By : Rina Maulidiyah
In recent years, many restaurants and food products have included the label “No Pork No Lard” as a sign that the food they serve does not contain pork or lard. However, the claim cannot guarantee the halalness of a product. What should be considered?
In Islamic teachings, halalness includes more than just the absence of pork; it consists of the entire production process, from the source of raw materials and additional ingredients to the equipment used in processing. Without official halal certification from an authorized institution such as BPJPH, a product is still at risk of containing elements that do not follow halal principles. Therefore, consumers need to understand that the No Pork No Lard claim that we often find in several restaurants that are not yet halal certified is not a guarantee of the halalness of the food.
Why is it Not Necessarily Halal?
The No Pork No Lard statement is often used in certain restaurants as information to customers, especially those who pay attention to the halal aspects of food. This label only guarantees that the food does not contain pork or lard. The inspiration for using this label comes from restaurants abroad that implement it as information for Muslim customers. Restaurant owners hope that this label can educate customers so that they feel comfortable and calm while enjoying the food served.
However, it should be understood that the No Pork No Lard label does not necessarily guarantee that all menus in the restaurant are truly halal. This is very different from restaurants that are halal-certified by BPJPH. The halalness of food depends not only on the absence of pork or its derivatives but also on the entire production process. Food can be non-halal if it contains ingredients from haram sources or if the production process does not meet halal standards.
For example, a restaurant may use beef from halal animals. However, if the cow is slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law, the beef becomes non-halal. In addition, food can also be non-halal if it is processed using equipment previously used to cook non-halal food without going through a cleaning process according to sharia provisions. In fact, if contamination from impurities, such as animal waste, occurs during processing, the resulting food may also be non-halal.
LPPOM President Director, Muti Arintawati emphasized that the “No Pork, No Lard” label cannot guarantee a product’s halalness.
Before the government implemented halal certification regulations through Government Regulation No. 39 of 2021 concerning Halal Product Assurance, many business actors used the No Pork No Lard label to indicate that their products did not contain pork or its derivatives. However, this label does not guarantee the halalness of a food as a whole.
Furthermore, she emphasized that halal certification is not only related to raw materials such as meat and its derivatives but also includes the entire production process. From distribution, storage, processing, and the use of production equipment, all must meet halal standards in accordance with Islamic law. Thus, only products that have gone through the official halal certification process can be guaranteed to be halal.
As consumers, it is essential to be more careful in choosing the food we consume. In addition to ensuring that there are no haram ingredients, it is also advisable to select products that have been halal certified so that they are more guaranteed in terms of safety, both in terms of raw materials and production processes.
Risky Additives and Production Processes
In addition to the main ingredients, many additives in food have the potential to contain non-halal elements without the general public realizing it. With the increasing development of food processing technology, various substances from animal sources, including non-halal ones, can enter food products without being visible to the naked eye.
MSG
According to the Halal Post Audit Management LPPOM, Umi Noer Afifah, Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is produced from the fermentation process of molasses or corn starch with the help of the microbe Corynebacterium glutamicum. For these microbes to survive, a medium is needed as a source of nitrogen for the microbial growth nutrients.
The medium will also be used in the fermentation process stage, which consists of glucose, chemical compounds (such as urea and ammonium sulfate), vitamins, and nitrogen sources (such as peptone). During fermentation, the microbes will convert sugar into glutamic acid, which will then be reacted with sodium hydroxide to produce MSG.
MSG production is critical because media materials can be sourced from pigs, such as peptone, which can be sourced from plant materials or animal materials, including pigs. In addition, when manufacturing peptone, it must be ensured that the enzymes used are free from pork and unclean materials. Microbes must also be ensured to be sourced from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) or not. If it comes from GMO, it must be assured that it does not come from human or pig genetics.
Soy Sauce
Sweet and salty soy sauce is made by fermenting soybeans and wheat using microbes such as Aspergillus mold, Saccharomyces yeast, and Bacillus and Lactobacillus bacteria. The manufacturing process consists of koji fermentation, where soybeans and wheat are fermented with mold for several days, followed by moromi fermentation, which is a mixture of salt solutions that lasts for 6–9 months to produce semi-finished soy sauce.
This soy sauce is filtered, heated, and pasteurized to stop fermentation and kill microbes. In the final stage, seasonings are added according to taste, such as brown sugar for sweet soy sauce. This process takes about 7–10 months and requires strict temperature and humidity control.
However, some manufacturers engineer it by adding flavors or colorings or using acid-hydrolyzed vegetable protein raw materials to speed up production. Traditionally, soy sauce can contain additional ingredients such as bone marrow, chicken heads, or animal blood, which can cause halal issues if their origins are unclear.
Cooking Oil
Cooking oil is made from palm kernels that undergo boiling, pressing, degumming, bleaching, deodorizing, and fortification. The critical point of halal cooking oil lies in the degumming, bleaching, and fortification processes (substances added in the fortification process). The degumming process usually involves acid; citric acid is commonly used in the cooking oil industry.
According to the book, citric acid is made from a fermentation process, so it is necessary to note that the culture media used must come from halal materials, including the microorganisms involved, which are ensured to be free of GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) from pigs or humans. The bleaching process involves activated carbon, so it is necessary to note the source of the activated carbon used because it can come from animal bones. The source of vitamin A fortification in cooking oil must also be considered.
Vitamin A is usually found in fish and plants as pro-vitamin A. Its chemical structure contains many double bonds, making it unstable. Therefore, vitamin A producers often add stabilizers that are potentially non-halal, such as gelatin [5].
The entire production process, from selecting ingredients to storing, processing, washing, and serving, must meet halal standards. Although a product is produced using halal raw materials and additional ingredients, if it is produced in a facility that does not meet halal criteria, the product will be non-halal.
For example, bread products are produced using halal ingredients, but in the processing process, they use production aids, such as brushes made from pig bristles. The bread product will then be non-halal because it has been in contact with or contaminated by pig bristles from the brush.
The Importance of Halal Certification
Due to the complexity of the food production process and the possibility of non-halal ingredients entering, the Indonesian government, through Act No. 33 of 2014 concerning Halal Product Assurance (UU JPH), requires halal certification for various products circulating in the market, including restaurants.
This policy covers food and beverages, cosmetic products, medicines, and other consumer goods. Halal certification ensures that a product is free from haram ingredients and produced in accordance with Islamic sharia standards. With an official halal label, Muslim consumers can be more confident in choosing products safe from Islamic teachings.
Although the No Pork No Lard label is often used as a marketing strategy to attract Muslim consumers, this label does not necessarily guarantee a product’s halalness. The halalness of food does not only depend on the absence of pork but also covers the entire production process.
Therefore, Muslims need to be more careful in choosing food and prioritize products that have been halal certified to maintain halalness and blessings in daily consumption. (***)
