FoodFebruary 7, 2023

Students from Limerick create an award-winning culinary app.

Keepin' It Halal!
Dr Pamela Byrne from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (behind) presenting the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Special Award to 2nd Year students Wagma, Laiba and Lana from Coláiste Nano Nagle

THREE Limerick teens have been commended for ‘keeping it real,’ after developing an app to help individuals with dietary restrictions save time.

Lana Qaddoura (15), Laiba Mir (14) and Wagma Jan (14), all pupils from Coláiste Nano Nagle in Limerick city, developed the app “Keepin’ it Halal,” which attempts to alleviate the inconveniences that Muslims frequently face when shopping for food.

Their time-saving tool identifies substances in food goods by scanning the label and informing consumers if the food item is halal or haram – the food beliefs that Muslims follow for religious rituals.

Muslims pick halal cuisine because it fits certain criteria that they think make it fit for ingestion. The “Keepin’ It Halal” app now offers a method for thoroughly inspecting certain food products while shopping.

Currently their database contains information for 50 of the most popular goods they routinely buy for but they are continuing to work on the app and add in more and more products and information”.