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Need We Worry About Sugary Beverages
It depends on your health, age and metabolism. Beverages contain a variety of ingredients such as a blend of flavors, sweeteners, acidifiers, emulsifiers, colors, nutraceuticals, botanicals, extracts and preservatives. Beverage formulation is a fairly complex process that requires a team of highly skilled food scientists and ingredient specialists. Cultural and religious traditions vary in consuming beverages that contain alcohol.
 What do all these ingredients, particularly sweeteners, do to your body has been a question of concern, among consumers. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 50% of Americans drink a soda or sugary beverage each day. According to the American Heart Association, these levels far exceed the recommendation. Sugary drinks are the single largest source of calories in the American diet. Beverages with added sugar contain "empty calories", meaning that it contributes calories to our diets but not nutrition.
Numerous studies have linked sugary beverages, candy and simple carbohydrates to today's obesity epidemic. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1 billion adults throughout the world are overweight. They are at high risk for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, tooth decay and other serious health issues. When used in moderation sugar provides tasty foods and fulfills energy needs. Consult a registered dietitian or a nutritionist to create a balanced diet that meets your needs.
 Demand For Halal Meat To Increase In Canada
The demand for halal meats and products is increasing in Canada as a result of both increases in the country's Muslim population as well as a growing awareness about its high quality in the general populace. Seeing opportunity many mainstream companies are contemplating how to accommodate the Muslim consumers.
One such company is the restaurant chain Rôtisseries St-Hubert Ltd. A Quebec icon, it is largest homegrown chain in the province. It is famous for its affordable traditional roasted chicken and ribs. A chicken dinner for four people with fries, beverages, buns and barbecue sauce costs $27.95. A Caesar salad with chicken and mandarins is $9.75. According to media reports, its owners and management are weighing whether to add halal options to the menu.
St-Hubert has an estimated $420 million in restaurant sales a year, serving 35 million meals and generating about $280 million a year from sales of hundreds of different retail products. The chain is also planning to open restaurants in other provinces. Adding halal options makes sense when one considers the demographic data.
 The Muslim population currently comprises of 940,000 or 2.8% of the nation’s population. A report published earlier this year by the Washington based Pew Forum on Religion and Life predicted that the Muslim population in Canada is expected to triple over next 20 years. By 2030 they are expected to be 2.7 million or 6.6% of the total population.
Some businesses are afraid of the reactions by some sections of the society when they introduce halal meals. But such reactions are often a result of lack of awareness about the Islamic faith and its values. Once people realize the wholesomeness of halal products, many prefer them over others.
In addition, halal businesses also save and create jobs. Many slaughterhouses and related businesses in the US which were on the verge of closing down were saved when they switched their operations to halal. The European Halal Food Park in Norfolk, UK, is expected to create 500 new jobs.
IFANCA Speaks On Halal Goat Demand At International Goat Symposium 2011
IFANCA will be speaking and sponsoring this year's International Goat Symposium (IGS), Canada's premier educational and networking event for Ontario's goat industry. This annual event will take place in Orangeville/Toronto, Canada, from November 2-6, 2011.
IGS is an annual conference to discuss new opportunities arising in the goat industry. Education sessions range from farm management information to the latest goat market trends. Featured along with Canada's Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, the IGS is an important international forum that aims to educate international visitors about Canada's goat industry.
 At the event, IFANCA's Canada Director, Haider Khattak, will speak on today's halal goat demand and how halal certification can help goat farmers. "We are very pleased to help goat farmers reach out to this exciting and emergent market segment," says Khattak. He adds that the market for halal goat reaches far beyond Canada. In recent years, the US market for halal foods was estimated at US$20 billion. The global market for halal foods is even larger; analysts estimate it at US$634 billion, around 16% of the global food demand.
Goat meat has always been in demand for ethnic cuisine, traditional and comfort foods. Goat meat demand especially spikes around seasonal holidays like Easter, Christmas, and Cinco de Mayo. The halal goat meat demand around Eid-ul-Adha, the Muslim holiday for sharing and sacrifice, is proving to be no different. Khattak notes that this presentation comes at an opportune time given that Eid-ul-Adha will fall within a few days of the symposium. "Halal consumers actively look for halal goat around religious holidays, as well as to prepare traditional ethnic dishes all year round," says Haider Khattak.
 2nd International Conference On Halal Industry To Be Held In Pakistan
Halal Research Council is an organization working globally on Halal Advisory, R&D, Education and Certifications in order to promote the halal industry worldwide, with an objective to boost the halal economy worldwide.
We are pleased to invite you to "The 2nd International Conference & Expo on Halal Industry", scheduled for December 14-15, 2011 at Lahore, Pakistan, with the collaboration of Punjab Agriculture and Meat Company (PAMCO) of the Government of Punjab (as joint organizers). The key goal of this International Conference is to highlight the importance of consuming halal food, halal exports, and international halal market potential and to develop an awareness of halal concept among the masses.
At this conference, you will enjoy meeting and networking with the key industry players, Government functionaries, Shariah Scholars and many others from the halal industry both local and international. A team of IFANCA affiliates headed by Dr. Javaid Aziz Awan will be representing IFANCA at the conference.
For any further details about conference, please visit:www.halalrc.org/halalconference2011. 
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IFANCA would like to congratulate all the pilgrims who are following in the footsteps of the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim, alaihis salaam) and performing the spiritual journey of 
