Atlantic Beef Products now provides halal-certified beef

The Atlantic Beef Products plant in Albany, P.E.I., now provides halal-certified Island beef and ground beef products, the company announced Friday.

The plant has received halal certification from the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of Canada (IFANCC), an internationally accepted means to assure the halal status of foods.

"There has been a steadily growing interest from Muslim consumers, food retailers and food service operators looking for halal beef in Atlantic Canada," Russ Mallard, president of Atlantic Beef Products, said in a news release Friday.

The plant has been preparing for the IFANCC certificationfor months, he said.

Halal, which means permissible in Arabic, generally refers to foods and drinks that are permissible for Muslims to consume under Islamic law.

Halal-certified food is prepared according to strict instructions laid out in the Qur'an, including the way the animal is slaughtered.