Law aims to Boost Halal, Kosher Food for Poor

Detroit: For the first time, the United States federal government is required to purchase and provide food banks with emergency supplies of kosher or halal products, serving a population whose survival could otherwise be at odds with strictures of faith. The void was first revealed in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, which wreaked havoc on the East Coast in the fall of 2012 and led to food shortages for those most in need. A Jewish philanthropic organization in New York alerted lawmakers to the rising numbers of people coming to its food banks and often finding shelves devoid of kosher offerings. That led to legislation aimed at boosting emergency supplies for food prepared in accordance with Jewish and Muslim dietary rules, and, after some unsuccessful attempts at passage, the measure was tucked into the sweeping federal farm bill signed into law. Federal agriculture officials now must implement the novel law, which requires them to buy food prepared in accordance with the faiths’ dietary rules. The U.S. Agriculture Department’s challenges include gauging the demand and finding vendors who can supply the appropriate amount of food to keep it cost-neutral. Demand for kosher food is high in the New York metropolitan area, and both the New York and Detroit areas are major centers of halal consumption.