- Title: ITALY: Italian supermarket chain opens its first halal meal counter
- Date: 15th February 2010
- Summary: PEOPLE WITH TROLLEYS IN SUPERMARKET
- Embargoed: 2nd March 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Italy
- Country: Italy
- Topics: General,Religion
- Reuters ID: LVABTK64N6MCOWWIDTVDFOK9QWPU
- Story Text: Dozens of Muslim customers as well as curious Italians visiting a large supermarket in Rome on Saturday (February 13) were able to shop in its recently opened halal meat section.
The supermarket, owned by the Italian food retail chain Coop, began selling halal meat a week ago (February 6) to allow its increasing number of Muslim customers to buy meat killed in accordance with Muslim religious laws.
Not all the customers who visited the new section did so for religious reasons. Many curious Italians checked out the products and were given advice and information by Muslim promotion assistants hired specifically to do so.
"There are both curious people who just want to know about this meat and other curious people who go all the way and end up buying the meat," said Iman, originally from Morocco, who has lived in Italy since she was four years old.
Coop's idea of opening the halal department to promote respect towards other cultures, was welcomed by many of its Italian customers.
"We are in a multi-cultural country, so I think these initiatives should be appreciated. For example, I was looking at such beautiful lamb over there," Roberto Sila, a Rome resident, said.
Meat sales had increased in the last week according to the supermarket's director Vincenzo Terrasi.
"We are not interested in exploiting a particular niche market to make business. For us it was a way to give an answer to a request that was coming from our customers of Muslim faith," he added.
Traditionally for meat to be halal, animals should be slaughtered with a sharp knife and blessed by the person who carried out the task. The meat has been available at halal butchers in Italy.
Some customers were pleased that it was now available in a major supermarket.
"I am happy, all Arabs are happy, because they can buy halal meat here," said Fatima, a customer from Morocco.
The meat sold at the halal section comes from the same livestock farms as the rest of the meat sold by the Coop chain but is slaughtered according to halal principles at a slaughterhouse in Northern Italy. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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