FAQ:

Is Milk Halal:

The answer is yes.

Milk from buffalo, camel, cow and goat is Halal by itself however milk in the US and Canada from cows and goats must be fortified with vitamins A and D by law. California is the only state where milk can be sold without vitamin fortification.

· What are the source of Vitamins A and D:
Vitamin A for milk fortification is produced commercially by reacting calcium carbonate with water and then esterified with palmitic acid (source can be from a plant or an animal or a synthetic). Vitamin D3 is produced from sheep's wool lanolin (Halal).

· Presence of an emulsifier in Vitamin Mixes:
A fat based emulsifier Polysorbate 80 is added to the vitamin mix for milk fortification s as a processing aid ingredient to help vitamins to be mix and distributed evenly with milk so that it is satisfy the law requirement of a specific amount of vitamins per quart of milk. This emulsifier is not mentioned on the ingredient declaration on the milk containers because it is considered a processing aid. This emulsifier should not be from pork fat. It has to be from plant fat such as soy bean.

· This vitamins mixture must be certified as Halal or kosher because there is no FDA regulations about the source of vitamins and the emulsifier for vitamin mix. If a manufacturer wishes to use an emulsifier and vitamins from pork source, there is no law to prevent it.

· Now almost every dairy in USA is using Kosher certified vitamin mix, so the milk in USA and Canada is Halal.

· Composition of Vitamin mix for milk fortification:
Vitamin mix for milk fortification is made of Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Water, Polysorbate 80 (an emulsifier), Propylene Glycol (to prevent freezing) and Sodium Benzoate as preservative. These ingredients other than Vitamin A and Vitamin D3 will not appear on the ingredients list of milk on its bottle because they considered as processing aid ingredients.

· VITAMIN MIX MANUFACTURERS:
Tastemaker, Bungi Foods, Vitamins Inc., Danisco-Grindsted are the major suppliers for the vitamin mix (BASF and Roche vitamins are main suppliers of vitamin A &D) to the milk industry. These companies have kosher certified vitamin mixes. The vitamin mixes from above companies are consider Halal.

Brewer Yeast:

Brewer Yeast is used in beer making. After beer making it is separated from beer, washed dries and use in food products. MCG do not consider it Halal because alcohol or beer during beer making penetrate inside brewer cells and will not convert into new thing.

Confectionery Glaze:

Confectionary Glaze or Resinous Glaze made from Shellac(Shellac is a insect secretion) which is dissolve in alcohol and then alcohol is evaporated and glazed is applied on the surface of food products. It is also part of sprinkles on top of bakery products and ice cream. MCG do not consider it as a Halal ingredient because of alcohol.

What is Nucleotides?

Nucleotides (building block of nucleic acid) are obtained from Torula yeast cells grown on alcohol, used in Infant baby formulas to help babies build a good immune, digestive system and decreased incident of diarrhea. MCG do not consider it as Halal ingredient.

What is Cochineal or Carmine?

Carmine or Cochineal is a natural red color made from red female beetle in South America. All in insects except locust are Haram under Hanafi fiqah.

Is Kosher Gelatin Halal?

No, Kosher gelatin is not Halal because it is made either from pork or non zabiha beef. Kosher gelatin is Haram if it is made from pig.

Is Gelatin Halal?

Gelatin is Halal only if it is made from fish bones and skin or if gelatin is made from zabiha slaughtered cow.

Fat based E-Numbers such as E-Number 471, 472, 472e

E-numbers 471-472 are mushbooh because they can be made with pork fat and soybean fat. They are Halal if made from soybean fat. Only manufacturer knows the source those E-Numbers. But if a claim " Suitable For Vegetarian" appears on a food product package in Europe then it means these E-Numbers are obtained from soybean or vegetable fat.

Vanilla Bean Specks:

Vanilla bean specks are made mostly from vanilla bean seeds which are obtained after alcohol extraction of Vanilla Beans for vanilla flavors. The seeds leftover after alcohol extraction are dried and grind to make vanilla bean specks. This is called exhausted Vanilla bean specks in food industry. Vanilla beans specks without alcohol extraction are very expensive, so many ice cream manufacturer use exhausted type of vanilla bean specks. Our ulema consider exhausted vanilla bean specks as not Halal because it is obtain after alcohol extraction. Alcohol is used on vanilla beans to get vanilla flavor and it is contaminated the Halal vanilla bean seeds.

What is Torula Yeast, is it Halal?

Torula Yeast has capacity to utilize pentose sugars. It is not use in making bread or beer or wine. It is grown on a refined sugar feed stocks such as cane sugar, corn syrup, glucose, or alcohol. Torula yeast is grown on alcohol to manufacture Nucleotides for infant formula and this is the reason Nucleotide is not a Halal ingredients. Torula yeast is Halal only if it is grown on cane sugar or corn syrup or glucose. Torula yeast grown on alcohol is not consider Halal by MCG.

What are ingredients of Haram Soy Sauce?

The Naturally Brewed Soy is the Haram soy sauce. It is made just like wine containing 2-3% alcohol. The ingredients list contains Wheat, Soy and other ingredients. Food companies do not mentioned Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce name under the ingredients statement, they just mentioned soy sauce but within parenthesis they write Wheat and Soy. This is the only way to find out Haram Soy Sauce.

What are ingredients of Halal Soy Sauce?

All purpose soy sauce or non naturally brewed soy sauce is a Halal soy sauce made from water, salt, hydrolyzed soy protein, corn syrup and sodium benzoate. La Choy All Purpose Soy sauce is a Halal Soy Sauce.

Processing Aid Ingredients or Hidden ingredients in food products and food ingredients:

FDA will allow up to 2% of processing aid ingredients or hidden ingredients in a food product or in a food ingredient without reporting them in the ingredients statement. Only Halal or Kosher certified food products which meet the Islamic dietary requirements protect Muslim consumers from Haram processing aid ingredients or hidden ingredients. Example of Hidden ingredients are use of pork gelatin in apple juice processing, gelatin in Beta carotene, Polysorbate 80 (a fat based emulsifier) in vitamins mix for milk fortification.

Which Vinegar is considered as Halal?

Distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, malt vinegar, corn (Maize) sugar vinegar are considered Halal. Wine Vinegar and Balsamic vinegar are not considered Halal because of left over of wine in wine vinegar and high content sugar containing grape in Italy which in turn provide more alcohol is available to convert it to vinegar.

Halal status of Yeast Extract or autolyzed Yeast:

If the yeast extract or autolyzed yeast is made from baker�s yeast then it is a Halal ingredient. But if it is made from brewer�s yeast a by-product of beer making then it is not considered as Halal because beer can penetrate in the yeast cells and never convert to any other things. Autolyzed Yeast Extract or Yeast Extract from beer is use mostly in cheese and crackers to provide bitterness according to food industry experts. Autolyzed Yeast Extract from baker yeast is used in food products such as soups and other products to give meaty taste without adding meat.

Is Vanilla Extract a Halal ingredient?

No, Vanilla Extract is used as a flavor and it is made from vanilla bean extract. It contains minimum of 35% ethyl alcohol otherwise it will not call as vanilla extract according FDA regulation.

Halal Status of chocolate Liquor:

Chocolate Liquor is manufactured from grinding the cocoa nibs from cocoa bean. It is a Halal ingredient and do not contain any liquor or alcohol.

Are all natural or artificial flavors Halal?

No, in order for a natural or artificial flavor to be Halal, it has to be made from Halal flavoring material and a Halal solvent such vegetable oil or propylene glycol. If ethyl alcohol is used as a solvent then MCG will not considered it as Halal according to MCG ulema. If a Kosher symbol (which meet the Islamic dietary requirements) appears on a food package containing natural or artificial flavor indicates that it is manufactured from Halal flavoring material but ethyl alcohol may or may not use as a solvent. It requires further investigation from food manufacturer to confirm that no alcohol is used as a solvent. Only food manufacturer knows whether alcohol is used as a solvent or not in natural or artificial flavor.

Are all apple juice brands Halal?

No, only those apple juice brands which bear a Kosher symbol on the containers are considered Halal because it indicates no pork gelatin is used as filtering material for a clear apple juice. There are some apple juice manufacturer who still used pork or beef gelatin in apple juice processing.

Halal status of L-Cysteine:

L-Cysteine is a essential amino acid and it is used as dough conditioner in bagels, pizza, bread, hard rolls. If L-Cysteine is manufactured from human hair then it will be Haram. If it is obtained from non zabiha or dead chicken/duck feathers then it will not be Halal. Halal L-Cysteine is made from synthetic sources and Halal fermented process. MCG considered it Halal if it is made from either synthetic or fermentation sources.

FD&C yellow No. 5 or FD&C red No. 40 colors:

FDandC yellow No. 5 or FDandC red No. 40 are chemical dyes and they are Halal if use in pure granular or powder form but if the FDandC colors are required to make in liquid form then a solvent is needed to make FDandC colors in liquid form. Liquid FDandC colors are used in liquid foods such as soft drinks. Vegetable oil or glycerin is used to make liquid artificial colors. Liquid FDandC colors are Halal only if vegetable oil or soy fat based glycerin is used. If glycerin is obtained from pork fat then liquid FDandC colors will be Haram. A Halal or Kosher symbol (which meet the Islamic dietary requirements) appears on a food package containing these colors indicates that no pork or beef fat glycerin was used as a solvent.

Is Whey a Halal ingredient?

Muslims think that whey is milk based ingredient, it has to be Halal but answer is no. There are two kinds of whey, one is sweet or rennet whey and other is acid whey. Acid whey is obtained during the making of acid type of cheese such as cottage cheese. Sweet or rennet whey is used more in food products then acid whey. Sweet whey or rennet whey is a by-product of rennet cheese making such as cheddar cheese or Mozzarella cheese. Whey is a portion of milk remaining after coagulation and removal of curd. Whey is Halal only if the Halal starter culture bacteria, Halal medium on which starter culture bacteria are grown (Starter culture bacteria are Halal if they obtained from milk source not meat source and media on which these starter culture bacteria grown has to be made from Halal ingredients such milk). These requirements can only obtained if the cheese and whey are Halal or Kosher certified (which meet the Islamic dietary requirements). A Halal or Kosher symbol (which meet the Islamic dietary requirements) appears on a food package containing whey indicates that it is manufactured under Halal or Kosher supervision.

What is Mono and Diglycerides?

Mono and Diglycerides are fat based emulsifier and are made by reacting glycerol (fat based) with fats and oils. Mono and diglycerides can be made from beef or pork or soybean fat. Only soybean or zabiha slaughtered cow fat based Mono and Diglyceries are consider Halal. A Halal or Kosher symbol (which meet the Islamic dietary requirements) on a food package containing Mono and Diglycerides indicates that it is obtained from soybean fat.

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