More kosher and halal food is needed at police stations, lawmakers say

While tens of thousands [commissary] Beneficiaries practice a religion with unique dietary rules, stores offer limited certified kosher and halal options and fail to promote them well, Reps. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., wrote to the director of Commissioner John Hall. .

They warned that failure to sell a wider range of kosher foods, which adhere to strict Jewish dietary laws, and halal options, which are permissible under Islamic law, undermines the military’s diversity and discourages members of those faiths from serve in the US armed forces.

It is essential that the Defense Department ensure that active-duty personnel of all faiths, including Islam and Judaism, are able to use foods that respect their faith traditions, wrote Pressley and Houlahan, the top ranking Democrat on Armed Services Committees of the House of Representatives. life panel.

No active duty personnel should have to sacrifice their faith to serve in our military.

The commissary agency operates 235 grocery stores on bases around the world, providing discounted meals to the military community. But troops, members and others have told Pressley’s office about the difficulties they face because of a lack of kosher and halal options in stores, which could force observant Jews and Muslims to spend more money on transportation. groceries from specialty stores or to limit their eating altogether.

Food is certified as kosher or halal if it does not contain ingredients prohibited under those dietary laws, such as pork or shellfish, and if it was slaughtered or prepared in a compliant facility and approved by a religious authority or organization such as the Orthodox Union. other rules. How much kosher or halal food a grocery store stocks depends on how much demand there is for it in the local community.

We urge DeCA to urgently address issues related to access to foods that meet religious dietary restrictions, the lawmakers wrote. They also asked that the agency work with service members and their families to advertise items when they become available, include items in meal deals and special holiday promotions and ensure availability during religious holidays.

The lawmakers’ press release announcing the letter cited endorsements from two organizations, including the National Military Family Association.

Military families need access to healthy, familiar foods no matter where they live in the world, NMFA Chief Executive Officer Besa Pinchotti said in a statement. But just as important, they need access to food that adheres to their religious dietary requirements.

Commissaries and the food industry are constantly striving to offer a wide range of products to serve the diverse military population around the globe in areas where commercial alternatives are limited, said Steve Rossetti, president of the American Logistics Association, a trade organization of companies, whose products are sold in commissaries and exchanges. The ALA also approved the lawmakers’ letter to the commissioner agency.

We must ensure that all consumer tastes and preferences, including religious dietary options, are represented in the commissary’s offerings, Rossetti said.

Rossetti also told Military Times that the commissary agency reserves a significant amount of shelf space to accommodate the tastes and preferences of local customers, as well as products from small businesses.

Customers can ask their local commissary to order items that may not be in stock. Information was not immediately available on whether that includes requests for food that complies with religious law, or how often people request those products.

The military has taken steps to meet the religious dietary needs of service members in settings where there may not be other options, such as on ships and other deployments. For example, the Defense Logistics Agency offers ready-to-eat kosher and halal meals to accommodate those following strict religious diets.

The military recently said it would review rules around basic subsistence allowance pay after concerns were raised that soldiers were having funds deducted from their rations for daily meals even when local officials could not provide religious accommodation.