America: To halal or not to halal? Interview with Dr. Muhammad Munir Chaudry, IFANCA President and CEO

This interview was first published in the State of the Global Islamic Economy 2019/20 report produced by DinarStandard and supported by the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre. The report can be downloaded from here. 

IFANCA. is a U.S. corporation with a mission to promote the institution of halal by increasing awareness, educating consumers, and helping the industry in producing halal products. In cooperation with other organizations and agencies, it hopes to ensure everyone seeking halal products can find them locally, no matter where they reside. IFANCA was founded in 1982 by a group of food scientists, Islamic scholars, and industry professionals with knowledge and experience in industrial food production. The founders, halal consumers themselves, understood the challenges consumers faced in finding appropriate halal food in the USA. To tackle these issues they set up halal awareness, halal education, and halal certification programs. Many of these individuals continue to serve in leadership roles at IFANCA today.

There are several halal certifiers based in the United States but only one that is recognized by three key Islamic economies - Indonesia, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates - according to the latest published lists from the national authorities in those countries. Illinois-based Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA) may have already made its name abroad as a leading U.S. halal certifier and now at home, the 37-year old institution is stepping up efforts to build a wider Islamic economy ecosystem.