Cross-Contamination in Processing, Packaging, Storage, and Transport in Halal Supply Chain

Halal food supply chain has been exposed with many risks that would affect the Halal food supply chain integrity. One of the risks is cross-contamination between Halal and non- Halal food products. Cross-contamination occurs when Halal food product has a direct contact with non- Halal food or nonfood product. Food is considered Halal or Haram by looking at the whole food chain. Previous studies argued that the risks involved in Halal supply chain will increase the possibility of the food products turned from Halal to Haram. The incidents of food marketed as Halal but failing to meet Halal requirements have spurred demand for genuine Halal products. Previously, consumers cared only about Halal food, but now consumers realize that Halal includes the entire supply chain from sourcing of raw materials to the manufacturing, transporting, storing, and handling. This is due to rising issues during the handling process, and thus, affects the Halal status of the product, especially when they are in direct contact with non-Halal products.

Recently, Halal authenticity issue became a major concern in the halal food industry. Many cases were reported worldwide involving adulteration of Haram or Mushbooh ingredients in food productions. For example, The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has warned that up to 90% of the meat and poultry sold as halal in the United Kingdom (UK) may have been sold illegally and not slaughtered according to the requirements of the Muslim faith. Trade in illegal food (Haram) is the third largest illegal trade in the UK, estimated to be worth up to £1bn a year. Such crimes threaten public health, violate people’s religious beliefs, abuse their trust, and frequently involve cruelty to animals.

Besides, with the transformation in modern science and technology, food had undergone many processes and were transported to different parts of the world, which has raised concern among Muslim consumers and led to their curiosity, as to whether the processed food contain any Haram substances. In the last few years, revelations related to pork and lard being mixed in food and food products have surfaced. In gaining extra economic profit, food producers tend to mix pork and lard in their food products and finally claim it as Halal products. Several evidences have been found such as pork DNA is found in Halal prison meats in UK and mix of pork and lard in several products namely cakes formulation, chocolate formulation, meatball and vegetable oils. This misdescription of food contents can either be intentional or unintentional contamination. Hence, this paper will focus on such issues of cross-contamination in food processing, packaging, storage, and transports.

Requirements for Halal Food Production
Basis of Halal Food Laws

Why do Muslims follow the Halal dietary laws? The main reason for the observance of Halal food laws in the Islamic faith is to follow the Divine Orders.

O ye who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you and render thanks to God if it is He whom ye worship. Quran II: 172.

God reminds the believers time and again in the Holy Scripture to eat what is “Halalan Tayyiban,” meaning “permitted and good or wholesome.”

O, Mankind! Eat of that which is Lawful and Wholesome in the earth… Quran II: 168.

Eat of the good things. We have provided for your sustenance but commit no excess therein. Quran XX: 81.

Again, in the Quran, Chapter VI, titled the Cattle, Muslims are instructed to eat the meat of animals on which God’s name has been invoked. This is generally interpreted as meaning that an invocation has to be made at the time of slaughtering an animal.

Eat of that over which the name of God hath been mentioned, if ye are believers in His revelations. Quran VI: 119.

Although Muslims eat what is permitted specifically or by implication, albeit without comment, they avoid eating what is specifically disallowed, such as:

And eat not of that whereupon God’s name hath not been mentioned, for lo, it is abomination. Lo! The devils do inspire their minions to dispute with you. But if ye obey them, ye will be in truth idolaters. Quran VI: 121.

The majority of Islamic scholars are of the opinion that this verse deals with proper slaughtering of allowed animals.

As Muslim dietary laws relate to divine permissions and prohibitions, if anyone observes these laws, he/she is rewarded in the hereafter and if anyone violates these laws, he/she may receive punishment accordingly. The rules for those foods that are not specifically prohibited may be interpreted differently by various scholars. The things that are specifically prohibited are just a few in numbers, as summarized in the following verse:

Forbidden unto you are: carrion and blood and swine flesh, and that which hath been dedicated unto any other than God, and the strangled, and the dead through beating, and the dead through falling from a height, and that which hath been killed by the goring of horns, and the devoured of wild beasts save that which ye make lawful, and that which hath been immolated to idols. And that ye swear by the divining arrows. This is abomination. Quran V: 3.

Although these permissions and prohibitions as a divine injunction are enough for a Muslim to observe the laws, it is believed that the dietary laws are based on health reasons that suggest impurity or harmfulness of prohibited foods.

Food production: From Farm To Fork
Issues in production of religious and cultural food

Advancement of food science and technology contributes significantly to the development of modern food system by integrating many disciplines such as chemistry, physics, engineering, microbiology, nutrition, and computer science. Interdisciplinary works may solve complex problems commonly found in food production. Nutritional adequacy and food safety are few examples of important parameters that should be fulfilled by food industry to assure production of high quality products. However, scientific constructions regarding the quality of food are not always congruent with religious and cultural perspectives. Religion generally emphasizes the importance of food prescriptions and prohibitions for its adherents. The guidance mainly comes from sacred scripture and its scholarly interpretations by religious leaders. It is recognized that the direction for food consumption may differ largely among religions and is not always unambiguous.

Food contamination also poses a crucial matter in the production of religious food. In Muslim eating guidance, for example, food which is originally Halal can lose its Halal status when it contains any prohibited substances even at very small amount. Mixing and adulteration of Halal food with Haram food is obviously ending up as non-Halal food. Cross-contamination should also be avoided at all stages in food system by implementing proper Halal principles. With regard to meat production, tool and utensil used in slaughtering line should only be intended to Halal slaughter. An establishment of dedicated production line for Halal products is further advised as Halal and Haram productions cannot coexist simultaneously. In case any production lines are earlier used to run Haram operations, a mandatory ritual cleansing has first to be carried out (Man and Sazili, 2010). Segregation of Halal and Haram products during storage, transportation, distribution, and store display may also be required. The food industries are thus urged to have an adequate consultation with the related parties before producing any religious food products.

Moreover, the integrity and credibility of Halal status from farm to fork has been looking and becomes a major concern for Muslim consumers. Halal certification can be utilized to assure Halal status directly to certain food products. A Halal quality label can only be obtained when all guidelines dictated by Islamic principles have been thoroughly attended. This Halal logo may bring awareness and confidence to Muslim consumers about the availability of food processed under religious supervision. The trust for Halal product can naturally be extended to Non-Muslim consumers as well (Zulfakar et al., 2012). In addition, some countries also require Halal certificate from the importer before clearance can be issued. The Halal certification, thus, can be a global symbol for quality assurance and a way of life. Some critical issues, however, are left, especially which institution should monitor, control, authenticate, and certify the Halal status. Although the International Halal Integrity Alliance has been established, its capacity is still limited especially with regard to the development of global standard on Halal food (Rafiki et al., 2016). In an unfortunate case, certain Halal labels may be rejected by several importing Muslim countries. Further, Halal certification can also incur a costly fee (Fuseini et al., 2017). While production of religious food is still shrouded by a variety of issues, the effort to address those problems will be worth doing as the religious and cultural food market continues to develop and grow progressively.

Halal Recipe of the Month:

Creamy Pasta With Roasted Vegetables
In this recipe you can start from scratch with a fresh batch of uncooked pasta, but if you have any leftover cooked pasta of any type, this is a great way to bring it back to life and give it a whole new flavor than it had the day before.

Ingredients:
–  1 pound package penne pasta, cooked
– 1 pound roasted tomatoes (should be seasoned     during roasting)
– 1/2 pound roasted zucchini squash (should be  seasoned during roasting
– 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
– 2 tablespoons capers
– 3 cloves garlic, crushed
– Heavy cream (2 tablespoons at a time)
– Freshly chopped basil (optional)

Method:

If you don’t have them already, roast the tomatoes (directions here) and the squash (much like this) separately. Let cool.

If you have uncooked pasta, follow the directions according to package instructions and once finished, drain the pasta. Add some olive oil and let cool. Set aside. Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes and squash roughly, keeping the chunks as large or as small as you like.

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil on medium-low heat. Add the cooked pasta, roasted veggies, capers and crushed garlic. Mix thoroughly and allow everything to heat up evenly but not to fry (keeping the heat minimal).

Pour in the heavy cream, 2 tablespoons at a time, until you reach the desired creaminess. Do not let the mixture boil, but if it does, remove from heat immediately. Mix and stir the cream as you add it in, then remove from heat and serve at once. Top with freshly chopped basil, if you have it.

(Source: http://www.myhalalkitchen.com)

Company Profile

Since 1981, Imperial Flavours Inc. has provided delicious, health-conscious ingredients to leading international brands in Canada, the USA, South America, and the Caribbean.

We specialize in delivering products to a broad market, including dairy, fruit, baked goods, food services, and more, while maintaining a high level of sustainable practices that focus on taste, quality, health, and the environment.

Our world-class, peanut-free facilities in Mississauga, Canada contains over 60,000 sq. ft. of research, development, and creation space. Our custom-designed systems allow for maximum productivity that significantly reduces project lead time, and preserves the freshness of every one of our culinary creations.

Imperial Flavours Inc. is a rapidly growing community of food & beverage experts who enjoy a fast-paced, progressive work environment. Our company recognizes and rewards hard work and commitment, and believes in developing team members for future career development and professional success.

The best way to get to know our confections is to try them yourself! Get in touch with us anytime to book a discovery call, or arrange a “tasting session” to explore ingredients and flavours that will tantalize your customers’ palates!

Imperial Flavours Inc. has obtained IFANCC halal certification ON. For more information, please visit: www.imperialflavours.com

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Our 160,000 sq ft plant was built in 2006 and has enabled Golden Eagle Farms to become a full-service farming operation. Fully equipped with the latest technology, our production facility processes all 25 million pounds of berries that are produced by our farms each season! Further, our plant only processes fruit from our own fields, and that means we can provide fully traceable berries.

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Golden Eagle Farms processors has obtained IFANCC halal certification for some of their products. For more information, please visit their website: www.geberries.com