Cereal is an alternative food for busy people. However, behind its pleasures must also be aware of the haram’s potential for this food. What are those?
Cereals are generally the best choice for sufficient breakfast needs in the morning before work, or in the afternoon between lunch and dinner. Because the content is rich in minerals, protein, and nutrition, cereals are often used as intermittent foods that are believed to be able to keep the body energetic throughout the day. Cereal foods are often promoted as supporting health by eating high-fiber breakfast.
Therefore, besides practical, cereals are also good to eat. In the presentation, we only need a bowl, liquid milk or yogurt, and cereal. In fact, as reported by cosmopolitan.com, some people like to add ice cubes to their cereal bowls.
The trend of adding ice cubes in cereal has recently become a conversation in the virtual world. Many people think this method makes it taste better than enjoying it in the usual way. Then, they share experiences with each other on social media.
Besides being enjoyed with the addition of ice cubes, serving hot cereals can also be done. Reported by detik.com, Fona said that hot cereal will get rid of cold cereal popularity. In the presentation, the cereal is processed with hot water and enjoyed warmly.
Hot cereal is considered more nutritious and filling than cold cereal. One of hot cereal menu that is quite popular is oatmeal. Usually, oatmeal added with slices of fruit or nuts will be a trend in the coming years.
There are many types of cereals that are commonly consumed. According to Blodsky.com, there are several types of healthy cereals that are good for the body, including:
- Wheat cereal. Wheat is a group of cerelia plants from the tribes of grains which are rich in carbohydrates and are a source of vitamin E and fiber. When compared with other cereals, wheat cereal has a little fat, bad cholesterol, easy to digest. This sweet cereal can control hunger for a longer time. So, if you are on a diet, you can eat whole grain cereal to lose weight and cleanse toxins from the body.
- Oat cereal. Oat is a cereal that grows in subtropical temperate and medium. The Dutch invaders introduced this cereal to the population of Indonesia by the name of oatmeal. Oat cereals contain lots of vitamins and folic acid. You can mix it with honey and slices of fresh fruit.
- Barley cereals. Barley is a type of cereal for animal feed, malt producers, and as a health food. Barley itself is included in the tribe of grain. Diabetic patients must eat barley cereal. Barley controls blood sugar levels and is rich in fiber, amino acids, and zinc.
- Cereals from grains or nuts. These are healthy cereals made from grains or nuts. This type of cereal contains lots of vitamin D, folic acid, and fiber.
HARAM CRITICAL POINT
In the composition of the ingredients, whole-grain cereals consist of wheat flour and several other ingredients derived from vegetable or animal origin. Therefore, the Head of Auditing the Assessment Institute for Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics, the Indonesian Council of Ulama (LPPOM MUI), Dr. Ir. Mulyorini R. Hilwan, M.Sc., expressed the need to be aware of aspects of halalness on these materials by paying attention to their fraught critical points.
Wheat Flour
The critical point of wheat flour ingredients is in vitamin fortification. In Indonesia, all wheat flour/flour must be enriched with vitamins (according to Indonesian National Standards). Critical vitamins from the source of vitamin ingredients can come from an animal, microbial, vegetable or synthetic.
If the vitamin comes from an animal, it is necessary to know halal or haram animals, and if it is halal, it is slaughtered in Shari’a or not. If vitamins come from microbes, the growth media needs to be considered to be free from unclean elements. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the auxiliary material and its additives. To keep the vitamin stable, it is necessary to use coatings.
In addition to wheat flour, there are also other ingredients which needs attention, including chocolate powder, chocolate paste, milk powder, vegetable oil, sugar, malt extract, emulsifier, and flavoring.
Chocolate Powder
Chocolate powder basically does not have a haram critical point if it is only physically processed from cocoa beans and no other ingredients are added. However, it will be critical if there are additional flavor ingredients inside.
Chocolate paste, made from chocolate powder, brown fat and emulsifying ingredients. Emulsifiers are critical because they can be sourced from oil/fat, whether they are vegetable or animal. If it comes from an animal it is necessary to have to come from halal animals and with syar’i slaughter.
Milk
Powdered milk, if in instant form, it is usually added with additional ingredients to make it easy to dissolve like lecithin. Additional sources and ingredients in lecithin are critical. If lecithin comes from vegetable, then the production process does not use prohibited ingredients. However, if it comes from animal fat, then the animal’s halal status and its slaughter must be ensured by syar’i.
Vegetable Oil
Vegetable oils, from the manufacturing process, need to be considered whether critical auxiliary materials are used, for example, citric acid for degumming or activated charcoal for decolorization. Citric acid is a microbial product that must be considered growth media free from unclean. The source of decolorization material can come from activated charcoal, such as wood, coal, or bones that must come from halal animals and halal slaughter.
Sugar
Sugar, the haram critical point is in the auxiliary ingredients of the sugar making process. That is if an enzyme is used in refined sugar made from raw sugar. Enzymes can be sourced from vegetable, animal or microbial.
It should be observed if the enzymes are animal-based, what is the source of the animal and how to slaughter it. As for microbial enzymes, it must be ascertained that process media and auxiliary materials do not come from unclean and unclean ingredients.
If you use activated carbon sugar bleach, you must ensure the source of the active carbon material. Activated carbon is called halal if it comes from coal or vegetable, for example, wood. Whereas if the activated carbon is from bone, it must be ascertained in advance what source of animal bones and how to slaughter it.
In making sugar, sometimes ion exchange resins are used. To confirm this, the resin does not use gelatin from haram animals as a dispersant agent.
Malt Extract
Malt extract. If it is of vegetable origin and without added ingredients, this ingredient does not become critical. However, it can be critical if enzyme auxiliary material is used when extracting. The critical point of the enzyme must pay attention to its source from halal sources.
Emulsifier
Vegetable lecithin emulsifier becomes critical if there is additional material such as phospholipase enzyme. Source of enzymes and production media must be considered if the enzyme comes from microbial.
Flavors
Flavors are complex ingredients. Its critical point is in the source of the constituent materials and the flavor production facilities. (YS)
