When IFANCA was first established in 1980, the goal was simple: to help Muslim families make informed decisions about processed food. As Muslim families in the United States navigated an unfamiliar food landscape, understanding ingredients and determining what was halal was not always easy. In response, a small group of scholars and scientists in Chicago came together to establish IFANCA and provide clarity, education, and awareness.

By 1981, IFANCA introduced its first educational tools: a Halal and Haram Product List, a newsletter, and community seminars. These resources offered reassurance and opened conversations about ingredients and food production. In 1983, The Islamic Perspective newsletter and the book Islamic Dietary Laws and Practices expanded the organization’s educational footprint.

As the food industry evolved, static product lists had limits. Ingredients changed, formulations varied, and what was halal one day could become doubtful over time. By the mid-1990s, IFANCA shifted focus to teaching consumers how to read labels and evaluate products themselves by introducing the Halal Shopper’s Guide, a practical tool for everyday grocery shopping.

In 2001, Halal Consumer Magazine was launched as IFANCA’s content outgrew newsletters, creating a more comprehensive publication. Today, this free magazine reaches more than 30,000 print subscribers across North America, along with a growing global digital audience, offering insights into halal-certified products, ingredients, food production, nutrition, wellness, and inspiring feature stories.

IFANCA’s commitment to education expanded into academic partnerships. In 1999, the “Kosher and Halal Seminar” course at Cornell University helped pave the way for the Food Diversity Innovation Program at Texas A&M University. IFANCA also collaborated with Zaytuna College to integrate halal knowledge into faith-based and academic programs.

Foundational halal textbooks and guides have shaped standards for education, research, and industry practice. In 1997, I co-authored a military guide and worked with the late Dr. Ahmad Sakr, a visionary scholar with 58 publications, on a text that continues to support halal education in classrooms and professional settings. Other key works, including Halal Food Production (2001) and the Handbook of Halal Food Production (2018), co-authored with Dr. Mian N. Riaz, helped establish standards for production, processing and global trade.

To further share knowledge, we began hosting international conferences in 1999 in Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, Toronto, Brussels, Durban, and Amsterdam, bringing together scholars, industry professionals, and global accreditation and recognition bodies.

Although IFANCA is known for halal certification of meat, food and non-food products, it remains loyal to its mission of education and awareness for not only Muslims, but all the humanity.

Sincerely,

Muhammad Munir Chaudry, PhD

President