ROSEMONT, Illinois (June 30, 2011) — The Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA®) will be part of a historic American halal panel discussion at the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) Annual Convention 2011. The convention, from July 1 to July 4, 2011, draws an annual attendance of over 10,000 American Muslims from all over North America and will be held in Rosemont, Illinois. The presentation will take place on Saturday, July 2, 2011, from 5:30PM to 7:30PM.

The education panel is entitled Why the American Food Industry and Consumers Need ISNA’s Halal Accreditation Board and aims to explore the U.S. halal food industry and the steps needed to modulate its growth. The discussion will range from religious guidelines, economics, commerce, and halal food science and technology.

As one of the leading halal education and certification not-for-profits in the world, IFANCA has been invited to share its thoughts on the current issues of halal food science and technology. “With the growth and demand for halal products, the need for third-party certification and an accreditation system is now necessary,” says Dr. Muhammad Munir Chaudry, president of IFANCA, and panel speaker at the session. He added, “For the sake of consumer protection, we need an independent accreditation system that checks halal food certification activity in the United States.”

The significance of halal certification today is clearly reflected in the approximate 80 percent growth in halal certified ingredients and food products in US and global halal markets since 2005. American Muslims alone spend upward of US$ 20 billion on food every year. Dr. Chaudry spoke on similar themes earlier last year as a panelist at the National Restaurant Association Show 2010 and at the American Muslim Consumer Conference 2010. IFANCA also participated at the Institute of Food Technology Expo in 2010 and in 2011 to address the growing interest around halal-certified products in the United States. As a result of the American food industry’s growing interest on serving halal consumers, IFANCA recently launched the world’s first Halal Foodservice Kit at the National Restaurant Association Show 2011.

Besides educating ISNA attendees on current halal food science and technology issues, IFANCA will also share its halal education materials throughout the convention. At booth #1602, IFANCA will distribute copies of Halal Shoppers’ Guide, Halal Consumer magazines, and information about the online Halal Healthy Division of Med-Diet, Inc., Don Tymchuck, during his July 2nd presentation Increasing the Availability of Halal on Campuses at the Muslim Student Association National Continental Conference during the convention. IFANCA will also be connecting halal consumers with halal-certified U.S. companies through free giveaways, coupons, and raffle prizes.

 

IFANCA®

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA®) is one of the world’s leading and well-respected not-for-profit halal certification organizations. Featured in various media such as the Wall Street Journal, Prepared Foods, CNBC, and CNN, IFANCA® has been promoting halal since 1982. IFANCA® was recognized in the “Best Halal Related Service Provider Award” by the Halal Journal at World Halal Forum 2007. IFANCA® certified halal products are recognized by Indonesia (MUI), Malaysia (JAKIM), Singapore (MUIS), and the United Arab Emirates (GSM) and are sold in nearly every country of the world. IFANCA’s halal certification expertise covers all food industry categories. For more information about IFANCA, visit www.ifanca.org.