Canada's Halal Monitoring Authority (HMA) provides free service for its foodservice operators in the midst of COVID-19

• Established in 2004, the HMA is a trusted halal monitoring and certifying body that has been working directly with restaurant owners to build trust amongst halal consumers across Canada.
• As demand for halal food continues to grow in Canada, HMA has been searching for ways to support its members and continue the momentum towards growing this community
• Since the start of the pandemic, HMA has been working with over forty restaurants in the GTA to continue providing their unique certification and inspection free-of-charge to foodservice operators they service.

TORONTO, July 27, 2020 /CNW/ - The Halal Monitoring Authority (HMA), Canada's only certification body that monitors at every step, has taken on  the costs to support halal Canadian restauranteurs as the global pandemic continues to threaten the foodservice industry.

"When the reality of COVID-19 hit, our team was at a standstill along with the rest of the industry. The survival of restaurants and the livelihood of many hard-working Canadians were - and still are - at risk," says Omar Subedar, COO of HMA. "As a part of this community and industry, we evaluated our role and provided relief during this challenging time by taking on the costs of our services for over forty of our operators."

With province-wide restrictions in place, it has been extremely difficult for restaurants to simply break even - many are continuing to operate at a loss. HMA is working with their operators on a month-by-month basis to evaluate the support needed. The HMA is made up of a team of inspectors, food scientists and certifiers that make it possibly for Muslim consumers across Canada to consume halal food with confidence.

Founded in 2004, The Halal Monitoring Authority (HMA) is a department under the Canadian Council of Muslim Theologians (CCMT) - a federally registered, non-profit organization.

The HMA is committed to providing halal certification of the highest ethical and religious standard to Canadian Muslims across the country. It is the only body in Canada that monitors and inspects at every level from the supplier to the retail shelf.

The HMA prides itself in working with businesses to support in sourcing and best practises in order to build authentic brand trust from the Muslim Canadian market.

The company is headquartered in Toronto with two additional offices in Calgary and Edmonton, providing services to abattoirs, suppliers, foodservice outlets and brands across Canada.

Learn more about the HMA by visiting www.hmacanada.org. Get in touch with the HMA via email ([email protected]) or phone (1-855-462-1462) Follow us on Twitter and Instagram or Like us on Facebook.

SOURCE Halal Monitoring Authority (HMA)