Amal Al-Sibai
Saudi Gazette
WITH expanding Muslim populations in countries all over the world, the demand for halal food products is growing rapidly. The global industry for halal food is worth billions of dollars and is expected to multiply within the next few years. Producers outside the Muslim world are eager to tap into this booming market, not only for exportation to Muslim countries but also to cater to Muslim tourists in places from the West to the Far East.
Sabrina Yin, director of the US Meat Export Federation for the Southeast Asia region, said, “Beef going to countries such as the Middle East, Indonesia, and Malaysia definitely must be halal. In Singapore, with a substantial Muslim population and a lot of Middle Eastern tourists, a lot of the popular, American style fast food chains are using halal products to cater to the needs of Muslim customers. Even though it is a predominantly Catholic country, in the Philippines there are many restaurants that prefer to obtain halal products. Restaurants in countries like Thailand and China are also switching to halal foods.”
Even in markets where Muslims are not the majority, the halal industry is rapidly attracting more and more investors. The Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America reported that the domestic US halal market is worth around $20 billion.
Twenty years ago, Muslims may have had limited choices for dining out in America, Canada, and Europe, but that is not the case today. Diners (both Muslim and non-Muslim) now have plenty of options and a wide range of savory foods to choose from. London’s streets are lined with restaurants that serve halal food in exquisite Turkish, Lebanese, and Indian cuisine. Jennifer Bain, a reporter for The Star newspaper in Canada, wrote a delightful review of a halal butcher shop and restaurant opened by a Lebanese/Canadian Muslim entrepreneur.
Bain wrote, “Driven by the urge to unite ‘halal’ and ‘gourmet’, Mohammad Fakih built himself a beautiful butcher shop in Mississauga.”
Fakih’s Paramount Fine Foods is an upscale restaurant with six branches that serve delicious, high quality, strictly halal foods.
According to a Global News, Canada report, today most mainstream grocery stores carry halal meats and a full section of halal products. In the United Kingdom, Subway restaurants are removing pork from the menu, going strictly halal.
Halal food or drink means that it is permissible, lawful, or allowed for Muslims to consume. The vast majority of Muslims adhere to the rulings that prohibit eating foods containing pork or any products derived from it, and alcohol.
When it comes to eating the lawful meats, such as lamb and beef, the livestock must be slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law, which is actually similar to kosher practices. For meat to be halal, the animals must be cared for with compassion and mercy. It is forbidden to beat animals, to brand them on the face, or to pit animals against each other to fight, or to mutilate living animals.
Islam requires that the slaughterer says “In the name of Allah” before proceeding. A sharp knife must be used; slaughtering with a single slash to the throat while the animal is still alive. The Islamic slaughtering guidelines ensure that the animal dies swiftly, to minimize pain and suffering for the animal. Lastly, the blood from the veins must be drained. Muslims are prohibited from consuming animal blood, the meat of already dead animals or those killed without pronouncing the name of Allah first and without following the above steps.
Fakih said that some people came in to his restaurant and asked him how halal food tastes. Some people actually thought that halal is a recipe. Fakih invites people of all faiths to dine at his restaurant and enjoy some great, Middle Eastern food. “We eat together, work together, and live together,” he said.
