By: Rina Maulidiyah, STP
Have you ever imagined that behind a bowl of warm meatballs or a plate of delicious sausages that you enjoy, there is a lengthy process that involves not only taste and quality, but also a strict adherence to halal standards? One critical point in the meat processing industry that is often overlooked is the meat grinding machine.
This machine, which is tasked with grinding meat before further processing, can be a ‘determinant of fate’ for the halal status of a product. Once this machine is contaminated with haram ingredients—such as pork—or is not washed according to the rules, then all the products ground in it can change from halal to non-halal. Ironically, this contamination is often invisible, but the impact is enormous, especially for Muslim consumers who uphold halal values.
Getting to Know Meat Grinding Machines: From Home Kitchens to Industrial Scale
Meat grinding is not just a household matter. Behind the meatball, sausage, nugget, and broth industries, various types of meat grinders are used, depending on the scale of production and the final goal. Let’s get to know them one by one.
1. Blender & Food Processor
For homemakers or home culinary entrepreneurs, blenders and food processors are the mainstay. Both are suitable for grinding meat in small quantities. Although the results are not as smooth as those of industrial machines, they are sufficient for making homemade meatballs or children’s nuggets.
2. Meat Grinder
This is the ‘real’ meat grinder. There are manual, electric, and even industrial ones. This machine is capable of grinding large amounts of meat with consistent cut results. On an industrial scale, meat grinders are often equipped with an automatic system that can directly insert the ground results into sausage casings, for example.
3. Bowl Cutter
This is the ‘king’ of meat grinders in large industries. This machine can grind ingredients to an excellent consistency while mixing spices and other additives. With its high rotation speed and advanced technology, the bowl cutter produces a highly homogeneous meat mixture, ideal for premium products such as super-fine meatballs or German sausages.
Halal Requirements for Meat Grinding
Ensuring that the machine is clean is not enough. From a halal perspective, cleanliness must be reviewed from a Sharia perspective. There is equipment that, although it looks clean, is considered unclean if it has previously come into contact with haram materials and has not been cleaned according to the strict procedure, namely washing seven times with one of the washings using holy soil or a substitute material that has the same cleaning power.
In the meat processing industry, the grinding machine is a critical component because it is in direct contact with the main ingredients. If this machine has ever been used to grind pork or meat from animals that are not slaughtered according to Sharia, then the entire system must be cleaned with strict procedures.
The Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) requires the implementation of the Halal Product Assurance System (SJPH) in grinding to ensure that the grinding machine is suitable for use in the halal process. Several points that need to be considered in the context of grinding services include:
1. Meat Ingredients Used Must Be Halal-certified
Every meat to be ground must come from a supplier who has a halal certificate. Business actors must verify the packaging label and official halal certificate before receiving raw materials for processing. This practice aims to ensure that no meat from animals slaughtered in a non-Sharia manner or from haram animals such as pigs enters the grinding machine.
2. Production Equipment Must Be Special and Separate
In the grinding process, the meat grinder must be ensured not to be used to grind haram ingredients, such as pork, and must not be contaminated with filth. Suppose the grinding machine has previously been used to handle non-halal meat. In that case, Business Actors must ensure that all washing procedures for contamination of mughallazah filth in the halal production line are carried out according to Islamic law. Mughallazah filth, such as pork and its derivatives, can only be purified through the sertu process. In the industrial context, the sertu process must be carried out systematically and documented, including the identification of contaminated equipment, cleaning methods, the materials used, and the quality control of washing results. Furthermore, if the grinding machine wants to be certified halal, it is no longer allowed to handle pork.
3. Business Actors Have Cleaning Procedures
The meat grinder machine must be thoroughly cleaned according to the manufacturer’s instructions, by disassembling all parts of the tool and then washing them with water and a cleaning agent free from impurities. Cleaning can meet the requirements if it undergoes the correct process and the cleaning agent is free from impurities.
The cleaning process is tailored to the category of impurities. For the requirements, the cleaning agent must be free of impurities so that it can purify the equipment. In some cases, if cleaning with water will damage the machine, then cleaning can be done using a material other than water, as long as the material is pure and any impurities, in the form of odor, taste, or color, have been eliminated.
After cleaning, there must be no traces of material from the previous process. Business Actors must carry out post-cleaning validation in the form of a visual test or even a laboratory test to ensure that the machine is genuinely free from contamination. If using a swab test, business actors must pay attention to the method used and ensure that the source of the media does not come from pigs.
4. Business Actors Document Evidence of Cleaning
Business actors must document machine cleaning, including the frequency of cleaning (for example, after each production batch), the cleaning method and materials used, and the name of the responsible officer. The entire cleaning process must be documented as part of the Halal Product Assurance System compliance.
Challenges that occur in the field: Many business actors are not ready
Although the regulations on halal meat products are pretty straightforward, the reality in the field is not as easy as the theory on paper. Many business actors, especially those in the traditional grinding service sector, do not fully understand, let alone apply, halal principles in their operations.
This fact is reinforced by a survey in Yogyakarta, which revealed that several meat grinding services did not even refuse when asked to grind pork. This condition is certainly concerning and shows a large gap between regulations and practice.
One of the leading causes is the low level of education among micro- and small-business actors. Many of them are not yet aware that meat grinding services fall under the category of businesses that must be halal certified. They tend to assume that halalness is the customer’s responsibility, not the service provider’s.
Additionally, the halal certification process is often perceived as complicated and expensive. The costs, time, and bureaucracy that accompany it make small business actors feel burdened, even though many subsidies and assistance programs are available.
Another challenge comes from the aspect of tracing raw materials or traceability. In practice, grinding services receive meat from various sources, but the origin of these sources cannot always be confirmed as halal. Since not all customers obtain meat from halal-certified slaughterhouses (RPH), it is challenging for business actors to ensure the halal nature of the raw materials they process.
Additionally, technical issues such as the use of machines that do not meet standards are also a significant problem. Some grinding equipment still uses cast iron, which is not food grade, easily absorbs fat, and is difficult to clean. Worse still, one machine is often used to grind various types of meat, including haram meat, without adequate washing procedures, thus opening up a high risk of cross-contamination.
To address these various challenges, a comprehensive approach is needed. Education and assistance are the most urgent initial steps. The government, halal certification institutions, and academics need to step in to provide routine and ongoing training. On the other hand, halal certification for MSMEs needs to be supported by affordable financing schemes, such as subsidies or free technical assistance, so that business actors do not feel burdened.
The principle of dedicated halal must be applied consistently to avoid the potential for cross-contamination. Business actors are also required to have a system that ensures the facility washing process is adequate and effective in removing residues and contaminants. According to research by Sunjung Chung and Rosalee S. Hellberg in the journal Food Control (2023), cross-contamination in ground meat products can be prevented by thoroughly cleaning the grinding machine according to the appropriate procedures.
This cleaning process also varies according to the type of grinding. For example, in blenders and food processors, washing is performed by disassembling components, such as knives, and then cleaning them with clean water and soap free from impurities. Meanwhile, for industrial grinding machines such as meat grinders and bowl cutters, the washing process requires disassembling the central units, then cleaning them thoroughly according to established procedures. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO, 2007) provides technical guidelines on washing procedures for meat grinding equipment, primarily meat grinders and bowl cutters, to ensure food cleanliness and safety.
In the case of a grinding machine made of cast iron, it can be replaced with food-grade stainless steel type SS 304, which is more hygienic, does not rust easily, and is easier to clean. With this combination of steps, meat grinding services are expected to be better prepared to meet the halal standards required by the Indonesian Muslim community. What seems like ‘just’ a grinding machine turns out to hold great responsibility. One procedural error can impact the halal status of the entire product. Halalness is not just about the label attached to the product packaging. It is the result of a process that is full of caution, responsibility, and integrity, including in the matter of meat grinding machines.
With the spirit of collaboration between the government, business actors, and the community, the halal meat grinding industry in Indonesia can not only grow healthier but also become an inspiration to the world. Because in the end, halal food is not just a market demand, but part of worship.
If you are interested in knowing whether your meat grinding service is halal certified, you can check it directly on the official BPJPH page or the official LPH LPPOM website www.halalmui.org. Because for us, ensuring halal is not only a right, but also a shared responsibility. (***)
Source: https://halalmui.org/jurnal-halal/173/
References :
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Heinz G, Hautzinger P. 2007. Meat Processing Technology for Small-to-Medium Scale Producers. Bangkok: Food and Agriculture Organization of The United Nations Regional Office for Asia and The Pacific.
BPJPH. 2023. Keputusan Kepala Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal Nomor 20 Tahun 2023 Tentang Perubahan Atas Keputusan Kepala Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal Nomor 57 Tahun 2021 Tentang Kriteria Sistem Jaminan Produk Halal.
Rachmawati MA. 2024. Teliti Sebelum Menggilingkan Daging. Yogyakarta: Balai Besar Veteriner Wates.
Fauziyah NA, Nugraha RE, Yulistiani R, Masudah KW, Wardhani PC, Iqbal M, Cahyo MSK, Kritanti DA. 2022. Pengembangan Penggiling Daging dengan Bahan Stainless Steel Food Grade dalam Meningkatkan Daya Saing Produk Kaldu UMKM. Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Berkemajuan. Vol 6 (3): 1266-1269.
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