Whole Foods Market has collaborated with Saffron Road to launch a Ramadan marketing campaign. Both companies are hosting several blog posts and giving shoppers the chance to win free Saffron Road products and gift cards valued at $100 on the national food chain’s website Whole Story Blog.  The blogs are about preparing for Ramadan and learning the meaning of halal. 

This photo from Whole Foods Market’s website shows a blog post on Ramadan. Photo courtesy of Saffron Road

This is the first time a major supermarket has run a marketing campaign during the holy Islamic fasting month. Generally, large food chains including Walmart and McDonalds carry halal items in locations where a significant number of Muslims reside, but Saffron Road’s products can be found in Whole Foods stores across the country. 

 Surprisingly, a great portion of Saffron Road’s consumers are not Muslim. “They definitely saw the values,” a spokeswoman for the company said. According to reports halal is the healthiest meat. Saffron Road’s products are sourced from livestock which eat only 100% vegetarian and are humanely treated. Its items are also gluten free, holistic, sustainably farmed and anti-biotic free. The company’s CEO Adnan Durrani says it’s the ethical standards required to produce halal products that attract consumers of diverse faiths. 

Saffron Road is a brand of the American Halal Company. And while it has only been on the market for a year its consumer base is rapidly expanding. Three new halal broths were recently launched, and the spokeswoman says other big-name grocery chains are expressing interest in investing. 

Durrani is encouraging others to get into the halal business and says the halal market is underserved in grocery stores, and there is room for much more. He adds that halal has greater potential than the kosher business, because of the significant American Muslim population. 

“I think the opportunity is tremendous,” he said.   Food expert Yvonne Maffei of the notable blog, My Halal Kitchen, also offers consumers recipes and advice on preparing meals for Ramadan on the site. She says many of Saffron Road’s products are easy to incorporate into Ramadan dinners and the new broths make cooking halal easier.