Eat Halal

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Mars Products Halal or Haram?

Haraam E120

Skittles - Sours *E120
M&Ms Peanut *E120
M&Ms Chocolate *E120
M&Ms Crispy *E120

Investigating
Skittles - Fruits

ALL THE FOLLOWING ARE HALAAL

Please see the notes next to some of them, to highlight the issue of calf rennet and alcoholic flavourings at the bottom. Some may feel they wish to refrain them.

Calf Rennet Clarification:

Rennet per se, is not impermissible.
It is permissible to eat cheese which has rennet from calf rennet though
praiseworthy to refrain from due to a slight difference of opinion viz:

Is Whey Rennet Haraam? (no!)
http://www.gmwa.org.uk/foodguide2/index.php?page=viewquestion&id=20

* contains calf based rennet

*? Possibly contains calf rennet as manufactured on the continent

Alcoholic Flavourings Clarification:

Alcohols used as a carrier for food colourings and flavourings are permissible as long as they are not sourced from dates or grapes.

Read the full article here:

http://www.gmwa.org.uk/foodguide2/index.php?page=viewquestion&id=200

Aquadrops Apple
Aquadrops Citrus
Bounty Milk *
Bounty Dark *
Celebrations *
Flyte *
Galaxy Milk
Galaxy Smooth Dark *
Galaxy Fruit & Nut *
Galaxy Hazelnut *
Galaxy Amicelli *
Galaxy Caramel *
Galaxy Ripple *?
Galaxy Minstrels *?
Lockets Honey & Lemon
Lockets Blackcurrant
Lockets Extra Strong

Maltesers *?
Maltesers White *
Mars Planets *
Mars *?
Mars Delight *
Mars Funsize *
Milky Way *
Milky Way Magic Stars *
Revels *?

Snickers *?
Snickers Funsize *
Starburst Original
Starburst Strawberry
Starburst Choozers
Starburst Sours
Topic *
Tracker Chocolate Chip
Tracker Raisin
Tracker Roasted Nut
Tunes Cherry
Tunes Blackcurrant
Tunes Strawberry
Twix *

ICE CREAMS
Bounty - All varieties *
Galaxy - All varieties *
Mars Bar - All varieties *
Maltesers - All varieties *
M&Ms *
Snickers - All varieties *
Starburst - All varieties
Twix Bar *

DRINKS - Shakes
Mars Refuel
Mars Extra Chocolate
Mars Hot Chocolate
Mars Thick Shake *?
Galaxy Creamy Hot Chocolate *?
Galaxy Smooth & Creamy Chocolate Milk Drink
Galaxy Smoothie Chocolate Orange
Galaxy Thick Shake *?
Maltesers Malted Hot Chocolate
Maltesers Super Thick Shake
Maltesers Super Frothy Chocolate Milk Drink
M&M's Super Thick Shake *
Twix Super Thick Shake *?
Bounty Drink
Moment du chocolat with Marshmallows *?
Moment du chocolat dark

DRINKS - Powder
Bounty Frappe
Galaxy Hot Chocolate
Galaxy Hot Chocolate with Caramel
Galaxy Hot Chocolate Bliss
Maltesers Hot Chocolate Malt Drink

Last Updated: 23/01/2009

Source of Information

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR A MUSLIM TO STRICTLY CONSUME HALAL?

Consuming Halal is an order of Allah and an essential part of the Islamic faith. Allah has repeatedly emphasised the consumption of Halal in His book. The following are some examples of such verses:

“O Messengers, eat from the pure foods and work righteousness”
(Holy Quran 23:51)
“O you who have believed, eat from the pure things which we have provided you” (Holy Quran 2:172)
“O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth (that is) lawful and pure”
(Holy Quran 2:168)
“So eat of that (meat) upon which Allah's name has been mentioned, if you are believers in His verses” (Holy Quran 6:118)
“And do not eat that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned, for indeed it is a grave disobedience”. (Holy Quran 6:121)

By being careless about the dietary laws of Islam a believer puts himself in harms way both in this world and the world hereafter. In this world, due to in taking such a product he deprives himself from having any of his good deeds and duas accepted by his creator while in the hereafter he suffers the greatest loss ever imaginable i.e. refusal from being admitted to Paradise . All this is confirmed in the following traditions:

Abu Hurairah RA related,” Allah's Messenger PBUH said: Verily Allah is pure and He accepts only what is pure and indeed Allah has given those orders to the believers, which he has given to the Messengers. He has said, “O Messenger, eat from the pure foods and work righteous”. He -also- has said: “O you who have believed, eat from the pure things which we have provided you.” Then (the Prophet PBUH) made mention of a man who undergoes a lengthy journey in a state that he is dishevelled and dusty. He spreads his hands towards the sky (calling), “O my lord, O my lord”, however his food is Haram, his drink is Haram, his clothes are Haram and he has been nourished with Haram! So how will his call be answered?” (Muslim)
S'ad RA relates: Allah's messenger PBUH said “O S'ad purify your food (and as a result) you will become one who's supplications are accepted. I swear by He in whose hands the soul of Muhammad PBUH lies, verily a servant (of Allah) tosses a Haram morsel in his stomach (due to which) no deed is accepted from him for 40 days” (Tabarani)
Abu Baker RA narrated that Allah's Messenger PBUH said “That body will not enter Paradise which has been nourished with Haram” (Baihaqi)
Ka`b Ibn Ujrah relates that the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) said, “a body nourished with Haram will not enter Jannah”. (Tirmidhi)
Jabir RA reported, Allah's Messenger PBUH said, “That flesh will not enter Paradise which has grown from Haram, and all that flesh which has grown from Haram, the fire (of hell) is more worthy of it.” (Ahmed, Darimi, Baihaqi)
Abu Hurayrah (RA) reports that the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) said, “a time will come upon the people wherein a man will not bother what he intakes; whether from Halal source or Haram.” (Bukhari)

In our times, it becomes even more important to ensure the meat and poultry consumed is genuinely Halal due to the execessive deceit, cheat and false labelling of Halal in the industry.

Further Reading

Source of article

THE FIQH OF HALAL MEAT

Based on a verbal Fatwa by Mufti Rafi Usmani
Raised by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question

What are some general principles related to Halal meat? Can we trust others' word on whether the meat is Halal?

Answer

In general, the jurists (fuqaha) mention that one can trust another’s word (Muslim or non-Muslim) that the meat has been properly Islamically slaughtered [Fatawa Hindiyya, Radd al-Muhtar].
However, when there is reason to be cautious, it is recommended to take the means to make sure that it is in fact Halal.
When there is ‘reasonable’ fear that this particular meat is possibly Haram--or when it is generally the case that meat labelled ‘Halal’ is dubious--then it would be one’s duty to make sure.

(End of Fatwa)

Keeping the above in mind, Muslims living in this country need to ponder as to which situation relates to them. The first and second situations are both out of the question, and the reason is obvious. The third situation also does not relate to us, since there is not only ‘reasonable’ fear that the meat labelled as Halal is possibly Haram. Rather, based on the research and investigation of many individuals and organisations, the current situation is even worse – that is there is ‘extreme’ fear that a particular meat labelled as Halal may be Haram.

Therefore, one must not take another’s word at face value; rather it will be one’s duty to ensure that the meat is Halal, whether individually or through an organisation that one trusts and who would give this assurance.

And Allah knows best

Mufti Muhammad Ibn Adam Al-Kawthari

Source of article

CONTEMPORARY ISSUE OF STUNNING

The issue of stunning is very delicate (whether done by captive bolt stun, electric head stun or electrified water bath), in the sense that there are many conditions and criteria that must be considered. Firstly for reason of the animals' welfare, the act of stunning is extremely disliked and according to some even reaches the stage of being Haram, as it causes the animal unnecessary suffering. Thereafter even more importantly is how it affects the Islamic ruling on the animal as to whether or not it is fit for Muslim consumption.

The Islamic criteria that must be met while slaughtering the animals are clear-cut; any deviation from them will render the animal unfit for Muslim consumption. Amongst the guidelines established for a Halal slaughter is the unwavering fundamental that the animal must be alive at the time of slaughter and the blood must be drained out.

It has been witnessed that on many occasions animals subjected to stunning arrive at the slaughterer dead. This is due to either the unbearably high voltage or a delay in the time it takes to get to the slaughterer if the stunning is irreversible. Sometimes it can also be because animals are drowned in the stunning tank. It has been noted that the problem of dead animals reaching the slaughterer is invariably present in all the slaughterhouses that use the stunning method. The research also states that more than 35% of the animal especially chickens die prior to slaughter due to stunning. It is also proven that a large amount of blood remains in the animal which renders it Haram. The animal is also deprived of the effects of tasmiyyah as it would be unconscious at the time of slaughter.

Also what needs to be understood is that there is no pressure from the side of the government of the United Kingdom forcing Muslims to adopt such inhumane methods of slaughter. Therefore because of all the negative aspects of stunning, the Halal Monitoring Committee has set a blanket ruling disallowing stunning in any form.

“Stunning the animal before slaughter leaves a huge doubt into the halalness of the animal as many could be killed by the stunning especially in the case of poultry. Furthermore, it prevents the drainage of entire blood resulting in it being retained in the animal and retained blood causes germs and bacteria, it deprives animals from the benefits of tasmiyah due to it being unconscious, it is inhumane to animals and causes unnecessary pain and suffering, it is in reality done not for animal rights purposes, but in order for the industry to kill more animals quicker so as to increase profits. According to the majority of the Ulama stunning is not accepted in Islam and stunning could render the meat Haram in many cases.” (Abu Ibrahim)

Source of Article

Quick Facts on Stunning

F.A.W.C. reports more than 1/3 chickens die prior to slaughter and are labelled Halal.
Stunning prevents the drainage of entire blood resulting in it being retained.
Retained blood causes germs and bacteria.
Stunning deprives animals from the benefits of tasmiyah (religious blessing) due to being unconscious.
Stunning is inhumane to animals and causes unnecessary suffering.
The British Law allows the Muslim to carry out religious slaughter without stunning

STUNNING? MORE HARM THAN IT’S WORTH!

Source of Article

Articles on the Issue of Stunning

SLAUGHTER RELATED ARTICLES (Links)

PROBLEMS DISCOVERED IN THE 'HALAL' INDUSTRY

HMC exposes the corrupt practices found in the ‘Halal’ meat industry highlighting the potential dangers for Muslim consumers who freely buy meat and poultry from non certified sources and which necessitated the formation of HMC. What is even more worrying is that despite many slaughter - conditions being violated, the consumables are falsely labelled as ‘Halal’ and consumers are led to believe that they are genuinely Halal whereas in many cases the consumables would be Haram!

We can divide the industry into four areas:

Abbatoirs & Slaughterhouses

Many Muslims who originate from the Indian sub continent, Africa or Arab countries naively think that all meat and poultry is slaughtered in a simple manner which they saw practised in the countries they came from. What we have failed to realise is the demand for Halal meat and poultry has dramatically increased in the west and the companies supplying the meat and poultry have had to look for ways to increase the output. This has meant finding quicker ways of slaying the animals and at the same time keeping within the Halal laws. With this proving difficult, many slaughterhouses have looked for shortcuts in the Halal rules, many disregard the Halal slaughter prerequisites and many have no knowledge of the prerequisites whilst the main aim has become the increase of production and its returns. The corrupt and non-islamic practices prevalent within slaughterhouses supplying to the Halal market are as follows:

Place your cursor on the items below to read more on the issue

Processing Plants

A large amount of meat and poultry slaughtered in the abattoirs is then passed on to the processing plants. The processing plants can range from processing, cutting, de-boning to preparing ready made meals and preparing frozen packed or canned consumables. In our experience many of the processing plants are not very particular in verifying the methods of slaughter and are accommodating any meat or poultry which is labelled Halal whether from the U.K or abroad. This is leading to problems similar to those at the abattoirs where verification of the halalness of the products is very difficult. In fact, although sometimes the processing plants may be unaware of the source, some are deliberately sourcing from Haram. The other issue is anonymous meat and poultry imported from around the world labelled Halal is entering the market without the importers even knowing what slaughter methods are being used. Many of these when scrutinized and checked do not even come close to being Halal.

Outlets (Butchers, Resaturants, Takeaways etc)
The butchers and outlets receiving the meat and poultry from the abattoirs and processing plants are just as negligent in verifying their sourcing as the rest of the chain above. Many of them are genuinely unaware of the problematic industry and they would merely place the trust in and take the word of the supplier just because it is claimed to be Halal.

Other Certifications and their Flaws

The only way to help Muslim consumers make an informed choice and help them consume genuine Halal meat and poultry was to introduce a certification system which covers all the chain from source to outlet. There have been quite a few attempts in the past and currently to certify this problematic industry. The sad thing is that some of the systems put in place by a number of certifying bodies are very weak and have only increased the problem. Some organisations issue Halal certificates for life, others issue Halal certificates over the phone, other abattoirs are inspected once a year and issued a Halal certificate, and other certifiers do not even have knowledge of what are the correct standards for Halal. Sadly, stunned and mechanically slaughtered meat and poultry is also being certified by various bodies in the UK.

THE MOST ABUSED WORD ‘HALAL’!
The above problems highlighted lead to the biggest dilemma of all, Muslim consumers buying meat, poultry, kebabs, samosas or anything else labelled as Halal from butchers, takeaways, or restaurants are not and can not be certain about the genuineness and authenticity of the Halal label, either through ignorance in the chain of suppliers or either through unscrupulous, deceitful, corrupt and greedy meat traders.

In conclusion, the word Halal has become the most abused word equally misused by Muslims and non Muslims. The word ‘Halal’ is displayed anywhere and everywhere without any kind of regulation and corroboration and the consumers are made to believe that it is genuinely Halal.

The questions we leave you with are:

How confident are you about the Halal status of the meat and poultry you are consuming today?
How sure are you that the meat and poultry you are buying today is not slaughtered in the above mentioned methods?
Is the word Halal displayed sufficient for you, or do you require some kind of assurance?
Make an informed choice! Refuse to be conned in Haram in the name of Halal.

Halal Animals

The following animals are fit for Muslim consumption:

All domestic birds
All cattle
Sheep
Goats
Camels
All types of buck
Rabbits
Fish
Locusts

The aforementioned animals excluding fish and locusts will only be considered Halal when they are slaughtered according to the following guidelines:

The slaughter man must be a Muslim
Prior to slaughter, the slaughter man must invoke the name of Allah upon the animal to be slaughtered by reciting “Bismillahi Allahu Akbar” or at the very least recite “Bismillah”
He must immediately slaughter the animal after the recital without any significant delay
His knife must be extremely sharp in order that the slaughter may be conducted efficiently and easily and the animal suffers minimal agony
He must sever the following arteries:
Trachea (windpipe), Oesophagus (gullet), both Jugular Veins
If it is not possible for the slaughter man to cut all four arteries due to whatever reason then he must sever at least three in order to render the meat Halal.
He must conduct the slaughter manually (i.e. by hand) and swiftly. The knife must not be lifted before the cut is complete and the cut must be below the Adam’s apple

Source of article

WHAT IS HALAL?

This article provides an overview of 'Halal' i.e. permissible or lawful in Islam, and 'Haram' i.e. impermissible or unlawful in Islam:

Halal and Haram
Halal Animals
Haram Animals
Unlawful Organs of Animals Slaughtered as Halal
Haram Fluids

Halal and Haram

HALAL: This is an Arabic term which means permissible or lawful in Islam. In reference to food, it is the Islamic dietary standard, as prescribed in the Shari’ah (Islamic Law).

HARAM: This is another Arabic term which means impermissible or unlawful in Islam.

Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said: “Halal is clear and the Haram (unlawful) is clear. Between the two there are doubtful matters concerning which people do not know. One who avoids them in order to safeguard his deen (religion) and his honour are safe, while if some one indulges in it, he may be indulging in the unlawful……” (Bukhari)

General Qur’anic guidance dictates that all foods are Halal except those that are specifically mentioned as Haram (unlawful or prohibited). The Glorious Qur’an reads:

“O ye who believes! Eat of the good things wherewith we have provided you, and render thanks to Allah, if it is He whom ye worship. (chapter II, Verse 172)”

The unlawful foods are specifically mentioned in the Glorious Qur’an, in the following verses:

“He hath forbidden you only carrion, and blood, and swine flesh, and that on which hath been invoked any other name besides Allah’s……..” (Chapter II, Verse 173)

“Forbidden unto you (for food) are: carrion and blood and swine flesh, and that on which hath been invoked the name other than Allah, and the strangled, and the dead through beating, and the dead through falling from a height, and that which hath been gored to death, and the devoured of wild beasts, saving that which ye make lawful (by slaughter) and that which hath been immolated to idols and that ye swear by the divining arrows. This is an abomination….” (Chapter V, Verse 3)

Consumption of alcohol and other intoxicants is prohibited according to the following guidance:

“O ye who believe! Intoxicants and games of chance, and idols and divining arrows are an abomination of Satan’s handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed.” (Chapter V, Verse 9)

Meat is the most strictly regulated of the food groups. Not only are blood, pork, and the meat of dead animals or those immolated to other than Allah strongly prohibited, it is also required that the Halal animals be slaughtered while pronouncing the name of Allah at the time of slaughter.

“Eat of that over which the name of Allah hath been mentioned, if ye are believers in his revelations” (Chapter VI, Verse 118)

“And eat not of that whereon Allah’s name hath not been mentioned, for lo! It is abomination. Lo! The devils do inspire their friends to contend with you. But if ye obey them, ye will be in truth idolaters”. (Chapter VI, Verse 121)

Attempts have been made to explain or justify some of the prohibitions based on scientific reasoning as follows:

Carrion and dead animals are unfit for human consumption because the decaying process leads to the formation of chemicals which are harmful to humans
Blood that is drained from the body contains harmful bacteria, products of metabolism, and toxins
Swine serves as a vector for pathogenic worms to enter the human body. Infections by Trchinella spiralis and taenia solium are not uncommon. Fatty acids, composition of pork fat have been mentioned as incompatible with human fat and biochemical systems
Intoxicants are considered harmful for the nervous system, affecting the census and human judgement leading to social and family problems and in many cases even death.

Although these explanations are sound, the underlying principle behind the prohibitions remains the above mentioned Divine orders.

Accordingly, Muslims permit all foods, pure and clean for consumption. Islamic Jurisprudence has derived certain principles from the Ahadeeth to determine whether a particular animal or bird is lawful or unlawful.

Source of article

Unlawful Organs of Animals Slaughtered as Halal

Flowing Blood
Male reproductory organ
Testicles
Female reproductory organ
Pancreas
Gall bladder
Bladder
Spinal cord

Source of article

Haram Animals

The consumption of the following animals is against the dietary laws of Islam. Likewise any ingredient or product derived from them or contaminated with them is also prohibited for a Muslim to consume:

Meat of swine (pig) including all it’s by products
Meat of an animal that was not blessed with the name of Allah at the time of slaughter
Meat of dead animals (carrion)
Meat of animals that were strangled to death
Meat of animals that were beaten to death
Meat of animals that died due to falling from a height
Meat of animals that were gored to death by a horn
Meat of animals that were devoured by wild beasts
Animals killed in a manner which prevents their blood from being fully drained from their bodies;
Carnivorous animals with fangs, e.g. lions, dogs, wolves, tigers, etc…
Birds of prey e.g. falcons, eagles, owls, vultures, etc
Reptiles, snakes, crocodiles
Mules and Asses
Pests’ e.g. rats and scorpions
Insects excluding locusts

Source of article

Haram Fluids

All types of alcohol
Blood
Intoxicating of all types, including alcohol and drugs

Source of article

MECHANICAL SLAUGHTER IN ISLAM

The most common practice found in a majority of the larger abattoirs is machine slaughter or mechanical slaughter. This is when the slaughter is carried out by a mechanical rotating blades with no Muslim slaughterman present either to perform the slaughter, or to recite the ‘Tasmiyah’ on each individual slaughter. Thousands of chickens are slaughtered in this manner daily. Again, the practice of blessing the blades, playing prerecorded bismillah or even appointing a Muslim to recite bismillah as he switches the machinery on, is common instead of reciting bismillah on each and every animal slaughtered manually. This practice is directly against the teaching of Islam and will not serve to conduct a Halal slaughter.

The following are fatwas and comments by prominent Islamic scholars regarding mechanical slaughter in Islam:

Mechanical Slaughter
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Mechanical Animal Slaughter
Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari
Mechanical Slaughter
Mufti Allah Bakhsh (urdu)
Mechanical Slaughter
Darul Iftaa, Karachi, verified by Mufti M. Taqi Usmani (urdu)
Mechanical Slaughter
Darul Iftaa, Karachi (translation of above)

Source of article

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

What is a Natural Flavor?

What is natural? What is artificial? Does it even matter?

Paul Bass is suing supplement company Nature Made. He claims that he was tricked into believing their synthetic Vitamin E pills were made from natural sources.

Nature Made?
The issue here is one of a deceptive brand. Having the words "Nature Made" across every product would lead you to believe that the product came from natural sources. The Nutrisuplaw blog goes onto explain the differences between natural and synthetic Vitamin E.

What is Natural Flavoring?
This leads to an interesting question regarding the word natural. On many food labels, you will find an ingredient called "natural flavor". What exactly is a natural flavor?

According to the US Code of Federal Regulations*, a natural flavor or flavoring is:

...the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.

Eric Schlosser, in his book Fast Food Nation, makes this statement:

Consumers prefer to see natural flavors on a label, out of a belief that they are more healthful. Distinctions between artificial and natural flavors can be arbitrary and somewhat absurd, based more on how the flavor has been made than on what it actually contains. (via Truthseeker)

Schlosser claims that it is an issue of extraction process rather than substance.

A natural flavor is not necessarily more healthful or purer than an artificial one. When almond flavor -- benzaldehyde -- is derived from natural sources, such as peach and apricot pits, it contains traces of hydrogen cyanide, a deadly poison. Benzaldehyde derived by mixing oil of clove and amyl acetate does not contain any cyanide. Nevertheless, it is legally considered an artificial flavor and sells at a much lower price. Natural and artificial flavors are now manufactured at the same chemical plants, places that few people would associate with Mother Nature.

What is natural or artificial may not necessarily give us a clue as to the quality of the food. Eat Rhubarb leaves and you will get sick. If you have an allergic disposition then any number of natural foods may potentially be harmful allergens.

How Complicated Should It Be?
Many food labels require you to have a degree in chemistry in order to understand what is in the food. Most of us know Sodium chloride (salt) - but what about diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono-diglycerides?

Do we need to understand every component in a food? How on earth do we wade through the overwhelming amount of nutritional information and determine what is healthful and what is harmful?

*In order to read the regulations for flavorings - you need to go to the US CFR site, and search for the term "natural flavor". The first document returned will have the appropriate information.

Source

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Cheese contains rennet from PIGS. ?????

MYTH: Cheese contains rennet from PIGS.

Does animal rennet for cheese come from PIGS?
NO. Animal rennet must come from the same species of animal as the milk being used in for cheese. Calf-rennet is used to produce cows milk cheese, lamb-rennet produces sheep milk cheese, and kid-rennet to produces goats milk cheese. Each type of animal produces a unique type of rennet to curdle the milk produced by that species. Kid-rennet will not curdle cows milk or turn it into cheese. Rennet or digestion enzymes from other animals, like swine-pepsin, are not used in cheese production.

What is Rennet?
ANIMAL RENNET is a natural complex of enzymes produced in the stomachs of nursing calves (young cows or buffalo), lambs, and kids (young goats), as well as other mammalian (milk producing) animals such as moose, camel and deer. The enzyme chymosin (rennin) found in rennet makes mothers' milk digestible for the young, turning it into a cheese-like substance.

As mentioned above, animal rennet must come from the stomach of a nursing (milk-fed) calf, kid or lamb—depending on the milk used to make the cheese. For this reason, Muslims who insist on zabihah may choose to avoid cheeses made with animal rennet. Cheeses made using animal rennet are not kosher cheeses, due to the kashrut prohibition against mixing meat and dairy products in the same meal.

GM RENNET ("Chymostar™") is a type of rennet produced by genetically modified mold (mucor miehei) or bacteria (e. coli, asperigillus niger var awamori or k. lacti). Rennet-producing DNA from a calf is introduced into the microbe's DNA so that it produces rennet identical to that which a calf produces.

Because calf rennet is produced by the microbes, animals are not slaughtered in the production process. Genetically modified rennet is safe for Muslims who insist on zabihah. GM rennet is used extensively (75%-80%) in the commercial cheese production.

VEGETABLE RENNET is a microbial rennet extracted from mold (usually mucor miehei). It has no animal origin. This is the rennet used by those who do not want to use any animal products in their cheese other than the milk. This will pass as vegetarian. Vegetable rennet is found in Kosher cheeses.

SOURCE

Sugar Alcohols contain ALCOHOL........ WRONG!?!?!?

MYTH: Sugar Alcohols contain ALCOHOL.

What are Sugar Alcohols?

Sugar alcohols (also known as a polyol, polyhydric alcohol, or polyalcohol) are carbohydrates (sugar or starch), that have been modified to contain a hydroxyl group. It is this hydroxyl group that classifies it, chemically, as an alcohol. Sugar alcohols are commonly used for replacing sucrose (sugar) in foodstuffs, often in combination with high intensity artificial sweeteners to counter the low sweetness.

Some common sugar alcohols:

Arabitol
Isomalt
Mannitol
Erythritol
Isomannitol
Ribitol
Glycol Lactitol
Sorbitol
Glycerol (glycerine)
Maltitol
Xylitol

Do Sugar Alcohols contain ALCOHOL?

Yes, and No. Sugar Alcohols are not made with, nor do they contain what we commonly refer to as ALCOHOL (ethanol). Yet they all fall into the chemical class 'alcohol' because like all compounds of its class, they contain a hydroxyl group (-OH) is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group.

Sugar Alcohols are not produced using the alcoholic fermentation process in the way that alcoholic beverages such as beer or wine are produced. Nor are they distilled in the way that gin, vodka or whiskey are. Nor do they contain the alcohol known as ethanol (ethyl alcohol), which is the type of alcohol that is present in all the alcoholic beverages mentioned above.

Are Sugar Alcohols allowed in Muslim countries?

Yes. Sugar alcohols are halal. They have been approved for use in foods in Muslim countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. This table provides regulatory information for various sugar alcohols for the countries of Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

SAUDI ARABIA permits:

isomalt
sorbitol and sorbitol syrup (E420)
mannitol (E421)
maltitol (E965)
maltitol syrup
lactitol (E966)
xylitol (E967) In accordance with good manufacturing practices in chewing gum, chocolate, confectioneny, bakery products, jams, jellies and marmalades, breakfast cereals and puddings.

Food manufacturers must only warn that mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol may cause diarrhea.

QATAR permits:

sorbitol and sorbitol syrup (E420)
mannitol (E421)
isomannitol (E953)
maltitol (E965)
lactitol (E966)
xylitol (E967)

SOURCE

Cooking with alcohol

Alcohol that has been...	... has this much ethanol (alcohol) remaining.
added to boiling liquid, then removed from heat	85%
set on fire, flamed, 'flambé'	75%
left uncovered at room temperature, overnight	70%
baked, 25 minutes, alcohol not stirred into mixture	45%
baked/simmered, alcohol stirred into mixture:
for 15 minutes	40%
for 30 minutes	35%
for 1 hour (60 minutes)	25%
for 1.5 hours (90 minutes)	20%
for 2 hours (120 minutes)	10%
for 2.5 hours (150 minutes)	5%

Saudi Meat import Laws

Taken from a document detailing Saudia Laws regarding food Imports..

VII. OTHER SPECIFIC STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS
A. Certificate of Islamic Slaughter
Per Saudi Arabia Standard No. SSA 630/1990 (Animal Slaughtering Requirements According
to Islamic Law), a Certificate of Islamic Slaughter must be issued for all meat and poultry
products entering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This certificate issued by Islamic institutions
recognized by the Saudi Embassy or Consulates in the United States. Information related to
the approved Islamic institutions may be obtained from the Saudi Embassy in Washington or
the nearest Saudi Consulate (New York, Houston, or Los Angeles). Such certificates contain
language certifying Islamic slaughter. The following language was taken from a recently
issued Islamic Slaughtering certificate issued in the United States:

“ This is to certify that an Islamic representative inspected the above
slaughter facility. The healthy animals/and or/poultry were inspected within
12 hours previous to slaughter by the United States Department of Agriculture
official veterinarian. After processing, inspection was made and approved by
the USDA Government Health inspector. Further, the animals and /or poultry were slaughtered under the following statement,
“slaughtered and processed in the name of God, the Almighty, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, God is Greatest.” Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim-Allahu Akbar. The animals and /or poultry covered by this certificate were slaughtered by means of a sharp knife, cutting through the skin, jugular vein, and trachea, to result in thorough bleeding of the carcass in preparation for dressing and evisceration.

GAIN Report - SA6008 Page 16 of 30
UNCLASSIFIED USDA Foreign Agricultural 16 Service

C. Frozen Chickens
SSA 117/1979 deals with frozen chickens standard. Per the regulation, imported frozen
chickens must meet the Islamic slaughtering requirements mentioned above. The standard
also calls for salmonella testing for imported frozen chickens. If the result of the test is
positive in more than one sample out of five samples tested, the whole shipment is rejected.

D. Animal Feed Requirements:
In 2001, the Saudi Ministry of Commerce issued a new requirement for poultry meat, beef
and further processed meat and poultry products imports to the Kingdom. This directive
requires that health certificates for imported poultry, and beef products clearly indicate that
the animal slaughtered was not fed animal protein, animal fats, or animal by-products
before it is allowed entry into the Kingdom. In January 2006, the Kingdom implemented a
two-certificate approach for U.S. poultry and bovine meat products exports. The two-stage
approach consists of: (1) an official FSIS export certificate and (2) a producer or
manufacturer self-certification to cover any additional requirements not related to food
safety or animal health. These requirements have sharply reduced imports of U.S. livestock
and poultry meat and products to the Kingdom.

Source

Chocolate Liquor

WHAT IS IT?
Chocolate Liquor, also known as ‘cocoa liquor’ and ‘cocoa mass’ is a smooth, thick, liquid form of chocolate. It is the purest form of chocolate, produced by grinding cacao beans. Chocolate liquor contains roughly 50% cocoa solids (cocoa powder) and 50% cocoa butter, the pale-yellow vegetable fat of the cacao bean. When it is cooled and molded into blocks, chocolate liquor is known as unsweetened baking chocolate.

Chocolate Liquor is the key ingredient in chocolate. It is used as the base for cakes, brownies, cookies and candy bars. Chocolate in its most familiar form is made by mixing chocolate liquor with (more) cocoa butter or cocoa, sugar, soy lecithin and, often, milk. The cocoa to cocoa butter ratio determines the darkness and flavor intensity of the chocolate being produced. As with dark chocolate, the higher the cocoa content, the darker and richer the flavor. The higher the cocoa butter and milk content, the lighter the color and creamier the texture of the resulting chocolate. A prime example of a chocolate with a high cocoa butter and milk content is white chocolate. White chocolate contains no cocoa.

HOW IS IT MADE?Chocolate Liquor is produced by taking cocoa beans that have been fermented, dried, roasted, and separated from their shells. The fermentation process is to remove the fleshy, fruity pulp that surrounds the beans; the fatty beans, themselves, do not ferment. Grinding the processed beans releases the smooth, thick chocolate liquor from their centers. Cocoa should not be confused with the coca plant, which can be used to create cocaine.

MYTH: "Chocolate Liquor contains ALCOHOL."False.Chocolate liquor is distinct from ‘chocolate liqueur’, a chocolate flavored alcoholic beverage. Chocolate liquor contains NO ALCOHOL; it is simply a liquid form of chocolate. However, ‘chocolate liqueur,’ also known as ‘crème de cacao,’ is a sweet alcoholic beverage flavored with chocolate. The alcoholic content of this liqueur can vary, but 20–25% alcohol by volume or 40–50 proof is common.

Source

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Processed dairy

Processed dairy is any dairy that has been altered from its raw state by heating the dairy above a cow's body temperature. Pasteurization, irradiation, boiling or homogenization are the most commonly known forms of processing. Also, the processes of chemical treatment are used to enhance flavor, fortify and preserve bad-tasting milk that has been heat-treated and putrefactive. The common store type of milk is processed to the extent it turns blue. They add large amounts of dolomite (mined calcium carbonate, that is rock) to make it white and add irradiated hydrogenated vegetable oil as Vitamin D. Hydrogenated oil has the same molecular structure as plastic unlike natural raw milk. Additionally, irradiated oil is not Vitamin D yet the FDA allows them to call it that. The following processes are used to treat dairy:

Pasteurization - heating milk to, at least, 130 degrees F. (54 degrees C.) for at least 45 seconds, or 160 degrees F. (71 degrees C.) for at least 15 seconds. Boiling means cooking the milk until is begins to vaporize, usually for at least 5 seconds.
Irradiation - Exposing milk to destructive light such as high-intensity ultraviolet or radioactive contamination; also called cold-pasteurization
Homogenization - Subjecting the milk-fat (cream) to high pressures and forcing it through a tight-meshed screen that causes the fat-molecules to rupture, turn rancid and spoil. Homogenization originated to hide milk that was low in fat. In early years, low-fat milk was considered less desirable and unhealthy. Homogenization today is performed to keep the cream from separating from the milk so that it will not sour and the milk looks even.

All of these processes destroy or damage the wonderful nutrients in raw milk.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Pork detection kit developed

IIU Bio-Scientist Develops Cheaper Detection Kit To Help Halal Food
By Yong Soo HeongKUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 (Bernama) --

Dr Abd-El Aziem Farouk Gad of the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIU) says he has developed a cheaper and faster DNA isolation technique to detect pork in food items and help boost the halal food industry.He said the relatively cheap invention would benefit food industries, especially those producing halal food items, as it enabled speedier and cheaper detection.

"This is especially significant as Malaysia is moving towards becoming a significant player in the halal food market estimated to worth US$1.2 trillion (about RM4.32 trillion) annually," he told Bernama in an interview.Based on the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, it allows a small amount of the DNA molecule to be amplified exponentially. PCR is commonly used in medical and biological research labs for the detection of hereditary diseases, identification of genetic fingerprints, diagnosis of infectious diseases, cloning of genes, paternity testing and DNA computing.

Dr Gad, an Egyptian-born German national who came to Malaysia about four years ago, said the IIU's Halal Industry Research Centre hoped to commercialise the technique early next year."We are looking for industrial partners," said the associate professor at the department of biotechnology engineering in IIU's engineering faculty.Dr Gad's research had also seen the development of new biomarkers for more specific detection of pork content in food. Biomarkers are specific physical traits used to measure or indicate the effects or progress of a disease or condition."The detection system for food using my new developed biomarkers is five times more sensitive than other biomarkers. The cost of DNA isolation using my system is also reduced by at least 100 times to 25 sen per sample when compared to any available detection system at present," said the German scientist who previously worked at the famous Humboldt University in Berlin.

Dr Gad estimated that it would cost about RM2.50 to determine one food sample under his DNA detection technique, a critical part for halal certification using DNA, compared with RM25 per sample under current available techniques.He also estimated that it would cost about RM250 to put together a DNA detection kit as opposed to current detection kits costing about 10 times as much.Such cost effectiveness meant that large industries can use his technique to check a few hundred samples in one day to determine the origin of the meat species, he said.

"This is especially useful for the detection of pork content in food items like sausages and chocolates," he added.Dr Gad said his detection technique had been confirmed and validated by many trials at IIU and on site testing at food factories.

(Bernama.com (Malaysian National News Agency), 19 October, 2006 )

Eat Halal

Pages

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Mars Products Halal or Haram?

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR A MUSLIM TO STRICTLY CONSUME HALAL?

THE FIQH OF HALAL MEAT

CONTEMPORARY ISSUE OF STUNNING

Quick Facts on Stunning

Articles on the Issue of Stunning

SLAUGHTER RELATED ARTICLES (Links)

PROBLEMS DISCOVERED IN THE 'HALAL' INDUSTRY

Abbatoirs & Slaughterhouses

Processing Plants

Other Certifications and their Flaws

Halal Animals

WHAT IS HALAL?

Unlawful Organs of Animals Slaughtered as Halal

Haram Animals

Haram Fluids

MECHANICAL SLAUGHTER IN ISLAM

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

What is a Natural Flavor?

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Cheese contains rennet from PIGS. ?????

Sugar Alcohols contain ALCOHOL........ WRONG!?!?!?

Cooking with alcohol

Saudi Meat import Laws

Chocolate Liquor

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Processed dairy

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Pork detection kit developed

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