Halals

Very special quality demands and quality systems are those for the production and certification of kosher and halal products, which at the time are gaining in importance all over the world. Kashrut is the body of Jewish law dealing with what foods Jews can and cannot eat and how those foods must be prepared. Kashrut originates from the ffebrew and means fit , proper or correct . The more commonly known word kosher comes from the same roots and refers to foodstuffs that meet these dietary requirements of Jewish law. Halal is an... 

Arabic word meaning lawful or permitted , and eating halal is obligatory for every Muslim. The opposite of halal is haram, which means prohibited . Whether a company fulfils the requirements for a kosher or halal production or not can be examined and certificated by specially qualified people or organisations. For further information, see the recently published books concerning kosher [3] and halal [4] production. 

Flavourings created for the US market or Israel normally have to follow requirements for kosher status, whereas markets as the Near and Middle East and parts of Asia (e.g. Indonesia, Philippines) have a strong need for halal flavourings. As the flavour market is becoming more and more global, even the European companies in the flavour industry have to be certified by the respective certifying authorities. In general these requirements result in a reduced number of raw materials and in specific cases also carrier materials (e.g. omission of ethanol for halal flavours) for the daily project work of a fiavourist. 

Halal, J. (2002). Hair Structure and Chemistry Simplified. Thomson Delmar Learning, Scarborough, ON. 

Some emulsifiers, e.g. lecithin, are purely natural products whereas others are manufactured usually from natural materials. Typical materials for manufactured emulsifiers are vegetable oils, e.g. soya bean oil or palm oil animal fats, e.g. lard or tallow and glycerol. Where required, some manufacturers can supply products with kosher or halal certificates. Other raw materials are organic acids such as fatty acids, citric acid, acetic acid and tartaric acid, in addition to sorbitol and propylene glycol. 

Using raw material that meet religious requirements (halal, kosher, Buddhist-conform) and consumer demands (natural, genetically unmodified, organically grown). 

Legal aspects natural, nature-identical, artificial, GRAS, kosher status, halal, local or company specific limitations. 

Because of the growing importance for the food flavouring business religious dietary rules of Jews and Muslims are mentioned. Increasingly pre-packed food show signs or certificates that they are kosher and/or halal approved. The meaning of these words will be explained. 

There are 11 generally accepted principles pertaining to halal (permitted) and haram (prohibited) in Islam for providing guidance to Muslims in their customary practices. These laws are binding to the faithful and must be observed at all times. 

A general guideline for use of the term halal was under discussion within the FAO/ WHQ Codex Alimentarius Committee on Food Labelling. The guideline has been adopted at the 22nd session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission on June 23-28, 1997. 

General Quranic guidance dictates that all foods are halal except those that are specifically mentioned as haram (unlawful or prohibited). The Islamic dietary laws may be divided according to the basic three food groups ... 

Both rules prohibit pork and some birds of prey for hiunan consiunption. Halal flavourings must not contain any alcohol. As far as kosher is concerned, alcohol is permitted. This has to be kosher, coming from grapes it has to be manufactured by Jews. 

Animals have to be slaughtered before being fit for hiunan consumption, the slaughtering processes are regulated by different rules for each religion. Muslims may eat kosher meat but Jews not halal one. Furthermore, according to kosher dietary laws meat and dairy products must be eaten separately. 

Implication of biotechnology and genetic engineering for kosher and halal foods - M.M. Chaudry and J.M. Regenstein - Trends Food Sci Techn. 5, 165-168 (1994)... 

Directive 94/34/EEC of the European Parliament and the Council of 30 June 1994 Modifying Directive 89/107/EEC Concerning Eood Additives Authorized for use in Foodstuffs Intended for Human Consumption - Official Journal of the European Communities No. L 237/1-2 - 10.9.94 Alinorm 97/22, page 32-34 Draft General Guidelines for Use of the Term halal ... 

Halal Food Authority P.O. Box 279 London WCIH OHZ Halal Food Board 517 Moseley Road Birmingham B12 9BX... 

An Introduction to Kosher and Halal Issues in Process and Reaction Flavors... 

In the flavor business, worldwide. Kosher and Halal certification plays an important role. There are several international kosher and halal supervisory agencies who work closely with those in the food business to provide reliable guarantees to the consumer by certifying hundreds of thousands of products each year. 

Halal applications can be the same as the kosher items, except that no ethyl alcohol is allowed and, of course, no pork products for either kosher or halal. 

The regulations that guide the planning and production of Kosher and Halal products will be discussed in this chapter... 

Halal and haram are universal terms, not limited to food. 

In order for a food or flavor product to be considered halal, both the ingredients and the equipment used to produce a product must be permitted by Muslim law. The mullah is our field inspector and the Imam is our leader or halal supervisor, like the rabbi is for kosher. 

The mullah will consider everything halal except pork, carrion (meat of dead animals), blood, improperly blessed meat, alcohol and intoxicants. 

Any potable alcohol, such as ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is the alcohol of concern to halal food or flavor production. Propylene glycol, frequently used in food and drug industries, is not a concern. Alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine or distilled spirits (vodka, whiskey, etc.) are forbidden under halal guidelines. 

In the flavor business, alcohol can be present in an ingredient in many ways. We try to analyze possible alcohol presence through several methods. For example, intentionally added ethanol is a zero tolerance ingredient, per all halal guidelines worldwide. I can also review the alcohol content in an orange oil, and if present, may be permitted by halal law since it is intrinsic to the natural fruit oil. Please see the below listing ... 

Alcohol from fermentation will be found in vinegar, but vinegar itself is an acceptable product for halal, so the presence of the fermented alcohol will not be cause to ban the product from use. The only time fermented alcohol will be forbidden above a certain percentage is when found in a potable beverage. The beverage would then be considered an intoxicant... 

There are restrictions on some dairy ingredients. For example, enzymes used to make cheese should be of microbial origin to be acceptable as halal. Rennet from calf must be avoided. The active ingredient in rennet is Chymosin. Chymosin can also be produced in the lab, and this biotech product can be halal. Most calf rennet in the US is not halal. 

Other enzymes, such as lipase, which could come from pig (which have been used for some Romano cheeses) need to be verified. Even preservatives, such as propionate, must be reviewed before using. Any animal fatty acid derivatives must be carefully monitored, or halal certified by a mullah, before using with other halal ingredients. Animal fatty acids will always be a concern for halal due to possible pork contamination, either of ingredients or from equipment. 

When creating cereal and confectionary products, watch for gelatin (sometimes from pork), mono- and di-glycerides, and any other emulsifiers. The emulsifiers are used to prevent oil and water from separating. They can be derived from animal or vegetable sources. Vegetable based mono- and di-glycerides should always be acceptable for halal animal based products need halal certification. 

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