12
@Halal | september-october. 2019
Cover Story
Commercially controversial:
Gelatin
Is there such a thing as halal gelatin? A deeper look
at one of the most infamous food ingredient
G
By Syed Zaid
elatin has always been a
controversial ingredient in
food products as it comes
from animal-based sources. It
is made from animal collagen
commonly found in the skin
and bones. Made out of protein, it is used
in food products such as marshmallows,
puddings, and gummies. And in non-food
products such as cosmetics and medicines.
Research shows that gelatin is actually
beneficial to health due to its unique protein
structure. The controversial part of the use
of gelatin is that it has been traditionally
obtained from pigs (porcine). Gelatin from
cows (bovine) are also available and widely
used, but doubt on whether the cows are
being slaughtered in the Islamic way makes
it highly risky for Muslim consumers.
Nur Syahirah Atiqah explains that even if the gelatine comes from a cow, there’s
also the issue of slaughtering.
The sources of gelatin
In this article, we will be referring to the
two most commonly used animals in the
production of gelatin – porcine-based and
bovine-based. The majority of products
in foreign market that uses gelatine are
porcine-based. In addition to being higher in
perceived quality, pigs reproduce and mature
faster than cows, which allow them to yield
more. Therefore it is common sense that
porcine-based gelatin costs less to produce
compared to bovine-based gelatin.
How do we know the source of gelatin in
a product we consume? We can’t without
proper testing. According to Global Haltech’s
Business Development Manager, Nazihah Ab
Hamid; there are no obvious indicators when
it comes to differentiating the two. However,
it can be identified with the correct equip-
ment and analysis methods. Global Haltech
has been working closely with JAKIM as one
of their panel laboratories through Halvec
Laboratories.
The different result of tests
“When it comes to testing the products,
we usually administer two types of tests.
The DNA test and the ELISA test,” says
Nur Syahirah Atiqah, Business & Scientific
Executive of Halvec Laboratories. “We had
a customer who sent their vaccine to be
tested. We administered the DNA test and
we couldn’t detect the presence of porcine
DNA. The ELISA test, however, actually shows
presence of porcine in the form of a protein,
as in gelatin.”
Syahirah’s colleague, Lab Analyst
Ameerah bt Abdul Hamid says: “This was
interesting to us because the client had
actually told us about the porcine gelatin
that they use as one of the ingredients in
the vaccine. And we thought that the result
would be positive for both tests but it was
otherwise. This happens because the amount
of DNA still present in gelatin can be too
A lab analyst testing a food product for any trace
of porcine-based ingredients.
Gelatin as a
processing aid
There is an increased awareness
among the public about how
gelatin can be used as a processing
aid for certain food products. A
processing aid means that the
gelatin that is added to a food
product during processing is then
taken out before the production
process is complete. So technically,
the end product does not contain
the gelatin, but gelatin was
introduced and taken out during
processing.
As consumers, how do we see
this issue affecting the halal-ness
of certain food products?
“Firstly, we need to know
whether the gelatin has entirely
been removed or not in the end
product. If a test can find traces of
gelatin, even more so if it is porcine-
based, then it is definitely not
halal. However even if we can’t find
any traces of gelatin, the Halalan
Toyyiban concept would not permit
any non-halal ingredients to be
added during processing.
Therefore it nullifies the doubt
on whether the product is halal
or not,”says Dr Azira Tukiran,
Assistant Professor at the
International Institute For Halal
Research and Training at the
International Islamic University
Malaysia (IIUM).
small to be detected. This is what we in the
industry would call a false negative.”
Burdening Questions
Ameerah explaining the type of tests that the lab uses to find the trace of
porcine DNA.
Ameerah’s worries come from these false
results. This could indeed cause trouble for
halal consumers. “This has always been an
issue. False positives are usually caused by
incompetent lab analysts or cross contami-
nations while false negative is caused by
unsuitable methods,” she says.
Syahirah explains: “That’s why we need
to have other alternatives. This is done to
cross-check the final outcome of the tests.”
Basically, the DNA test can identify the type
of DNA present in the test subject. It is used
to identify the type of animal or plant used
in the manufacturing the products.
On the other hand, the ELISA test is used