In today’s process of globalisation, biotechnology has increased the rate and diversity of food products. It also increases the difficulty in deciphering what is Halal. THE HALAL JOURNAL finds out more on one of the most controversial ingredients in the food and pharmaceutical industry – gelatine.
The food industry responds to the needs and requests of consumers. People all over the world are now more conscious about food, health and nutrition. The current trend in eating healthy food – low in calories, cholesterol, fat and sodium – has encouraged the food industry worldwide to prepare products, which respond to certain criteria set by consumers.
In the current process of globalisation, biotechnology has increased the rate and diversity of food products available around the world. It also increases the difficulty in deciphering, what is Halal. As a matter of fact, one of the most confusing products on the market today is gelatine. Gelatine is a jelly-like protein by-product made from pork, skin, cattle bone, calf skin or fish skin for commercial use. However, the main concern about gelatine is its origin. As proven by the recent sausage natural casing scare that caused a public outcry and created waves of reaction in Malaysia, Halal goes beyond the absence of porcine-based products.
According to the fatwa (decree) of Mufti Ibrahim Desai of South Africa, if the gelatine is derived from any part of an animal, which can be consumed according to Shariah – for instance cow, camel, sheep and goat – and slaughtered according to shariah law, it will be permissible. “If the animal cannot be slaughtered according to shariah, or was not slaughtered according to shariah, the gelatine from such an animal will not be permissible.
Gelatine – What is yours made of?
In today’s sophisticated world, it is hard to avoid gelatine. It is used in many natural and unnatural forms, such as cereal bars, ice cream, yoghurt, gummy jellies, marshmallows, dairy drinks, medicines and chocolate amongst other things. In the pharmaceutical industry, gelatine is found in soft and hard-gel capsules, considered to be the best protection against air, light, moisture and microbiological contamination. Almost all edible oil-based pharmaceutical products like cod liver, omega-3 and evening primrose can be encapsulated in soft-gel capsules. Hard-gel capsules are a popular dosage for antibiotics and herbal formulation. Pharmaceutical gelatine is also widely used as a binding agent for tablets, pastilles, micro-encapsulation and sugar-coated pills. Some are even used in surgery, dentistry and cosmetics.
With a myriad of products transcending several industries, the inevitable questions remains: Is my gelatine Halal? According to an industrial player, 60 to 70 per cent of the world’s gelatine production is porcine-based. “Bovine source takes three months [to process],” he says. “However, it only takes you a month to produce [gelatine] from pig bones. And it is cheaper.”
“Muslim consumers are in a very dangerous position,” says Dato’ Nadzim Johan, executive secretary of Muslim Consumer Association of Malaysia (PPIM). Nadzim is a familiar face amongst Muslim consumers in the country. Quite a radical man, he is often admired for his audacity. The couldn’t-care-less attitude does not work with him. “It is about the dynamism of the [Halal] industry. You have to keep on looking for a Halal substitute,” he says.
Looking for a substitute
Mohamad Yakob Munshi Deen remembers vividly how it all started – a friendly bet – if you may say so. He was a sales representative for a company specialising in pharmaceutical products for clinics and pharmacies. A herbal producer turned him down because his hard-gel capsules were deemed non-Halal. It did not take him long to realise that he had a vast gold mine in front of him. “There were no Halal capsules and gelatine in the world!” says Yakob, CEO of Halagel (M) Sdn Bhd (Halagel), possibly the world’s first Halal gelatine producer.
Incorporated in 1997, Halagel is the sole importer and distributor of Halal gelatine in the country, and the only company recognised by Malaysia’s JAKIM, Thailand’s Islamic Central Committee and Indonesia’s Majlis Ulama.
Despite last year’s sales reaching RM9 million, and a total Indonesia, Brunei, India, China and Turkey, the Halal gelatine market is still green. An industry observer even claims that the market is “grossly neglected.” “[Halagel] has only tapped 50 to 60 per cent of the Halal gelatine market,” says Muhammad Azhar Abdullah, its branch manager. Main reason: competition with non-Halal gelatines produced in Argentina, Brazil and US. According to him, many overseas factories claim their products are Halal. “But we have doubts.” He questions if cross-contamination can be avoided in factories producing Halal and non-Halal gelatines simultaneously. “Do they use the same machine to produce Halal and non-Halal products?”
Pakistan – a cash cow
With 98 per cent of its population Muslims, Halal has never been an issue in Pakistan – and its Halal industry, comes naturally. Pakistan has been known as a producer of Halal gelatine for the past 20 years. It exports to countries like Europe, Argentina and Japan. “[However], Pakistani manufacturers were not fully aware of the Halal potential of their products,” claims Azhar.
And Halagel is not the only foreign company keen to work with Pakistan. In 2000, SKW Biosystems received an Industry Achievement Award from the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA) for becoming the largest Halal beef gelatine producer in the world. Halal bones were also gathered from animals in Pakistan, shipped to France and processed into Halal gelatine used in the manufacture of Halal capsules.
Another kind of success
Closer to home, CCM Pharma (M) Sdn Bhd (CCM Pharma), is sharing the vast Halal gelatine market with Halagel – albeit differently. “We source our gelatine and soft-gel capsules from them,” says Shariza Hashim, its brand executive.
CCM Pharma is best known for its wide range of generic drugs, which includes Omesec, an antiulcerant drug. Its award-winning Proviton has been endorsed by the Therapeutic Good Administration (TGA) Australia and certified Halal by JAKIM since January 1999. “We are [also] the first pharmaceutical company in Malaysia to obtain approval from the Ministry of Health to advertise our products’ Halal status,” she says.
That should come as a boon to CCM Pharma. “Until recently, the Ministry of Health did not allow the usage of JAKIM’s Halal logo on conventional medicine such as paracetamol and aspirin,” says Nadzim of PPIM. “Fortunately, they have relaxed [this interdiction] on vitamins and food supplements.”
According to Shariza, CCM Pharma has always maintained the Halal status of its supplements since 1999 and has been in “close and constant communication” with the Ministry of Health. “It has always been our contention that the Muslim public should be kept informed on the existence of Halal products,” she says.
Gelatine FAQs
What is gelatine?
Gelatine is pure protein obtained from animal raw materials containing collagen. Gelatine contains 84 to 90 per cent protein and 1 to 2 per cent mineral salts. The rest is water. Gelatine does not contain any preservatives or other additives. It is also free of cholesterol and uric acid compounds.
From what is edible gelatine manufactured?
At least 60 per cent of the edible gelatine used in Europe is manufactured from pig skin. A maximum of 40 per cent of the raw materials come from cattle. This is mainly cattle split (the middle layer of the skin). Cattle and pig bones are used to manufacture the remaining edible gelatine. The raw materials come only from slaughtered animals that have been approved fit for human consumption.
How is gelatine manufactured?
The manufacturing process is broken down into several complex stages from the extraction of gelatine from the collagen containing raw materials, filtration, to the final sterilisation at 140ºC.
Is there any alternative to it?
An alternative substance is called agar-agar, which is derived from seaweed. Another is made from the root of the kuzu, a Japanese plant.
**This article was first published in The Halal Journal May/Jun 2005 edition, and was written by Remi Yahya-Ishmael.
