Recently, news has been circulating about the cooking spice product MSG or monosodium glutamate (MSG) containing pork. This information is an old broadcast message that has been re-disseminated by social media users and has gone viral on social media.
However, is it true that the MSG that has been circulating contains pork? MSG, which has the chemical name monosodium glutamate (MSG), is a sodium salt of glutamic acid, which is one of the food additives that plays an important role in the cooking process. This compound is also sometimes called Monosodium Glutamate (MNG). MSG functions as an enhancer or flavour enhancer in food.
MSG contains the compound glutamic acid, which is an amino acid that functions as a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in sending signals between nerve cells (neurons) in the brain and nervous system. This amino acid also plays an important role in compiling proteins in the body. The body uses it to build various proteins needed for cell function and structure.
MSG also contains sodium, which is a mineral. Sodium in the body functions to regulate blood pressure by binding water and regulating nerve function. This component also plays a role in regulating the osmotic pressure of cells related to the entry and exit of cell fluids in the body.
What is the law on consuming MSG?
As Muslims, of course, we need to be careful about the halal status of MSG that we use for everyday cooking. According to Halal Post Audit Management LPPOM, Umi Noer Afifah, S.T., in the production process, MSG is produced from the fermentation process of molasses or corn starch with the help of Corynebacterium glutamicum microbes. In order for these microbes to survive, a medium is needed as a source of nitrogen for microbial growth nutrients.
The media will also be used in the fermentation process stages consisting of glucose, chemical compounds (such as urea ammonium sulfate), vitamins, and nitrogen sources such as peptone. During fermentation, microbes will convert sugar into glutamic acid. Glutamic acid will then be reacted with sodium hydroxide to produce monosodium glutamate (MSG).
“MSG production is critical because there is the use of media materials that can be sourced from pigs, such as peptone which can be sourced from plant materials or can also be sourced from animal materials including pigs, in addition, in the manufacture of peptone, it must be ensured that the enzymes used are free from pork and unclean materials. Microbes must also be ensured that the source comes from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) or not. If it comes from GMO, then it must be ensured that it does not come from human or pig genetics,” explained Umi.
Production facilities used to produce MSG must be free from haram and unclean materials. For this reason, it is very important to ensure that MSG producers use shared facilities with other products that are not halal certified. If there is the use of shared facilities, it must be assured that the materials used to produce products that are not certified are pork-free materials.
The issue of MSG that is currently developing is an issue that existed in 1988 which stated that food and beverage products circulating in Indonesia contained pork. This caused the sale of food products containing pork to experience a drastic decline which affected the economic and political stability in Indonesia. The government asked the MUI to address this issue, so on January 6, 1989, the MUI established LPPOM to conduct halal inspections or certification to guarantee the halalness of products circulating in Indonesia, which is still ongoing to this day.
Almost all MSG products circulating in Indonesia have been certified halal by BPJPH. This is in fulfilment of business actors regarding the regulations issued by the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) regarding the mandatory halal deadline for food products until October 2024. However, some products have not been certified, so it is necessary to check the list of MSG products that have been certified halal via the website www.halalmui.org, the MUI Halal application that can be downloaded on the Playstore, and the BPJPH website. Companies can also send emails to BPJPH at [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected]. Business actors who have food products and have not registered for certification, immediately register and use LPH LPPOM to conduct halal checks to meet the regulations set by the government. (ZUL)
