Halal Food Options Remain Lacking At Kennedy's Cafeteria

Halal is often seen on a food label, yet many lack the knowledge of what it means. Halal is an Arabic word meaning “permitted”, referring to the dietary restrictions that Muslims follow. Some restrictions include avoiding any kind of alcohol and pork, and only eating meat which is prepared in a certain way. For many Muslim students however, their options are limited to what they can eat in the cafeteria, including our school.

To understand if John F Kennedy caters to its students' needs, we interviewed the cafeteria staff questioning highschool halal options offered at the cafeteria. The cafeteria staff responded, stating that the school cafeteria actually used to offer more halal options about two years ago. They followed up by saying that these eventually were removed as most students didn’t eat any of the halal options. 

“No one would come and eat any of it,” said one of the cafeteria staff. “We even made announcements.” “[As of right now],we have cards which say halal friendly … and everyday we offer vegan options,” answered another one of the cafeteria staff.

Notably, when looking at the food options which are labeled halal, most, if not all options are vegetarian and vegan dishes rather than meals with halal preparations. 

To clarify, halal food and vegetarian food are not the same. Halal is based on religion, while vegetarians choose not to eat meat as a whole. Meat like chicken, beef, or lamb can be halal, but only if the animal is slaughtered in a way which is painless. First, the one slaughtering the animal says an Arabic, holy phrase “Bismillahi Allahu Akbar” which translates to “In the name of god, god is the greatest” as to pay respects to the animal and the life being taken is under god’s permission. Then, they take out a sharp blade which is then hit at the animal’s neck to ensure minimal pain on them. The animal must also be given humane treatment even before they are slaughtered. 

Vegetarian food is different because it's more about avoiding meat. Vegetarians don't eat meat, chicken, or fish but many of them still eat eggs and dairy like milk and cheese. A food can also be vegetarian but not halal if it has things like alcohol or gelatin.

Sadaf Masood, a Muslim staff member who has been working in JFK for about six years, first gave us further insight on why halal meat is prepared a certain way, explaining that if animals are stressed before slaughter, chemicals are released which make the meat less healthy and taste differently.

“A lot of people who aren’t Muslim have said halal meat tastes better.” she added.

When asked if she was aware that there were halal food options at JFK in the past. Masood admitted that she had no idea that it was ever a thing.

“No way? They did? I didn’t know that,” she said in response. 

When we gave her examples of items currently in the cafeteria which were labeled “halal friendly” such as jelly sandwiches, Masood was intrigued. 

“A butter and jelly sandwich doesn’t have much to do with halal,” she commented, saying that the label is a bit misleading due to the fact that it was a sandwich which anyone could eat. It wasn’t exactly halal-prep food.

Masood states that compared to two years ago, the Muslim population has not only increased inside of JFK but rather the entire area as a whole, making halal food more relevant. 

“It’s a matter of supply and demand,” stated Masood, explaining that with more Muslims in the area, halal food has a higher demand and supply. Stores such as Costco now sell halal meat in bulk for a lower price than halal food markets who sell by the pound.  “If they buy wholesale, it would not be as expensive,” added Masood.

“But if they’re not exposing it enough, if they’re not telling the muslim population in the school that there is halal food.. If they aren’t promoting it properly, it won’t happen.”

As said by Masood, compared to two years ago, the Muslim population has significantly increased in number. To understand through a student’s perspective, we interviewed three Muslim students on their opinions on cafeteria food and the addition of halal options.

All three students said that they rarely, if ever, eat cafeteria food.

“They only have items like cheese pizza,” explained one of the students, “and they don’t have any halal meats.”

They then all agreed and emphasized that they would eat lunch at school more often if halal meat options were to come back. They expressed excitement for options such as chicken or burgers, saying they’d love to eat those in school like everybody else.

This issue isn’t just relevant here but also a statewide law. California passed Senate Bill 1080 titled the “Halal and Kosher School Meals Act” which requires schools to provide halal and kosher options if at least five percent of students request them as introduced by Senator Josh Newman. 

This law was passed in 2024, making way for a beneficial change to Muslim students across California schools. As this law is in place, JFK students have the chance to advocate for change. We recommend that students who would like to eat more halal and kosher food learn more about it.

The cafeteria has made an effort now and in the past to accommodate, but now is the time when we need it most.

If our student population joins together to support this cause, such as making a petition for new lunch options, there could be a chance for cafeteria food that can meet everyone’s expectations.

Photo from Unsplash | Halal food options' lack of popularity contributes to its limitations