Islamic Services of America

What Islamic Services of America does

Islamic Services of America (ISA), founded in 1975 and headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is the first and longest-standing Halal certification body in North America. Originally established as a community outreach organization supporting foreign students from Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Middle East, ISA expanded into Halal verification in the mid-1970s and now certifies consumable and non-consumable products across six verticals: meat and poultry, flavors and ingredients, health and beauty, bakery and food processing, nutraceuticals and supplements, and other industrials. Its enterprise customer base includes Beyond Meat, Lonza, Trident Seafoods, Prairie Farms, Diversey, Welch Foods, and over a dozen other manufacturers requiring access to the 1.6+ billion-strong global Muslim consumer market.

ISA operates a recurring-revenue certification model built on annual facility certification fees, one-time product review charges, per-product certification fees, and audit-related expenses (inspection, travel, auditor per diem). Pricing is customized rather than published. The company runs an internal e-Halal system to manage certification workflow, product reviews, ingredient analysis, audit scheduling, and certificate issuance, though the differentiator is operational usability rather than algorithmic intelligence. Distribution is direct enterprise sales supplemented by inbound web/phone inquiries; the company uses content marketing (weekly blogs, social media across five platforms) and industry events (Gulfood, IFT, WHFC) for top- and mid-funnel demand generation.

ISA's competitive position rests on regulatory credentials accumulated over five decades: GAC (GSO 2055-2) from the GCC Accreditation Center, ISO 17065 conformity assessment from A2LA, formal BPJPH accreditation from Indonesia, and founding-membership status in the World Halal Food Council (WHFC). Through its 2018 affiliation with Halal Montreal Certification Authority (HMCA), ISA provides unified USA-Canada-Mexico coverage. A May 2025 Letter of Intent with Indonesia's BPJPH, signed at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C., represents the most recent offensive move to expand into one of the world's largest Halal import markets. Leadership is held by President Jalel Aossey and Vice President Timothy Hyatt, the latter serving on the USDA Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee. The company is privately held with no disclosed revenue or headcount.

Name

Islamic Services of America

Legal name

Islamic Services of America

Website

https://isahalal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Islamic Services of America is the first and longest-standing Halal certification body in North America, founded in 1975 and headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It certifies consumable and non-consumable products across meat, ingredients, health/beauty, nutraceutical, and industrial verticals for enterprise manufacturers seeking access to global Muslim markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Halal Certification Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Services, Nec (8900)

akta.pro primary industry

Halal Certification Services (AFALAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Export & Private-Label Certified Production (Halal/Kosher) (AFANAIAO)

Keywords

• Halal certification services
• Islamic dietary compliance
• Product certification audits
• Halal food verification
• Religious certification body

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedar Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Halal Certification Services: ISA generates revenue through Halal certification services which include facility audits, product reviews, and annual certification fees. Services include audit inspection fees, travel expenses, auditor per diem salary, facility certification fees (per calendar year), one-time product review charges, and per-product certification fees.
2. Global Halal Certification: Revenue derived from certifying companies for domestic and international Halal markets, including certification for export to markets requiring recognized Halal certification bodies such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Middle Eastern countries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ISA provides Halal certification services for consumable and non-consumable products, verifying that food, beverages, ingredients, pharmaceuticals, health and beauty items, and other goods comply with Islamic dietary laws. The service includes facility audits, ingredient and product reviews, and issuance of recognized Halal certificates accepted by regulators and consumers worldwide.

Product overview

Islamic Services of America (ISA) operates as a Halal certification body offering a single unified service: Halal certification and verification for businesses seeking to market compliant products. ISA's portfolio includes Halal certification services for various industries (meat/poultry, flavors/ingredients, health/beauty, nutraceuticals, bakery/food processing), along with associated industry education and consultation. There is no modular software platform or multiple named digital products—the offering is fundamentally a certification service with supporting informational resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Halal Certification Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Global Halal market access through recognized certifications
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BPJPH (Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025ISA signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Indonesia's Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) on May 20, 2025, at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C. The agreement underscores ISA's commitment to Halal integrity and facilitates the export of U.S. Halal-certified beef and other products to Indonesia, one of the largest Halal markets in the world.
• Halal Montreal Certification Authority (HMCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHMCA is affiliated with ISA Inc. (Islamic Services of America) and together the two organizations cover North America (USA-Canada-Mexico), serving the diverse and ongoing needs of clients of all sizes. HMCA changed ownership in mid-2018 and remains a Canadian-based and wholly owned entity as part of a larger expansion in the Halal industry.
• World Halal Food Council (WHFC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISA is one of the original WHFC founding members from over two decades ago. The organization actively participates in WHFC assemblies and meetings, with ISA's President Jalel Aossey serving as a featured speaker at WHFC events in Dubai.
• National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerISA partnered with NUSACC and attended the 15th annual Iftar dinner at Washington D.C., promoting cultural understanding in the spirit of Ramadan. The partnership supports ISA's engagement with Arab markets and cross-cultural business relations.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar RapidsminorOthersISA and its employees actively support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar Rapids and East Central Iowa. ISA has participated in awareness meetings and believes in empowering youth through proper guidance and care.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA / MOIAT): MOIAT (formerly ESMA) is the UAE's national standards body governing Halal product recognition; it represents both a regulatory counterpart to ISA's GAC accreditation and a structural constraint given ISA's UAE meat/poultry restriction.
• Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM): JAKIM is the Malaysian government authority issuing the most internationally recognized Halal certification in the Muslim world; it is the dominant global incumbent whose recognition determines whether certifiers like ISA's output is accepted in Malaysia.
• Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI): MUI is the Indonesian Islamic scholars' council that historically administered Halal certification in Indonesia (now overseen by BPJPH); it is a sovereign authority whose accreditation governs access for ISA-certified exports.
• Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA): SFDA is the Saudi government regulator overseeing food safety and Halal compliance for the Kingdom; it sets the standards against which ISA's GCC/GAC-accredited certifications are accepted and is a key sovereign counterpart.
• GIMDES (Gida Imalati ve Denetim Sistemleri): GIMDES is a leading Turkish-based Halal certification body operating across Europe, MENA, and Central Asia; it competes with ISA for international Halal certification mandates from multinational food producers.

Direct peers

• Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA): IFANCA is one of the oldest and largest U.S.-based Halal certification bodies, certifying food, beverage, and ingredient manufacturers for both domestic and international Halal markets — directly overlapping ISA's core offering and customer base.
• Halal Montreal Certification Authority (HMCA): HMCA is a Canadian Halal certification body now affiliated with ISA (acquired 2018) but historically operated as an independent peer offering the same facility-audit, product-review, and certification services across North America.
• American Halal Foundation (AHF): AHF is a U.S.-based Halal certification organization serving food manufacturers, restaurants, and consumer goods companies with comparable audit, ingredient review, and certification services to ISA.

Emerging players

• Halal Watch World: Halal Watch World is an emerging global Halal verification and consumer-trust platform; while more consumer-facing than ISA, it represents an emerging digital-native adjacent to traditional audit-based certification.

Regional players

• Halal Australia: Halal Australia is an Australian Halal certification body serving meat processors, food manufacturers, and ingredient suppliers across Oceania — a regional peer with a comparable offering in a non-overlapping geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/isahalal
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=O3h7FVNG2Cs
• Facebookfacebook.com/islamicservicesofamerica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/islamic-services-of-america-isa
• Instagraminstagram.com/isa_halal

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Islamic Services of America