Asalamualaikum and Greetings of Peace!

This was an ‘entertaining’ issue to put together …how often do you get to think about food, as part of your job description? Al Safa Halal, our cover story, was the pioneer when it came to venturing where no other company had gone before i.e. into the frozen food section with Halal convenience food, ranging from Halal pizza to beef burgers, hot dogs and more. Coming soon are Chapli kabab, cooked meat balls or kofta, and a smoked beef sausage.

Read what makes for healthy eating in “To Your Health” based on the USDA’s food pyramid and “Go Nuts With Paramount Farms!” based on the Nurses’ Health Study, amongst other studies. I find I come away having learned so much at the end of compiling an issue of the magazine, than when I start out and this time was no different. I discovered hard cheeses lose much of their calcium during the manufacturing process. Soft cheeses like ricotta or cottage cheese pack a better ‘calcium punch’!

We also thought you’d like to know about Carole’s Cheesecake, Big Train’s low-carb, decadent Blended Ice Coffee mixes, Noni juice and Ricos Nachos, all of which are featured in this issue. Carole Ogus, who began Carole’s Cheesecake, has a remarkable story of how she transformed a talent into a growing business. And if you want a change from your healthy beverage du jour, try Noni Juice which comes from a plant called Morinda Citrifolia and strengthens the immune system. Check it out at your local health food store.

With the weather changing, and the days becoming longer, there’s no doubt we’ll be outdoors a lot more. Perhaps, eating out more often too. Our ‘Eating Out Alert for Halal Consumers’ hopefully will guide you to more prudent choices. Take the ‘Halal IQ Quiz’ to see how your Halal IQ squares up! And while a vitamin a day isn’t guaranteed to keep the doctor at bay, taking one a day is a wise choice, especially after a certain age like..ahem…yours truly here. Fortunately for us, Nutrilite offers Halal vitamin tablets and chews.

Happy Reading! Until later!

Naazish YarKhan
Managing Editor
halalconsumer@ifanca.org