Biscuits are one of the practical and economical dishes, becoming a favorite dish of all circles. A variety of flavors are offered by biscuits that are packaged using cans, box packaging to attractive plastics.
Although practical, biscuits are an option for most people, because they are filling, In addition, foods that are wheat-based and contain fat, protein and other additives, are considered to have a high nutritional content.
There are several types of biscuits on the market, namely hard biscuits made from hard dough, flattened, and densely textured. There are also crackers-type biscuits made from hard dough, through a fermentation or deepening process.While the third type is cookies, which are biscuits made from soft dough, high fat.
The different types of biscuits, of course, are also different in the manufacturing process. However, broadly speaking, the process of making biscuits consists in mixing, forming and roasting. The mixing stage is aimed at leveling the distribution of the ingredients used and to obtain a dough with a smooth consistency.The materials are already mixed, subsequently molded according to the desired shape and size. The molded dough is then oven-baked
Asenior uditor of LPPOM MUI, Ir. Hj. Osmena Gunawan, reminded, because the ingredients are quite diverse and the production process is not simple, Muslim consumers are obliged to pay attention to the biscuits on the market. Because, not all biscuits offered have been mui halal certified. Even more so imported biscuit products. “As Muslim consumers, before consuming biscuits, we must pay attention to the halalness of the biscuit product. One way is to look at the halal logo listed on the biscuit packaging,” said Osmena, who is also the Deputy Director of LPPOM MUI.
In addition, don’t forget to also criticize the raw materials in the biscuits, because the ingredients could come from ingredients that are not clear about their halalness. Osmena added that there are several critical points for the opportunity for the entry of illicit ingredients into biscuit products.
Here are some of the ingredients that make biscuits, which are summarized from various sources:
Flour
Wheat flour is the main ingredient in the manufacture of biscuit products. In Indonesia flour is subject to vitamin and mineral fortification rules.Therefore
clarity of halalness of added vitamins and minerals needs to be noted.
Egg
Eggs contain albumen (egg white) which serves as a hardener, and yolk that serves as a stacker. The addition of eggs in making biscuits also serves to add flavor, and add nutritional value.
Developer Materials
The development material serves to develop the dough so that the dough bubbles, increases in volume, and expands more. Of all these ingredients that must be watched out for is the cream of tartar. Cream of tartar is actually a potassium salt of tartaric acid that can be obtained from the by-products of the wine industry (a type of liquor). That is why this material needs to be aware of its halalness.
Flavor
Flavor produces a variety of flavors and aromas from the biscuits produced. Flavors can be divided into 2 types, namely synthetic flavors and natural flavors. Flavors that use certain aromas similar to illicit goods (pork and liquor) are not allowed.
Flavor constituents can be obtained from chemical synthetic compounds, plants and animals. If extracted from animals or made from animal amino acids, it must be ensured that this flavor comes from halal animals slaughtered syar’i.
Dye
Colorings commonly used in processed foods consist of 2 types, namely: synthetic dyes and natural dyes. Synthetic dyes are preferred by food manufacturers because they have a fairly good level of color stability and a relatively low price. Although it does not contain illicit ingredients, excessive use can have a bad impact on the health of the humans who consume it.
As for natural dyes, they are usually less stable. To avoid color damage from the influence of temperature, light, and other environmental influences, often this dye is added a coating agent through a micro-encapsulation process. One type of coating that is often used is gelatin. Because it comes from animals, it must be ascertained whether the gelatin used comes from halal animals or illegitimate animals.
Shortening
Shortening is often known as white butter.This material comes from fat, it can be from animal, vegetable fats, or a mixture of both.Because it can come from animal fat, shortening is syubhat.
Margarine
Margarine is made with a plant fat base. In the manufacturing process, there are often stabilizers, dyes, and flavor enhancers added that need to be criticized for their halalness.
Bakers Yeast Instant (Yeast)
Yeast serves as a developer material (bread improver). In its manufacture, sometimes an emulsifying agent (emulsifier) is added. Well, if the emulsifier used comes from illicit materials then this yeast certainly becomes non-halal.There is also yeast which is a by-product of the beer industry known as brewer yeast.The halalness of this type of yeast depends on the process after it is separated from the beer.The process should involve water that can ‘wash’ the color, smell and aroma of the beer so that the yeast returns to its purity.
Cheese
Cheese comes from animal milk, it can come from cow’s, sheep/goat’s or camel’s milk. In its manufacture, to obtain curd / solids, milk is aggregated with the help of enzymes and starters. If the enzymes used come from the digestive tract of illegitimate animals, then of course their status becomes illegitimate.
In addition, the starter used in the clumping of milk comes from micro-organisms (generally lactic acid bacteria). Well, the media used to grow these bacteria can come from halal media or illegitimate media.
Chocolate
Chocolate is widely used in biscuits either as a topping or filling. In the manufacturing process, sometimes an emulsifier is needed. Emulsifiers can come from vegetable ingredients or from animal products so they can be halal or illegitimate.In addition, the use of flavor, lactose or whey is also commonplace in chocolate.Lactose and whey are critical ingredients because they can come from the by-products of cheese production that may use illicit ingredients in the manufacturing process. (Ah)
