We sat down with Rai-Lee to get answers to your questions! In this edition, she breaks down our seafood sourcing, Halal labeling, and why she became a dietitian!
Have a question you’d like answered? Ask it HERE!
Are the fish we eat in the dining hall sustainably sourced/certified?
Great question, we are working hard to source consistent supplies of sustainably-sourced seafood for our menus. We maintain Marine Stewardship Council Certification as a campus and the majority of the fish products we serve have MSC certification. We continue to push our suppliers to offer more sustainably-sourced options for us. Right now we are able to get OceanWise certified salmon as well.
I’ve been working on adding on little blue fish “sustainable” icons onto our menus when third party certified sustainable options are being served. I’ll be working to get updated information from the Marine Stewardship Council to post around campus this term to help educate students on the topic as well.
In the meantime, you can check out the MSC website for more info if you are interested on the certification program. https://www.msc.org/en-us/
Why did you decide to become a dietitian? Where did you get your education?
I did my first undergrad bachelor’s degree at Mount Allison University in Psychology and Biology and was then stuck between different teaching and medical career options. I discovered dietetics as a career option that combined several of my favorite things – food, biology, and teaching!
I went to Mount Saint Vincent for a second BSc in Applied Human Nutrition and was lucky enough to go through the integrated internship program there to be allowed to take the final practicum exam and become a fully registered dietitian. Now I maintain my designation with the Nova Scotia Dietetic Association which includes annual submissions to prove continuing education to stay up to date on best practices and the latest research.
A lot of people only picture dietitians as working in hospitals and nursing homes, but there are a broad variety of opportunities beyond those classic clinical options. For example, as our population becomes more diverse, and dietary restrictions and allergies become more common, it becomes more challenging for food service operations to figure out how to meet all those needs safely. Bringing on a dietitian to help strategically plan and support the operations is becoming increasingly necessary and common. Government, schools, hotels, restaurants, etc. can all benefit from a dietitian’s input.
In my dietitian journey, I identified that I was personally more interested in food service operations and practical creative problem solving in this increasingly complex food environment than in working in an acute care setting. I have celiac disease myself and can really empathize with people trying to navigate the world with tough dietary restrictions. I can (and do) counsel individuals on how to get by and work around conditions like celiac disease, but I’d rather help change the environment so it is easier for them to get around without needing to jump through hoops to safely eat. I am excited to have joined the team here at Dalhousie this year so I can help make dining options easier for students that already have enough to worry about on their plate without needing to worry about food too!
How do you label for Halal foods?
Great Question!
Here are the basics:
We never label anything as halal that contains haram ingredients including:
- Pork and its by-products (e.g. gelatin, lipase, pepsin)
- Non-certified halal meat and poultry (non-Zabibah)
- Alcohol and foods prepared with alcohol
- Foods made with pure or artificial vanilla or other extracts (as they are typically prepared with alcohol)
- Foods containing blood and blood by-products (e.g. blood pudding)
We put the Halal icon only on single items or recipes that contain halal-certified proteins and halal-permitted ingredients and exclude all haram ingredients.
The halal-certified animal products that we have currently been able to source and carry include: burgers, pepperoni, boneless chicken breasts, and boneless chicken thighs. We are working towards being able to get in other certified products.
Burgers: We currently serve standard beef burgers as well as certified halal burgers. Just ask at the grill if you would prefer a halal certified burger and let the grill staff know if you would prefer it cooked in a separate pan instead of the grill. Each batch of halal certified burgers are currently certified by the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of Canada (IFANCC). Our burger buns do not contain any haram ingredients.
Pepperoni: We exclusively buy halal pepperoni when available. Our standard pepperoni pizza does not contain any haram ingredients and should always be labeled halal. If there is an exception to this- we will clearly change the labeling and highlight in the signage for that day. Our pepperoni is certified by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).
Chicken: All of the boneless chicken breasts and thighs we normally buy are certified by the Halal Monitoring Authority (HMA). We do still buy some chicken (on the bone) that is not certified halal. There are some cases on the menu where we are using halal certified chicken but cannot label the whole dish as halal due to other haram ingredients, such as parmesan cheese made with animal-derived lipase or chicken stock made with non-certified chicken. I am working with the culinary team to flag recipes that could be altered to replace haram ingredients with halal ingredients when possible, but this process takes time.
It is also worth noting that any of the items we have labeled on the menu with the “vegan” icon on the menu (apart from some dessert items which could include alcohol-based flavorings such as vanilla extract) are all halal. For those who are concerned about dessert offerings, we carry a selection of pre-packaged treat offerings that are free from the most common allergens and are often certified halal as well – just ask at your dining hall (or email me!) and we can show you what is available and how to access. I can also pull recipes and ingredients for any house-made treats you are interested in knowing more about.
For those who are interested in knowing more of the details of the current guidelines we use for identifying halal foods, I’d be happy to meet with you to discuss further!
Do you have a question you’d like answered? Ask it HERE and Rai-Lee will answer it in a future edition!
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