Sept 9 2002 – For almost half a century, McDonald’s burgers have been enjoyed as a quick snack.
Now Australia’s first halal Mcdonald’s is proving a big hit with Sydney’s Muslim community which is finally able to taste a Big Mac or cheeseburger.
However, it will be a while still before they are asked if they’d like “fries with that”.
McDonald’s at Punchbowl is the first of the fast food chain to sell halal burgers, shakes and cookies in Australia.
It took store owners Tony and Mina Favotto more than six months to have the store accredited by the Halal Certification Authority.
The Favottos, who bought the store a year ago, said they were inundated with calls from Muslims wanting to know if the store was halal.
“I still get about 30 to 40 calls a day from people wanting to know if we sell halal burgers,” Mr Favotto said yesterday.
“We made the decision to use halal goods very carefully and felt we had a commitment to our local community.
“Our restaurant is situated in a multicultural community with more than 9 per cent of residents being Muslim.
“We wanted to give them the opportunity to come to
For 26-year-old Ummara Hassan from Strathfield, the burgers mean she can finally enjoy fast food on the run.
“I think it is such a good idea that they are catering for the Muslim community. We heard about it from a friend and had to come,” Ms Hassan said.
“It is nice to be able to enjoy something different,” she said.
In order to meet the stringent requirements, staff had to modify in-store procedures such as ensuring gloves are changed when switching from wrapping bacon-free products and foods containing bacon.
The Punchbowl store serves halal meat patties in all their meat products to eliminate the chances of a Muslim customer inadvertently being served a non-halal product.
The patties are bought from a company in Queensland which specialises in exporting halal products to Malaysia and the Middle East.
Mr Favotto now estimates more than 60 per cent of his customers are Muslims with many travelling from across Sydney to eat a Big Mac or cheeseburger.
“Some of these people tell me they haven’t had one for 10 years while others have never eaten one.”
He is now working on the more complex task of having fried items such as nuggets and chips certified as halal.
Halal meat is produced in NZ but there are no plants in the region that produce halal chicken nuggets or fries.
KFC was the first fast-food chain in Australia to introduce halal products in two of its stores in Sydney’s west.
Last month the halal food industry export development project was launched to encourage businesses to have their products and work places certified as halal.
Guidelines for halal consumption:
* Halal: An Arabic word, meaning permitted or lawful
* Products not considered halal: pork and its by-products; animals deemed improperly slaughtered or dead before slaughtering; animals killed in the name of anyone other than Allah; alcohol and intoxicants; carnivorous animals, birds of prey and land animals without external ears; blood and blood by-products
* Foods contaminated with any of the above are “haram” and unfit for consumption
* Halal products at Punchbowl McDonald’s include all beef products, shakes, sundaes, cookies and beverages.
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