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Abstract
It is time for the US dairy processing and dairy ingredient industries to become familiar with the term Halal, which is the Islamic counterpart of Kosher, and means "permitted or allowed" to Muslims. Halal certification of foods is becoming increasingly important as the country's Muslim population grows. This groups buying power of food is about $12 billion. It is also important for the export business as more than 95% certified-Halal dairy ingredients are going to highly Muslim populated countries. Some ingredients that go into dairy foods are objectionable including: 1. emulsifiers containing fatty acids derived from lard, 2. gelatin made from pork skin, 3. enzymes such as pepsin, 4. animal-sourced glycerin and, 5. liquid flavorants containing alcohol.