Halal Consumer

Commissioned articles on food, nutrition and health

Halal Consumer magazine is published by the Islamic Food and Nutrition Counsel of America (IFANCA). Please see the online catalogue for magazine issues and full articles:

A Breath of Fresh Air

Spring 2020 Issue #52 (publication pending). Explains the cheese making process, its hidden ingredients (such as rennet and enzymes), and the implications for halal certification.

Ready to rejuvenate? Step outside and fill your lungs with fresh air. It’s free! Each inhale invigorates your brain cells and each exhale cleanses your body of carbon dioxide and other wastes.

Day and night, the rhythm of breath keeps you company. You might take this lifelong relationship for granted unless you’re congested, or coughing. Air always surrounds us, and most people hardly think about what it might hide.  Outdoor breezes and indoor air deliver life-giving oxygen, but sadly, they may also carry unseen substances and risks.

Say Cheese

Spring 2018, Issue #44, page 28. Explains the cheese making process, its hidden ingredients (such as rennet and enzymes), and the implications for halal certification.

Presented in slices on elegant appetizer platters, or baked into casual delights like pizza and spinach-feta pie, cheese compliments nearly every cuisine. This delicious and versatile treat inspires smiles and pleases palates around the world.

The winds of time have obscured cheese’s true origins, but legends say that a Middle Eastern merchant accidentally created cheese while transporting fresh milk in a lamb stomach pouch under the hot sun. The sack naturally contained rennet (enzymes which allow young mammals to digest milk), so the warmed milk separated into delicious curds and whey.

The Body at War with Itself

Spring 2017, Issue #43, page 14. Explores the complex human immune system and self-care/nutrition for supporting healthy immunity.

It’s easy to envy those cheerful people who rarely get sick and recover rapidly from occasional illnesses. Conventional wisdom says that, “they were born that way” — but recent Cell research studies (http://www.cell.com) show that genetics play a surprisingly minor role in our health. Starting in the womb, each one of us builds a unique immune system, and the system’s ability to keep us healthy depends on many variables, including choices we can control (such as diet and lifestyle) and factors we cannot (such as aging or a past illness).

Once we realize that we can influence our own immunity, we are tempted to search for a secret key to health. How wonderful it would be to discover a one-size-fits-all solution! But of course, it’s really not so simple.

Clean Labels: A Case of Consumer Clout

Summer 2012, Issue #21, page 42. Explores the complex human immune system and self-care/nutrition for supporting healthy immunity.

Healthy eating experts recently cheered along with Walmart executives as they unveiled a new grocery logo in Washington D.C. “Great for You” stars in a fresh campaign to help consumers find and buy more wholesome products. It’s a “clean label:” a seal designed to appear on package fronts to spotlight foods that meet higher health standards.

Walmart’s new Great For You logo leads a clean labeling trend sweeping the food industry. The term “clean label” is well known in Europe, but just gaining traction in North America, despite familiar terms like “heart healthy” and “low-fat.”

Dearborn's Meals on Wheel Delivers a Recipe for Success

Summer 2012, Issue #21, page 24. Explores how one Michigan community supports homebound older adults with a groundbreaking halal meal delivery program.

Imagine the despair of being elderly, alone and hungry. One of ten senior citizens have worried about food, according to the Meals on Wheels Association of America. Funded through the Administration on Aging, Senior Nutrition Programs help ease hunger by serving over one million meals to older people each day. Often diners meet in a central location, but Meals on Wheels programs bring delicious food directly to each senior’s home. In Wayne County, these meals are now available as halal options.