1.4 Billion Consumers Worldwide

Muslims span the globe, belong to every ethnic group on earth and the majority of 1.4 billion of them are committed to consuming products that are certified to be halal. The Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of North America, IFANCA, the leading halal food certification organization in North America opens the door to the world for your company by certifying your products.

With the Crescent-M mark you will access emerging markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore; target the already affluent world markets such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the rest of the Arabian Gulf countries and the Middle East; capture Muslim consumers in North America, South America and Europe.

The Crescent-M halal mark on your product proves to the halal consumer that your product is pure from an Islamic perspective.

 

What Is Halal?

Halal in Arabic – the language of the Muslim holy book, the Quran – means lawful or permitted. The opposite of halal is haram, which means forbidden or prohibited. Some foods contain ingredients that can be derived from either halal or haram sources. These are considered Mashbooh meaning questionable. More additional information is required to classify them as halal or haram. The terms halal and haram are applicable not only to food but also to other products, habits and actions. All foods are considered halal with the exception of the following categories:

  • Swine / pork and all its by-products or derivatives
  • Animals not slaughtered according to the Islamic requirements
  • Alcohol and other intoxicants
  • Carnivorous animals and birds of prey
  • Blood and blood by-products
  • Foods that are cross-contaminated with haram products
  • In addition, food products and ingredients such as gelatin, enzymes, emulsifiers, etc. are considered Mashbooh and must be evaluated before they can be considered halal.

 

Why Seek Halal-Certification?

1.4 Billion reasons! Muslim consumers are considered to be the fastest growing consumer group worldwide. The concept of halal is basic to every Muslim and even the least observant Muslim would avoid consuming foods that are not considered halal. With IFANCA halal-certification your product can go from appearing doubtful in the eyes of the Muslim consumer to a staple item on their grocery list. It’s important to note that a Muslim consumer will always prefer a halal-certified product over one that is not certified.

 

We Support Our Halal-Certified Companies

When your product is halal-certified by IFANCA, the help doesn’t end there. We understand that being halal-certified is just the first step in targeting the Muslim market. We provide educational materials and resources free of charge. IFANCA staff has extensive experience in both domestic and overseas halal markets; we share that insight with you, and can help you navigate new seas of potential profit around the world.

In addition, once your company is halal-certified by IFANCA, your company name and products will be included in our listings on the web at www.ifanca.org. Muslim consumers consult this website daily in all matters of halal food and nutrition consumption.

We list your company and its products in Halal Consumer Magazine, the premier Muslim consumer publication in North America. We also produce a press release about your newly halal-certified products. When you are halal-certified with IFANCA you are invited to advertise in Halal Consumer Magazine, at www.halal.com, and you will have opportunities to be included on the www.halal. com web site for business-to-business marketing.

IFANCA also provides one-on-one consulting in export marketing; additionally, we give you assistance with halal certification in other countries.