On the conclusion of 13^th International Halal Food Conference, held on April 10-11, 2011, we would like to thank our esteemed speakers and attendees, as well as our sponsors for contributing to the success of the conference. One of the points brought up during the conference was the need for uniformity in halal certification, mutual recognition amongst halal certifiers and a global halal standard. These issues have been discussed in different settings at different times. The first time this issue was brought up was at a meeting between IFANCA and the USDA in 1986.

At the conference the American Halal Association (AHA), in cooperation with ISNA, announced that they are working towards creating an American Halal Standard and a Halal Accreditation Board. Mr. Ahmed Adam representing AHA at the conference outlined this initiative. The need to create a common halal standard and a monitoring and accreditation entity is being felt among regulators and consumers alike. We welcome this undertaking and offer full cooperation and assistance in establishing such an entity. If successful, this initiative will increase the acceptance and credibility of halal certified products in both domestic and export markets.

Finally, amongst our many client companies who were honored with awards, it was our privilege to recognize Abbott Nutrition as the Company of the Year. Abbott, a major corporation with a global halal program, markets products that have been certified for almost a decade. Abbott has an excellent program of label control for the halal logo. During the past five years Abbott halal compliance and program execution has been outstanding. Abbott has been very proactive in dealing with issues arising from South East Asian markets, specifically Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. We wish all participants success in their undertakings.

Dr. Muhammad M. Chaudry, President, IFANCA 

Chicago, IL - Halal: New Frontiers: 13^th International Halal Food Conference 2011, America's only conference geared exclusively to halal, was organized by the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA). Held on April 10^th and 11th, it was a learning opportunity for attendees including Pepsico, the Coca Cola Company, Nutrilite, Cargill, Wrigley, Saffron Road and the American Halal Association. Their presence reflected the growing interest in halal ingredients in products, both in the USA and Muslim majority markets.

Abbott Nutrition was recognized as the Company of the Year. Not only are several of their products halal-certified for both the US and the export market, but those certified for the US market display the IFANCA crescent M logo on their labels. Pediasure, Ensure, Isomil, Similac Powder are some of their halal-certified products. 

The organizing committee thanks all those who completed the post event surveys and returned them to us. Given the overwhelming positive feedback, this Conference was amongst our more successful events. Here is a sampling of comments by several attendees:

What Did You Like Most About The Conference? 
Good variety of topics; diversity of speakers from around the world; a good mix of business; regulators and certifiers; expertise of speakers as long as it was relevant; comfortable and professional; good choice of location / hotel; key note presentation by Mehmood Khan and presentations by Munir Hussain, Stephen Hech, Lukman Ul Hakim, Adnan Durrani and Donald Sgontz.

What Did You Like Least About The Conference? 
Sunday evening start time; self-promotion during presentation by certain companies; poor time management of speeches; venue; some speeches were too long or irrelevant; tried to fit too much into too little time and no time for networking.

What Kinds Of Sessions Would You Like To See At Future Conferences? 
Suggestions include: how to market halal better; topics with more relevance to North America & the US halal industry; discussions on the core differences in halal certifiers, more data on sales growth due to halal certification; more case studies; ingredient complexity as it is a major player in determining halal status in foods, more history about Islamic religion and food preparation. 

LambWeston, Golden State Foods, Griffith Laboratories Receive IFANCA 15 Year Service Awards...

LambWeston, a ConAgra Foods Company 
ConAgra Foods / LambWeston is one of the nation's leading producers of frozen potato products. Lamb Weston received the IFANCA 15 year Service Award for its continued commitment to producing halal-certified products. At least 97 percent of U.S. households use ConAgra Foods products. Their list of halal certified foods include French fries, tater tots, hash browns and potato wedges for export.

Griffith Laboratories: The Food Architects 
Griffith Laboratories is a global manufacturer of food ingredients. Griffith Laboratories provides a wide range of taste and texture components for food industry customers throughout the world. Its products include seasoning blends; dry mixes; coating systems; dough blends; crumbs; flavors; sauces and food bases that are used in an extensive variety of applications from snack foods and processed meat and poultry to ready meals.

Founded in 1919, Griffith Laboratories is a privately held, third-generation entrepreneurial family business. Today, Griffith Laboratories proudly serves the international food industry with coverage in all major markets with manufacturing facilities, sales locations, development laboratories and more than 2500 employees worldwide.

Golden State Foods 
Golden State Foods is one of the largest diversified suppliers to the foodservice industry, servicing more than 20,000 restaurants worldwide. Founded in 1947, the company is value based with proven performance in superior quality and customer service in both manufacturing and distribution. Its core businesses include: processing and distribution of liquid products; meat products; produce; bakery and other services providing a variety of networked solutions for the total supply chain spectrum.

...And DSM Nutritional Receives IFANCA 10 Year Service Award

Royal DSM N.V. was awarded the 10 Year Award as a client with IFANCA. A global science-based company, it is active in health, nutrition and materials. In January 2011, DSM and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced that they will collaborate and collectively work to meet the nutritional challenges presented in the developing world.

By connecting its unique competences in Life Sciences and Materials Sciences DSM is driving economic prosperity, environmental progress and social advances to create sustainable value for all stakeholders. DSM delivers innovative solutions that nourish, protect and improve performance in global markets such as food and dietary supplements; personal care; feed; pharmaceuticals; medical devices; automotive; paints; electrical and electronics; life protection; alternative energy and bio-based materials. 

IFANCA will be at the following events:

1. IFANCA at the NRA, Booth # 1077 
From May 21, (9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) to May 24, (9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) IFANCA will be at the upcoming 2011 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, in Chicago. Visit us at booth # 1077. Click for the Floor Maps.

2. IFANCA at The 2011 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo, booth # 7516 
From June 11—14, 2011, New Orleans Memorial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana. Visit us at booth # 7516. Click for Floor Maps.

3. IFANCA at the Islamic Society of North America Annual Conference, booth # 1602 
From July 1-4, Rosemont Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL 60018. IFANCA will be reaching out to North American Halal Consumers at ISNA's 48th annual convention. Be sure to stop by booth #1602.

4. IFANCA at the Prepared Foods R&D Applications Seminar, Aug 3rd, 2011 
Topic: Halal Ingredients & Formulations: Your Global Competitive Advantage. 9:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.; Hyatt Regency O'Hare, Rosemont, IL. Click for more information. 

Compiled by Maria Omar, Director Media Relations

Click for IFANCA Conference in Food Biz Daily.

Click for Evolving Halal Certification Trends by Mujahed Khan, Food Technologist, IFANCA in Prepared Foods April Newsletter.