University of Minnesota Extension SuperShelf team and educator Serdar Mamedov works with Catholic Charities Food Shelf to grow the halal food supply chain and make culturally appropriate foods more accessible.
In 2023, Minnesotans made 7.5 million food shelf visits — 2 million more visits than the previous year. Experts expect 2024 to be the hungriest on record for the third year in a row, partly due to inflation and soaring food prices. Children, older adults and Black households are more likely to be food insecure.
Food shelves are the first line of defense against hunger, but for many, there is stigma or shame around seeking help. It takes more than just free groceries to get them through the door; they must feel invited, included and respected. These are the core values of Extension’s SuperShelf team, which works with food shelves across the state to create dignified environments where all people have easy access to healthy and culturally appropriate foods.
Catholic Charities in St. Cloud was one of the SuperShelf transformations in 2018. When they decided to expand their halal food offerings in 2023, they reached out to the Extension SuperShelf team members Samantha Barron and Angelica Pena, and educator Serdar Mamedov, to help strengthen their relationship with local halal consumers. “This was something new for them, and they wanted to do it right,” says Mamedov.
Building a shared vision
“Our work in Extension is all about listening to our community and being attentive to their needs,” says Mamedov, a halal food supply chain expert. During meetings with Somali American leaders, some expressed they were hesitant to trust an outside organization with sourcing and handling halal foods.
"Providing halal items is a crucial step, but it's not enough,” says Mamedov. “Food shelves and retailers must also invest in building relationships within the communities they serve and training staff to handle halal foods correctly.”
Halal consumers were invited to share their food preferences, revealing a strong demand for goat and lamb meat, basmati rice, spices, and most notably, camel milk. This is a staple food in Somali and other East African cultures, but in the United States, it is difficult to find and too expensive for most families. It costs $12-$15 for a single pint of camel milk, compared to about 50 cents for a pint of cow milk.
Through Serdar’s established connection with a camel farmer in Colorado, this unique item was sourced and is now on the shelves as of November 2024. “Making camel milk free and accessible shows that Catholic Charities are willing to go the extra mile. People know it’s hard to get, and it really resonates with them,” says Mamedov.
With direction from the SuperShelf team, new refrigerators designated exclusively for halal foods were installed, along with signage that clearly indicates halal food sections. These infrastructure changes help build confidence among community members about buying halal foods from new sources.
Continuing commitment to community
Extension and Catholic Charities leadership took a collaborative approach to building cultural competence and halal food handling skills throughout the organization. Staff and volunteers attended educational sessions around halal food handling practices and Somali culture, tradition and values. The Extension team also created a tailored and comprehensive halal food operations guide to help Catholic Charities continue to uphold the highest standards.
"Halal food is a promise to your community, and it must be upheld with integrity and dedication," says Mamedov.
This initiative reflects the power of collaboration and the importance of understanding cultural nuances to create inclusive and equitable food systems. By fostering partnerships and investing in education, infrastructure, and community engagement, Catholic Charities and Extension have set an example of how to meet the needs of diverse audiences.
Halal is an Arabic word that means "allowed" and refers to foods, actions and behaviors that are in accordance with Islamic teachings from the Quran.
The opposite of halal is haram or "forbidden."
In order to be certified as halal, foods and drinks must be:
- Free of pork, alcohol, intoxicants and other haram foods
- Made from healthy animals that were slaughtered according to Islamic law
- Prepared, transported and stored using clean and uncontaminated equipment.
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