PARK RIDGE, Illinois (July 29, 2016) — Dr. Boon P. Chew, professor and head, nutrition and food science at Texas A&M University (TAMU), presented the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA®) with an award in recognition of IFANCA’s endowment to create a Program in Food Diversity at the university. Dr. Mian Nadeem Riaz, research scientist director – Food Protein Research & Development Center; Texas Engineering Experiment Station; Head-Extrusion Technology Program, accompanied Dr. Chew. President and CEO Dr. Muhammad Munir Chaudry accepted the award on behalf of IFANCA. Also present were Mahmood Baig, director of customer service; Roger M. Othman, director of consumer relations; Asma N. Ahad, director of halal market development; Sheikh Rachid Belbachir, resident scholar; and Food Scientists Dr. Mujahid Masood, Dr. S. Farhat Quadri, and Dr. Saeed Hayek.

Dr. Chew thanked IFANCA and described how the endowment will allow for the creation of the nation’s first Program in Food Diversity aimed at training the next generation of food scientists to be equipped with the necessary knowledge to “hit the ground running” from day one. The food industry has embraced the diverse palates of consumers and up to now, new graduates have not been sufficiently trained in the various nuances of multicultural foods. This program will provide the training needed to meet the needs of global consumers as soon as they enter the workforce.

Dr. Chaudry explained the reasoning behind the endowment and the program saying, “In our work as a halal certifier, we noticed a lack of familiarity with halal in the industry. We recognize the diverse nature of food development around the globe and concluded that the current academic system needs to include food diversity training within the curriculum. We chose to support Texas A&M University due to their long history of involvement in agriculture and the food industry. We look forward to the development of the Program in Food Diversity and the opportunities it provides for the industry and the US economy.”

We look forward to seeing the benefits of this new program.

 

IFANCA®

A nonprofit headquartered in Park Ridge, Illinois, the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA®) is a global leader in halal certification, consulting, and education. Featured in various media such as the Wall Street Journal, Prepared Foods, CNBC, and CNN, IFANCA® has been promoting halal since 1982. IFANCA® was awarded the “Best Halal Related Service Provider Award” by the Halal Journal at the World Halal Forum 2007 and the Islamic Economy Award for Compliance and Standardization by the Global Islamic Economy Summit (GIES®) 2013. IFANCA® is endorsed by many countries and organizations including MUI (Indonesia), JAKIM (Malaysia), MUIS (Singapore), and GSM (United Arab Emirates), and IFANCA® halal-certified products 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.