What is Halal?

  • Halal is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permitted. It is most often used to refer to foods that are permissible for Muslims to consume. However, everyone can eat Halal! It is often seen as healthier and better for the environment due to the treatment of animals slaughtered.

    There are so many foods that can be considered Halal. All fruits and vegetables, and fish by themselves are Halal. As long as meal does not contain the list of prohibited ingredients you are generally good to go! However, you still need certification to make any claim of Halal.

  • Pork and pork by products: Pork comes in many forms, such as ham, bacon, sausage, and pork butt. You may be surprised to know what pork by products are found in many foods you may commonly consume. Often under the guise of ‘enzymes’ or ‘mono and di glycerides’.

    Other prohibited ingredients are

    • Alcohol

    • Carnivorous animals

    • Rennet

    • Lysine

    • Gelatin

    • Non Vegetable Shortening

  • Halal in schools is more than just food for Muslims. By transitioning to a Halal-friendly school menu you open the door for healthier, scratch cooked meals that everyone can eat. This also includes vegetarians and vegans, as well as those with other dietary restrictions.

  • Congratulations on your shift to serving Halal meats! However, you cannot claim your meals are Halal without the proper certification. Partnering with HSMN ensures your school goes through the appropriate training process, receive a thorough review of all ingredients used in meal production, and ultimately receive your kitchen certification.

  • Third party certification ensures that every single ingredient contained in your school meals has been thoroughly reviewed by a group of PhD holding, food scientists to ensure it is 100% free of all prohibited ingredients. This is critical for trust building between food service staff and students/families. Many Muslims will not eat food that does not contain a third party certification. On top of this, your school meal participation rates are bound to increase?

  • The Halal School Meals Network is the leading support agency for US-based schools serving Halal, 3rd party certified meals. We work with reputable partners such as the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA), to ensure your transition to Halal meals is smooth.

    We will work with your kitchen staff to design an implementation timeline that is feasible, communicate between staff and IFANCA, design marketing and communication materials, and be your sounding board for any and all questions.

  • It’s possible! Please check our list of IFANCA certified schools and reach out if you have any questions.