Brazil Islamic Center, an Islamic NGO, has been working to provide food labelled ‘halal’ for Muslim athletes in Rio Olympics 2016.
The Islamic Center commissioned the project to provide halal food in Olympic Games over eight months, during which the Center persuaded the Olympic organizing committee to recognize the need for halal options for Muslim athletes.
The Olympic organizing committee committed, during the negotiations, to prepare conditions for Muslim athletes to enjoy halal food provided by the Center.
The Center will provide halal food for Muslim delegations in Rio. To this end, separate kitchens have been devised in the Olympic village along with a large dining hall which is capable of hosting more than 2,000 athletes and managers of Muslim delegations to Rio. The whole system of catering, preparation, and distribution of food is handled by the Islamic Center and under its supervision.
The project complies with the health standards of the Olympic organizing committee. The workers and cooks are uniformed and easily identified. They are only eligible to commute through spaces where non-Islamic food is distributed and are banned from entering these sections.
The dining complex of Olympic village provides more than 65,000 meals to more than 18,000 athletes and delegation members; 8,000 athletes and delegation members will receive food with halal labels on them.
Islamic Center of Brazil has been working for 20 years in halal food industry in Brazil and throughout the South American continent. The Center has the honor to provide halal food in major events including 2014 FIFA World Cup and Rio+20 in 2012.
