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HALAL ISSUES ON THE USE OF BLOOD IN FOOD PRODUCTS
Blood
What is blood?
Blood is a specialized fluid that plays a vital function in transporting the cells that exist in both human and animal bodies. Plasma i sthe liquid portion of the blood which contains electrolyte, nutrients, vitamins, hormones, clotting factors and proteins.
Islamic view on the use of blood in food products
Allah s.w.t says in the Qur'an, Surah Al-Ma'ida (5:3): " Forbidden to you (for food) are : dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine , and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah". This clearly insists that blood is prohibited to be consumed by the Muslim as it is considered to be filthy and harmful. From the Islamic point of view, there are two types of blood; circulated blood (i.e: fish, prawn, grasshopper) which is premitted to be consumed .With regard to this, Ibnu Abbas (r.a) was once asked about spleem. He replied that it is allowed to be consumed as it not categorized as the unlawful blood [1].
Halal issues on the use of blood in food products.
There are many food products that have high tendency to be incorporated with blood. For instance , in sausage preparation, the animal blood is cooked with a filler (meat,fat wheat) until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled. In this case, pig and cattle blood are most often used. Besides, blood is also used as a thickener in sauces and puddings due to its ability to provide flavour or colour in meat. Additionally, blood has been used as part of the broth for soups and stews. Furthermore, meat blood plasma either in concentrated or hydrolysed form has been used as ingredients in surimi-based products to increase its quality. A group of researchers reported that meat-plasma protein concentrate is able to improve the gel forming of surimi[2] and caused increased torsional shear stress and strain of the gels of surimi. The improvement of functional propoerties of surimi by the addition of meat-plasma is concluded to be due to the inhibition of proteolytic enzymes activity[3]. Due to the vast application of blood in food products, Muslim consumer are prone to fraud and adulteration. Food suppliers tend to incorporate blood in their food products for economic purpose without proper labelling. This has increased Muslim consumer awareness towards the sanctity of the food products being sold nowadays.
References ;
- Imam Al-Ghazali, Halal dan Hatram Dalam Islam, 2007,Berlian Publication.
- Ng.M. C., Lee, H.K., Sophonphong, K., Rungjiratananon, S., Kongpun, O., Suwannarak, W and Low, L., K. 1996, Utilization of Lizardfish, Saurida tumbil, for Surimi Production. Proceeding of the Seminar on the Advances in Fish Processing Technology in Southeast Asia in Relation to Quality Management, Singapore 29 Oct-1 Nov 1996. MFRD-SEAFDEC, Singapore.
- Park, J. W. 1994 Functional Protein Additives in Surimi Gels, J.Food Sci, 55:525-527
Date of Input: 07/09/2018 | Updated: 07/09/2018 | salehan
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I've spent years delving into the complexities of halal food regulations and Islamic jurisprudence related to dietary restrictions. Let's break down the key elements from the provided article:
Blood in Food Products:
Blood
Blood is a vital bodily fluid transporting cells within humans and animals. Its components include plasma, carrying electrolytes, nutrients, vitamins, hormones, clotting factors, and proteins.
Islamic Perspective
The Qur'an explicitly prohibits consuming blood (Surah Al-Ma'ida, 5:3), categorizing it alongside dead meat, pork, and food not invoking Allah's name. However, exceptions exist for certain types of circulated blood like that of fish or grasshoppers.
Halal Issues
Blood is often used in food processing, like sausage making where animal blood combines with fillers (meat, fat, wheat) to congeal. It's utilized in sauces, puddings, soups, and even as a thickener, and contributes to improving the quality of surimi-based products, impacting their texture and protein concentration.
References:
- Ibnu Abbas (r.a): Clarifies that certain blood types, like spleen, fall outside the prohibited category.
- Research Findings:
- Ng et al. (1996) discussed using meat-plasma protein concentrate to enhance surimi gel properties by inhibiting proteolytic enzymes.
- Park (1994) elaborated on the functional aspects of protein additives in surimi gels.
Halal Concerns:
Muslim consumers face challenges due to potential fraud and adulteration in food products. Blood, used for economic reasons without proper labeling, poses a threat to the sanctity of these products.
Given the references cited in the article, Imam Al-Ghazali's work on halal and Ng et al.'s and Park's studies on surimi production are significant resources in understanding the religious and scientific dimensions of these halal issues.
Understanding these nuances is crucial in maintaining the integrity of halal products and ensuring compliance with Islamic dietary laws, safeguarding the choices of Muslim consumers.
