Whole Foods which has been among the first to offer halal foods, ranks it among its fastest growing catego- ries, with double-digit sales growth in each of the last five years. For retailers like Whole Foods adopting the halal food categories has not been an easy process as they have received negative feedback especially in the corners of social media where Islam comes under regular criti- cism, with calls by some to boycott the stores and others offer halal options, but to be honest this has only seems to increase the curiosity for the cuisine and driving more demand for the product. When Whole Foods ran its initial Ramadan campaign, it was criticized for failing to tout other religious holidays. Rick Findlay, global grocery coordinator for Whole Foods, says the company wasn’t deterred. “People look to Whole Foods to be that trendsetter,” he said, “We’re happy to be on that cutting edge and take some risks.” Looking at the population demographics for retailers makes halal products seem like less of a risk. Numbers show that there were 3.3 million U.S. Muslims last year and that number is expected to grow to 8.1 million by 2050. The movement is not power by the increase in the Muslim population but its gaining popularity with food-lovers who want better frozen meals and really nothing to do with following Islamic Law. With the gaining demand for Halal foods they can be found in of course Whole Foods, but also on the shelves at Kroger Co., Safeway Inc, Giant Food Stores and Wal- Mart. However, the market still hasn’t reached enough demand for some of the big names in packaged food industry to fully commit but, it is definitely getting there. It’s possible that halal could be “held back by the stigma” that some Americans attach to Islam, said Krishnendu Ray, associate professor of food studies at NYU Steinhardt. “Or, it could eventually be like kosher, which is identified as fresher, more virtuous food.” Ray is the author of the 2016 book “The Ethnic Restaura- teur,” which examines a long history of immigrant influence on American cuisine. Italian food, he says, was frowned upon around the turn of the 20th century, partly because it was “too garlicky” and associated with criminal activity because people often drank alcohol alongside it. The halal food sector has tapped into something that tran- scends demographics and that is taste. When you look at North American food history it is taste that determines staying power with a trend and what will make it mainstream and less about how they treat the animals. The great part when speaking of halal foods is that you get both.
By Katie Davis T here is no real science on how trends happen, they just happen. A movement starts and with today’s social media it does not take long for the trend to gain momentum. It could be that a celebrity is photo- graphed with a product or at a new restaurant; it might be increased conversation of a topic in social media that makes people interested in a product or culture. Well in a time when the Muslims culture has dominated much of the media, it only makes sense that people will become more interested in learning more about it, thus the lure of halal food which is gaining popularity among non Muslim North Americans foodies. This is not a new phenomenon in North American food culture as many ethnic-specialty statuses have gone mainstream. This happened long ago with Italian cuisine and to some extent with kosher food, which offers a closer comparison to halal. As like its Jewish equivalent, Islamic rules mandate humane treatment of animals as well as other special preparations. In grocery and convenience stores and similar outlets, research firm Nielsen estimates that sales reached $1.9 billion in the 12 months through August, a 15 percent increase from 2012. Sales from restaurants to supermar- kets are projected to be at $20 billion this year, up over 30 percent since 2010, according to the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America, which certifies halal food.
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OCTOBER 2016 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS
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