 30% less strength loss as well as 28% less muscle soreness compared to the group using a placebo.

POM Wonderful exclusively grows Wonderful pomegranates, known for their sweet-tart taste and high concentration of polyphenol antioxidants. The company uses its fresh pomegranates to extract POMx, which contains a super-potent concentration of the same polyphenol antioxidants found in POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice. POMx allows POM Wonderful to deliver the benefits of pomegranate polyphenol antioxidants in an assortment of all-natural, premium products that appeal to a wide range of health-conscious consumers. Through its proprietary technology, POM Wonderful is the only company able to extract the full benefits of polyphenol antioxidants from its pomegranates.

IFANCA Halal-Certified Hamida Pharma Products Created with B.E.E.® Technology

B.E.E.® (Bio-Enhanced Extraction) is a proprietary, patent-pending manufacturing method used by Hamida Pharma, in its production of nutritional supplements. B.E.E. comprises a three-step process of purification, isolation/extraction and bio-enhancement from bioactive parts of plants that have been determined to be the most beneficial for people. B.E.E. is not just an extraction method nor is it just a chemical process, rather it is a combination of molecular biology and other scientific technologies.

According to the IFANCA halal certified company Hamida Pharma, "B.E.E. preserves the active ingredients in the herbs through proprietary micro-nizing technique while most traditional methods expose the herbs to high temperatures and pressures, which can destroy or severely damage the active ingredients. The B.E.E. process does not expose the raw material to very high pressures or temperatures. That is what helps ensure that the products are fast acting, safe and effective." The results of the toxicity studies are outlined in detail at www.hamidapharma.com. However, all supplements should be taken only after consulting a doctor, especially when prescription medicines are being used. A list of all the Hamida Pharma IFANCA certified products are at www.ifanca.org.