The existence of confectionery or commonly called candy is never cracked from time to time. Even now, the form of candy is increasingly diverse. Candy producers are increasingly creative creating a variety of attractive shapes, textures and colors. An attractive form, plus a good taste really attracts many people to consume it, especially among children. (HalalMUI)
In general, candy consists of two types, namely hard candy and soft candy. The hard candy has a hard texture, usually consumed by suctioning—for example lollipops and crystal-shaped sweets. While soft candy tends to be chewy, sticky, easy to chew, and soft — for example jelly candies, marshmallows, and gum.
The Ingredients of Candy
In general, sweets contain basic ingredients in the form of sugar, flavoring, and coloring. All three have their own haram critical points. (HalalMUI)
To make the sugar whiter, sugar must usually go through a purification process first. This process requires decolorization materials that use active charcoal. This material can be made of bone, wood or bamboo. It needs to be studied further when using activated charcoal from bone because there is a possibility that it comes from the bones of a pig or slaughtered animals that do not fit the shar’i.
The flavor can contain ingredients derived from chemical synthetic compounds, plants, and animals. If the flavor contains ingredients of animal origin, it must be ensured that this flavor comes from halal slaughtered animals in syar’i. In addition, flavoring containing ethanol also needs to be examined, so that the ethanol is not sourced from substances which are including khamar. The flavor which uses a particular aroma or taste similar to haram (pork and liquor) is indeed not prohibited, even though this type of flavor is still not to be used in the product.
So even with food coloring which can also come from synthetic and natural ingredients. Synthetic dyes are preferred by food manufacturers because they have a fairly good level of color stability and relatively cheap prices. Although it does not contain illicit ingredients, excessive use can have an adverse effect on the health of humans who consume it. “Some natural ingredients use gelatin as a stabilizer. In this case, the source of gelatin must be ensured to come from halal animals slaughtered according to the shari’a,” said Ir. Muti Arintawati, M.Sc., Deputy Director of the Assessment Institute for Foods, Drugs and Cosmetics, the Indonesian Council of Ulama (LPPOM MUI). (HalalMUI)
In addition to the general ingredients above, hard candy and soft candy also contain ingredients and special processing methods that make the textures and flavors of both different. These ingredients also make us have to be more careful and careful about the lax critical points.
Other ingredients contained in hard candy are stuffed with sweets, whether it’s chocolate, jam, or the like. Some sweets make a mixture of rum, alcohol, or khamar as a candy filling. This needs serious attention, especially for parents.
Meanwhile, the things that need to be highlighted in soft candy are the ingredients that form the chewy texture in this type of candy. Usually, chewy texture is produced from a mixture of fat, gelatin, emulsifier, and other food additives. Fat, gelatin and emulsifiers can come from pigs or slaughtered animals that are not in accordance with Islamic law.
Detect Halal and Haram Candy
To detect halal or illegitimate products, we can see labels on packaging that include product ingredients. One popular term that is often listed in sweets is whey and lactose. Both are made from milk. The thing that becomes a haram’s critical point is the process, because it can be a side product of the cheese industry that uses certain enzymes during the manufacturing process. The enzyme can be sourced from animals or microbes. (HalalMUI)
Unfortunately, just paying attention to packaging labels is not enough. In fact, candy packaging may not include information about ingredients. Even if listed on the packaging, most likely the label does not explain the origin of the ingredients contained in the product.
Prof. Ir. Khaswar Syamsu, MSc. PhD, Head of the Center for Halal Science Studies (Halal Science Center) of IPB and LPPOM MUI Expert Coordinator explained that in the context of halal certification, production facilities were also an important thing to observe. “It could be that halal-based sweets are produced with the same facilities with haram or candy-based candies that are not clearly halal. That way, candy made from halal can be mixed with or contaminated by haram and/or unclean ingredients,” he explained.
The easiest way to recognize halal and illegitimate products is to see halal labels or logos. Products that have been labeled or labeled halal MUI, God willing, can be ensured halal, both in terms of materials and production facilities. The process of issuing halal certificates on a product by LPPOM MUI is carried out through a rigorous, careful and thorough audit process.
In addition to ingredients, other things that need to be observed are the form and name of the product. In the product criteria in the Halal Assurance System (HAS), a product may not be shaped or named for something that is forbidden by Islam. For example, candy or cookies that are formed to resemble certain animals or other things that are forbidden. “This is a preventive measure so that Muslims are not accustomed to or accustomed to things that are haram,” said Prof. Khaswar. (YN)
(HalalMUI)
