Ensuring Equitable Access to Halal Foods: A Matter of Food and Nutrition Security

As the awareness of and demand for halal options continues to grow across the U.S., third party oversight is critical to building trust and transparency and addressing hunger.

Muslims have been practicing the consumption of halal food for over 1,400 years. Halal literally means permissible and is an essential sacred value for Muslims that is integral to their spiritual preservation. The Muslim population in the United States is projected to become the nation’s second largest religious group by 2040, according to Pew Research Center. Nationwide, 83% of Muslims keep halal (37%) or prefer to do so (46%), according to the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU).?

Research from ISPU shows that Muslim Americans are twice as likely (10% versus 4%) as the general public to face food insecurity, with respondents saying they sometimes or often do not have enough to eat. This is true for Muslim Americans across socio-economic backgrounds and disproportionately impacts students, older adults, and BIPOC communities. A lack of access to suitable halal options, whether at school, on campus, at food pantries, or through meal delivery services, has numerous health implications.?

There is a growing awareness for halal options and halal programs. However, it is critical that as institutions and foodservice professionals work to address food and nutrition security, they collaborate with experts and organizations that set clear guidelines and provide third-party halal oversight. This entails a thorough review of the entire supply chain from farm to point of delivery, such as ingredient review, procurement, transportation, storage, meal preparation, and sanitation. Third-party oversight with proper quality controls enables foodservice professionals to develop sustainable programs with consistency and integrity across the supply chain, building transparency and trust among students and their families.?

Written by Asma Ahad, Director of Halal Market Development and Amelia Keleher, Food and Health Equity Coordinator at IFANCA (Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America).?

Statistics:

• Nationwide, 83% of Muslims keep halal (37%) or prefer to do so (46%).
• Muslim Americans are twice as likely (10% versus 4%) as the general public to face food insecurity, with respondents saying they sometimes or often did not have enough to eat.
• Despite high levels of adherence to a halal diet, 39% of Illinois Muslims with school-age children?and 32% of students who are enrolled in universities report a lack of access to halal options at school.

According to the results (forthcoming) from the national ‘Halal Food and Nutrition Security Study’ conducted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, over half of the Muslims students surveyed classify as food insecure, with approximately one-third?(31.1%) falling under the category of "very low" food security.