Industry News

Today, Jacob Star is sharing an article about the rapid growth of the Halal food production industry in Canada. Halal-certified foods are so common outside of China that even the protagonist of this article, like me, has had a hard time dining out due to the scarcity of Halal-certified foods. This is how the protagonist began his contribution to Halal food....

Finding Edmonton restaurants that serve halal food is always a challenge for Farouk. Dining out with friends and family was almost impossible as the choice of dishes was very limited.

“There are basically no halal options,” he said. “We always look at the back of the menu to see what seafood is available.”Choose from or vegetarian options.”

FaroukHe's not the only one struggling to find halal-friendly Western restaurants. There were smaller, mom-and-pop restaurants, but many of his family members and friends found that the options were still limited.

He decided he had to do something.

In 2014, he created a Twitter account called YegHalal, where he planned to post photos of halal food or the names of restaurants that sold halal dishes. At first, only his family and friends monitored the account. But he soon discovered that people were eager for a list of halal restaurants in Edmonton.

Halal is an Arabic word that means"Permitted" or "legal." Farouk said Muslims can only eat halal meat for religious reasons.

According to the Alberta Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's website, Halal"It is both a general term used in relation to all foods and refers to the method of slaughtering livestock in accordance with Islamic rituals."

Sharing Halal Options

The YegHalal Twitter account, four years since its inception, now receives over 30,000 impressions per month on tweets, and the Facebook page has a growing audience across the province.

When people found out they had halal options, a light went off. Now theyYegHalal served as their source for discovering the existence of these places. “I found that people wanted a directory to find information about their area,” he said.

Unlike food blogs,FaroukBy day, he's a chartered accountant for the provincial government.，Will not check out the food at different halal restaurants. He simply shares photos of new dishes with his followers on social media in his free time, or describes new restaurants offering halal food. He also spends time searching for halal-certified meat producers in the province. He found many beef and chicken producers already have halal certification.

makeFaroukHappily, many producers were already selling their products to Edmonton restaurants. However, restaurants weren't promoting their dishes on their menus. He began reaching out to these establishments and encouraging them to educate their customers about their halal dishes.

He said：“The response has been very positive. From the restaurant owners’ perspective, they are grateful”。

Since doing so, the owners have noticed an increase in demand for halal food and inquiries about their halal dishes.

Paul, the chef at Edmonton Restaurant, said:“We are happy to say that we have Halal beef. For us, this is aCoveredGood opportunity for the Muslim community。”Paulsays the food industry is changing as customers become more aware of where their food comes from and how it is processed. This is a movement that translates into the products they use in their dishes and how they prepare their food.。Paul said:“I think in my career,Ten years ago I was probably asked once or twice a monthaboutHalal dishesThe problemWe are now receiving many calls asking whether our beef is halal.”

Developing industry

The growth of the halal food industry is not unique to Edmonton. According to the Canadian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry website, in Canada,Halal food sales exceeded $1 billion in 2017, "and this is likely to continue to grow rapidly."

Provincial websites about halal meat attribute this growth in demand in part to consumers who are more demanding in their food choices, including“Curious Millennials，themFood options, including halal options, are being explored.”

FaroukMany Alberta beef and poultry producers already cater to growing international markets, said.He said,Halal meat isn't just for Muslims，Halal meat is appealing to many for non-religious reasons, respecting slaughter and animal welfare. Halal meat is becoming synonymous with the direction of the beef and poultry industries. It's about sustainable food, organic food, health, and local production. The benefit for us is that these options are already halal. Now, it's up to us to spread the word, get other restaurants to use these options, and reach a new customer base.。

FaroukIt hopes to capitalize on the growing demand for halal food and plans to offer a detailed directory of restaurants and grocery stores in Edmonton, with the potential to expand province-wide.

in spite ofpeopleWhat is your cultural background and beliefs?，Food brings people together。Halal certified food is on the rise.-10 years of focus on Halal certification, with professional and strong certification knowledge to assist you in obtaining international Halal food certification.