Dive Brief:
- U.S. prosecutors have indicted an Iowa businessman, accusing him of fraudulently labeling meat as meeting the halal standards required by observant Muslims.
- Bill Aossey Jr., founder of Cedar Rapids-based Midamar Corp., allegedly conspired to change labels and forge documents before shipping non-halal meat to Indonesia and Malaysia.
- Aossey is charged with wire fraud, money laundering, making false statements on export documents, and conspiracy.
Dive Insight:
Midamar is the largest seller of halal meats in the United States, and this case is likely to generate interest in Muslim communities across the globe. Aossey's attorney has called the indictment "unfair." Midamar has released a statement calling the government's actions "malicious."