Australian, New Zealand Certified Halal Meat Showing Up at Major American Restaurants, Supermarkets
Chances are that if you are eating lamb in the US, it's zabihah halal, whether at a Michelin star restaurant or tasting your neighborhood Costco's samples.
The largest retailer of Australian halal lamb in the United States is Costco Wholesale. Outback Steakhouses and many supermarkets like Safeway, Krogers, and Sam's Clubs also carry the cheaper, grass fed lamb from 'down under'. Brands like Pasture Perfect by Pilot Brands, Diamond Valley, and Opal Valley are sold at grocery stores and other retailers.
The search for a healthier, organic option to the American beef burger resulted in the creation of Elevation Burger. Yousuf Nagaria is the owner of the new store opening up in Crofton, MD. He decided to open this particular franchise after investigating several options based on a "health conscious" philosophy and the ingredients- halal, grass fed beef, Bertolli olive oil for cooking, and organic milk shakes – not a typical fast food burger joint. The Crofton location will feature bamboo flooring, recycled tiles and energy efficient equipment.
Nagaria was encouraged to invest in Elevation Burger because he was impressed with "a big chain announcing that it is halal, [even hanging] cling signs on the windows of each store." He told the Muslim Link his Elevation Burger location will provide his community a place to eat that is mainstream, healthy and halal.
Elevation Burger is rapidly expanding its Virginia-based organic burger concept throughout the U.S. and has 24 locations in development across Texas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, D.C. and is using Australian meat distributors.
For the past 30 years, the Australian meat industry has actively courted the international Muslim consumer market. Australia implemented an Australian Government Authorized Halal Program (AGAHP), which ensures high-quality meat products that are strictly Halal. Australians and New Zealand have extremely large quantities of sheep and goats per capita and are large meat exporting countries. Australia is recognized as a world leader in Halal meat production and exports huge quantities to South East Asian countries. Mufti Abdullah Nana heads Halal Advocates of America. In 2009 he visited Australia with Mufti Ikram ul Haq of Rhode Island and then flew with Imam Meraj Desai to New Zealand to personally visit farms and slaughterhouses, including those that serve Costco.
In a statement to the Muslim Link, Rob Plefkoff, a spokesman from Costco Wholesale Corporation, said that initially Costco was not aware that they were selling halal lamb, as it was not a factor in their choice of lamb suppliers. Inquiries from halal consumers triggered Costco to send representatives to tour farms in Australia. Halal meat for export receives an official Halal meat certificate signed by both the Australian Department of Agriculture and a recognized Islamic Council representative.
This is a case where the governments of Australia and New Zealand made a conscious decision to make policy that supported a vibrant halal industry. Only Muslims can do zabihah under a comprehensive program that issues identity cards, training, and courses for those who work in these positions.
According to the AGAHP, meat processors may employ only registered Muslim slaughtermen. ìHaram meat may not be processed in the same area as halal products, and must be adequately separated and identified at all times,î state guidelines. Equipment must be thoroughly cleaned and washed if it has been in contact with non-halal meat. Only genuine halal products may be issued a Halal certificate, and only by recognized Islamic organizations. Slaughterers are authorized to remove animals from the line, which did not bleed properly, were not stunned properly, or were not cut properly, explained Mufti Nana.
An official stamp on carcasses or products in a carton identifies halal meat. Halal meat must be described on the Meat Transfer Certificate used by export companies when transported between export establishments.
International meat buyers seeking Australian red meat suppliers use MLA's Australian Red Meat Exporter Database to find companies that supply Australian beef, lamb and goat.
Mufti Nana added a disclaimer saying that he doesn't endorse every product coming from New Zealand and Australia, and that the Halal Advocates of America halal certification depends on distributor.
Indonesia is the worldís largest single Halal market with a population in excess of 200 million and a growing middle class estimated at 30-40 million. The government and people of Indonesia and Malaysia dictated the terms of importing meat into their countries and the economic repercussions were great enough for the governments in both countries to adhere to those demands. These governments of Muslim majority countries were strict about standards of zabihah and American Muslims are reaping the benefits, says Mufti Nana.
Most of the sheep and goat farms in Australia and New Zealand are owned by Christians. In recent years, anti-Muslim bigotry has threatened the industry but because government policies support the halal industry they have weathered the storm, says Nana. Fraudsters are actively prosecuted and it is difficult to cut corners. "[Australia and New Zealand] are not catering to American Muslims, we are just benefiting from the work of people before us," says Mufti Nana. He says that he number of questions Halal Advocates receives about Australian and New Zealand meat shows the word is getting out.
According to the report published by Halal Advocates, New Zealand is one of the worldís largest exporters of meat and the largest exporter of halal sheep in the world. A good percentage of this meat is exported to America and sold to restaurants, supermarkets, and distributors all over the country. Nana's organization concluded that the halal lamb and beef certified by NZIMM and FIANZ does meet the halal requirements for Muslims in America and all over the world.
The trend in coming years suggests increasing lamb consumption in the United States. Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is working together with its sheep farming counterparts from the US and Australia to get Americans eating more lamb. The Tri-Lamb Group was established in 2004 to grow demand for sheep meat in the US, mainly by promoting lamb's nutritional value. ìThis collaborative marketing campaign has had a real impact in the US market, but there is definitely room for us to be doing more. Americans still eat a relatively small amount of lamb per capita, so we;re working to increase that," said the spokesman.
In 2015, they plan on targeting nutritionists and dietitians as well as lamb suppliers and retailers.
In America, organic, halal chicken is also provided by PFG Australia Performance Food Group for Elevation Burger, says Nagaria, They get the meat from Australia.
Nagaria says that he negotiated with Elevation Burger, as he was hesitant to enter into a business that sells bacon. ìI will open the doors [to my store] without bacon,î he says. Lab testing is taking place during the next few months to roll out the halal turkey bacon nationwide.
Mufti Nana is thrilled at hearing the news about Nagaria and his Elevation Burger as Muslims had approached them about franchising earlier but did not get a positive response. Recently Nana met with them at the American Muslim Consumer Conference.
Nagaria hopes to take Elevation Burger into the Reagan National airport. Nagaria is excited to be halal and healthy. "We all go to halal restaurants; we protect ourselves and our kids – but this is a place you can take your family. I am so happy that I can serve my community," he said.
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