The Halal Advocates of America emerged out of the concern of a few individuals in regards to the Halal industry in the USA. Our team has visited over 15 US states, 7 countries, and 4 continents for the purpose of studying Halal organization models and regulatory practices being applied at every level of the supply chain. We’ve had the opportunity to learn from countless Halal experts, researchers,
scholars, and inspection personnel on implementing Halal certification in the most optimal manner. The Halal Food Standards Alliance of America (HFSAA) is a Halal certification program established by The Halal Advocates of America. We certify Producers & Suppliers, Farms & Livestock Operations, Processing & Distribution Centers, Restaurants, Meat Stores, Products, and Services. There is a plethora of differences of opinion amongst the Islamic scholars when it comes to Halal. We’re pushing to implement a higher standard to ensure that any Muslim is able to consume our certified products regardless of what their personal stance may be on such issues. We are proud to be able to provide a higher standard of Halal! Halal is an Arabic term which means permissible or lawful in Islam. Haraam denotes that which is impermissible or unlawful according to the Shari’ah (Islamic Law). In terms of food, there are certain rules that must be adhered to in order for the food to be considered Halal for consumption. You can learn about what Halal entails and what are some of the rulings that are differed upon by the Islamic Scholars in our Resources section. Below you will see HFSAA’s Halal Standards. Our goal is to implement a higher standard of Halal that is inclusive of the personal Halal standards of each individual. REQUIREMENTS FOR SLAUGHTER
1. Only animals permitted for consumption in Islamic Law.
2. The slaughterman must be a practicing Muslim.
3. The slaughterman will slaughter by hand, and not by machine/mechanical means.
4. The slaughterman will recite the name of God on every individual animal, accompanied with proper intention.
5. The slaughterman will use a sharp knife to administer a horizontal incision to the throat of the animal severing the trachea, esophagus, and the carotid arteries. REQUIREMENTS FOR RESTAURANTS
All meats, raw ingredients, flavors, breads, desserts and other food products used and sold in the establishment must be in accordance with the full set of HFSAA standards. Non-Halal products, including ritually impure foods such as pork and alcohol, are not allowed on the premises
REQUIREMENTS FOR MEAT MARKETS
The Fresh Meat sold in the establishment must be in accordance with the full set of HFSAA standards. HFSAA Certification for Meat Markets does not cover the processed nor packaged food items and only applies to fresh meat. INSPECTIONS PROTOCOL FOR RESTAURANTS & MEAT STORES
1. Frequent inspections are conducted at random.
2. Inspector will thoroughly inspect entire premise including kitchen, freezers, and coolers for all meat products & condiments.
3. All audits are documented and reviewed by the Chapter Operations Manager. REQUIREMENTS FOR DINING HALLS
1. All meats & non-meat products (raw ingredients, flavors, breads, desserts, etc.) used and sold in the specified Halal sections must be in accordance with the full set of HFSAA standards.
2. All equipment utilized in the specified Halal sections has been tested to ensure there are no traces of porcine or other proteins, and will only be used for the Halal sections.
3. A supervisor will oversee compliance to HFSAA standards.
