Walmart recently signed a deal with Crescent Foods, a Chicago-based Halal chicken producer, to supply products to the world’s largest retail chain.

Five Walmart stores in the Michigan-area now stock a range of eight different Crescent chicken products, as the first deliveries were completed in November to stores in Dearborn, Sterling Heights, Rochester Hills, Chesterfield and Shelby Township.

Negotiations began in September 2008, when one of Wal-Mart’s buyers approached Crescent’s distributor in Colorado.

CEO Ahmad Adam talked about the importance of quality in his products.

“We realized from the beginning that to succeed as a world class Halal chicken producer, we would have to meet, and even surpass, the highest standards of the mainstream food industry,” said Adam.

“This has always been part of our vision. Our latest round of upgrades and improvements meant that we were already in line with what was expected of us from Wal-Mart.”

Crescent products currently carried at Wal-Mart include whole chicken (bagged), boneless skinless breast fillets, leg quarters, thighs, boneless skinless thighs, drumsticks and wings. The number of products and outlets could increase in the future if all goes well.

“For Crescent, this is all about developing beneficial long-term relationships,” said Adam. “Whether it is with the Amish farms, where our vegetarian-fed chickens are raised, our local neighborhood community stores, international airlines or with Wal-Mart… it is all about delivering the highest quality and service.”

Adam talked about the increase in Halal products around the world.

“We are really seeing Halal developing as a global movement now, and of course the USA, with a well-established Muslim population of around 8-9 million people, is a big part of this movement,” he said.

“U.S. Muslims have an overall purchasing power of around $170 billion dollars a year. This is a very significant market sector.”

For more info about Crescent, including their complete product range, visit www.crescentfoods.com, or call 800-939-6268.

*since this article was published our products are not exclusively Amish raised