What is gelatin/gelatine? Is there any alternative to it?

Gelatin (US spelling) or gelatine (British spelling) (used to make Jell-o and other desserts) is made from the boiled bones, skins and tendons of animals. An alternative substance is called Agar-Agar, which is derived from seaweed. Another is made from the root of the Kuzu. Agar-Agar is sold in noodle-like strands, in powdered form, or in long blocks, and is usually white-ish in color. Some Kosher gelatins are made with agar-agar, most are not. Some things that are vegan that are replacing gelatin are: guar gum and carrageenan. Only some 'emulsifiers' are vegan. Gelatin is used in photography. Although the technology exists to replace photographic film, its price is currently prohibitive and there is insufficient demand. Hopefully, with the growth of vegetarianism and veganism, this situation will soon change. What is kosher gelatine? from the Vegetarian Resource Group: Kosher gelatin can be made with fish bones, and/or beef skins. Contrary to assumptions, it is also considered kosher to use it with dairy products. Kosher law is very complex and the bones and hides used in gelatin production are considered pareve. The general meaning of pareve refers to foods that are neither milk nor meat, and many people assume this means that the product is vegetarian. However, OU pareve certified ingredients can have animal products, such as fish, eggs, and gelatin, in them. "Kosher Gelatin Marshmallows: Glatt Kosher and 'OU-Pareve'," an article that appeared in Kashrus Magazine, explains the distinctions. A quote from the article is as follows: "...since the gelatin product is from hides or bones - not real flesh - and has undergone such significant changes, it is no longer considered 'fleishig' (meat) but 'pareve', and can be eaten with dairy products." Is there vegan gelatine? from a reader in Germany: "Gelatine" is a substance made of animal bones and other parts of the animal's body. So if there's a product with "gelatine", it can't be vegan. But there exists a big variety of substances which are vegan an which have the same properties as gelatine: Cellulose (Amid), Agar-Agar, Biobin, Guar, Xanthan, Carob fruit and others. (Unfortunately I do not know the exact english names, but maybe this will help you already.). So if you read on the ingredient list that gelatine is used, then you can be sure that this product is NOT vegan. But if one or more of the other mentioned subsances appear on the list, you can be sure that you can eat them even as vegan.

from a reader in the USA: There must be, because I just attended a Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner at one of the NYU residence halls, and the organizers said that the Jell-O served was a special vegan jell-o. from another US reader: Hain makes a Jello product with non-animal gelling substance (no meat, bone, skin, hoof, or any other part/derivative) that is superior to Jello. Also, some 'snack pack' gel snacks are NOT made with gelatin, and available in larger grocery stores (even in texas!), just read the label. GELATIN
Gelatin is defined as a "product obtained from partial hydrolysis of collagen derived from natural sources such as skin,

connective tissue, and bones of animals." It is an easily digestible protein that contains all the essential amino acids except tryptophan. Gelatin is NOT a chemical or chemically modified substance. Commercial gelatin is manufactured in modern factories operated to the highest health and safety standards. The raw material for gelatin manufacture is the naturally occurring protein collagen, which is commercially sourced from the meat industry. Each stage of the manufacturing process is rigorously controlled in modern laboratories to ensure purity and quality. The process of converting collagen into gelatin involves several cleansing and purification steps and the end result is a pale yellow dry powder which is a true foodstuff. Gelatin contains: 1-2% 84-90% 8-15% mineral protein water salts

Pharmaceutical Gelatin
Pharmaceutical application is for hard capsule and soft capsule also used in the tablet, suppositories and pills, etc. Several gelatin types may be used in the manufacture of hard capsules. Traditionally these have all been relatively high Bloom strength gelatins in the range 230-265g Bloom. 160 Bloom limed gelatin has traditionally been the standard gelatin for the manufacture of soft shell capsules.

Edible Gelatin
Major application of gelatin for edible and confectionery use is for candy, gum; deserts table jelly, gummy candy and marshmallow. In confections, gelatin is a key ingredient in products such as marshmallows, mints, and gummy candy. The dairy industry makes extensive use of gelatin in the manufacture of sour cream, yogurt, ice cream, cheese and specialty desserts, while meat processors depend on the properties of gelatin in the production of head cheese, pates, and luncheon meats. As an ingredient that is both high in protein and virtually calorie free, gelatin is invaluable in the processing of these and many more food products.

Industrial Gelatin
Gelatin is used in the bank note and as an adhesive agent to enhance musical instruments furniture, artificial fruits and books.

Di Calcium Phosphate (DCP): Is used for making tooth paste and hygienic production

By-Products

Chloride Calcium (CaCl2): Is used for Ceramic, agricultural dehumidification, fertilizer, food industries, cheese

Halal gelatin (US spelling) or halal gelatine (British spelling) is the number one topic of the world. The talk of the town. The worry of the muslim community! We are here, to settle this health crisis by understanding it better, know better and to choose the right path. As we go through our acquaintance, we will provide you with as much information as we can.Insya-ALLAH.

The Arabic word (Halal) means lawful or permitted. In the Holy Qu'ran, Allah commands Muslims and all of mankind to eat of the Halal things. Basically, Allah Al Mighty knows what is best for us to eat. And normally all the halal food are very clean and safe from any desease. Unlike non-halal which you can always find some interesting facts relating to sickness. The opposite of Halal is Haram, which means unlawful or prohibited. Halal and Haram are in fact universal terms that apply to all facets of life. As far as food is concerned, the Qur'an makes it clear as to what is Halal and Haram, read it here verses in the Al-Qur'an. The following products are definitely Halal: Milk (from cows, sheep, camels, and goats) Honey Fish Plants which are not intoxicant Fresh or naturally frozen vegetables Fresh or dried fruits Legumes & nuts like peanuts, cashew nuts, hazel nuts, walnuts, etc Grains such as wheat, rice, rye, barley, oat, etc. Basically, all food is Halal except for the following: Meat from swine - pork, ham Pork-based products and by-products - sausages, gelatine etc Animals improperly slaughtered, or already dead before slaughtering is due to take place

Animals killed in the name of anyone other than Allah (for example, by anyone other than a Jew, Christian or Muslim, or as part of a pagan sacrifice) Intoxicants Blood and blood by-products Foods contaminated with any of the above products Most of the desserts use non Halal Gelatine that comes from pigs. About other animals such as cows, goats, deer, chickens, ducks, game birds, etc., are only Halal if they are slaughtered according to Islamic Law, called Zabihah in Arabic. The procedure of Zabihah is as follows:

The animal must be slaughtered by a Muslim. The animal should be put down on the ground or held it if it is small The throat of the animal must be sliced with a very sharp knife to make sure that the 3 main blood vessels are cut. While cutting the throat of the animal (without severing it), the person must pronounce the name of Allah or recite a blessing which contains the name of Allah, such as "Bismillahirahmannirrahim, Allah-u-Akbar".

The word gelatine (also called gelatin) is taken from the Latin "gelatus," which means stiff or frozen. Gelatine is basically a processed and refined animal protein, derived from bones, hides and collagenous connective tissues. It has a variety of industrial applications especially those related to food processing, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics & toiletries, photography, printing and many more. Gelatine have a very unique nature and this substance function is to be an agent for :-

stabilising & binding thickening & platicizing emusification & foaming

For example, the gelatine's are suitable for gelling, thickening and stabilising dishes and gives them their creamy consistency. It plays a major role in the modern food industry. For the Muslims community, availability of HALAL GELATIN is a very sensitive issue to ensure the consumption of genuinely Halal quality products.

The process
Gelatine is obtained by boiling the skin, tendons, and ligaments of animals. After the process known as hydrolysis, it contains protein, collagen (a primary component of joints and cartilage), and various amino acids.

Its the ingredients for providing support for : Soft candies such as Gummi Bears Delicious desserts such as cheesecake, Ice cream, chocolates Fruits juices Daily salads with some sauces Frozen drinks Functionality Gelatine is primarily used as a gelling agent [319] forming transparent elastic thermoreversible gels on cooling below about 35C, which dissolve at low temperature to give 'melt in the mouth' products with useful flavour-release.

When talking about lawful food and drink in Islam, there are two words that always come up, Halal and Haram. The opposite of Halal is Haram, which means unlawful or prohibited as written clearly in the Qur'an. So, ever wonder about what you eat whether its halal or not? Sometimes, its much easier if we just choose to eat only fish, right? Because its halal and you dont have to worry about anything else. But for how long? After a day or two, you start looking for chicken, beef etc Then you start to wonder again, whether its slaughtered in syariah way or not?, follow the Islamic law? Somehow, your mind will still be full of curiosity. Read more... What about desserts? Ever wonder whether its halal or not? I must say this, 90% of ingredients in any desserts, used GELATINE. And most of thegelatines are made from pigs and if its from a cow, it is unsure whether its been slaughtered according to Islamic law/syariah that called Zabihah,which I mentioned earlier.

WORRY! WORRY! WORRY!

The production of cakes, puddings, ice cream, jelly, frozen salad, chocolates, gummies and many-many more delicious desserts, used GELATINE FROM PIGS because it's a lot cheaper!!!

Owner of any muslim restaurant around the world, please!, pleaseBE MORE RESPONSIBLE towards this matter!. As the chef, you must know whether what youre serving is HALAL or not. You may be serving just simple puddings or slices of cakes or even

a scoop of ice cream for desserts, but a big responsiblity towards Islam law, lies in your hands! Mothers, housewives please BE MORE RESPONSIBLE towards your family!. Always ask yourselves, is it halal?. You need to be sure what youre serving to your family or your children. It must be HALAL FOOD! Check here for some desserts recipe.

Do you all think the pig fats or any animal that is not certified halal by the Islamic Development Department, are only used in food? DONT BE SURPRISED...it's also found in many other things, daily used things that we least expect it.
These are some other products that have gelatines in it:

Film Negatives Softgel Capsule All kinds of toothpaste Appromaxely all beauty cosmetic All perfumes Bath soap and fabric softener Body, hand and feet lotions "ASTARGFIRULLAH! BE VERY CAREFUL MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!The fact is, our IMAN are already weaked enough and it will easilyCRUSHED by only eating unlawful food and using anything that HARAM. That is why it's FORBIDDEN in Islam!"

FEW PROBLEMS THAT YOU WILL BE FACING IF YOU CONTINUOUSLY TAKING

~ UNLAWFUL/HARAM FOOD ~ >> Miserable life. The result from the haram
nutrition, we will face all kinds of problem and our daily routine life will no longer be with happiness but instead it will be full of pressures

>>

When we eat so much of unlawful food, it will be unite with your body system and later on it will become your flesh and blood. Then all this bad luck start pouring in your life, without you knowing why.

>> >>

Our body will easily get infected by all kinds of decease and our immunity systems also are weaken day by day. When our body is full of unlawful food, it will drives us to have a bad habits and become really stubborn, hard hearted, negative thinker, easy to think bad about other people.

>> >> >> >>

We are changing to a person that so easy forgetting solat(pray) and doing all what ALLAH prohibited to do. We ourselves also will be easily influence to do unhealthy activity like, taking drugs, ecstacy pill, etc. Without we realising it, we are easily to be unsuccessful in life eventhough with all the hard work that we have done. The facts is that, people who's taking unlawful food are the people who was seduced by satans and deceptive by the people of infidel.

"Now, you start to feel worried after you've discovered that all the desserts you've been eating all these years is HARAM isn't it? ...there's so many daily use things also haram! I also really worried..." To make matters worst, the amount of halal gelatin manufactured in the world is also very limited. And not all gelatin that says halal are truly halal. And because of that we muslims have to be EXTRA CAREFULand BE ALERT in choosing and buying food.

CHOOSE HALAL, CHOOSE HALAL GELATINE!

FEW BENEFIT IF YOU TAKE

~ HALAL GELATINE ~

Good for your bones, muscles and also much better for regenerations process You and your family will have a much better health Your food are more hygiene and 100% halal Help the alternatif halal product to build a much better Islamic community worldwide The life are more certain, assured and peaceful God will granted you with a very healthy and energetic mind Having one ingredients with a very unique nature as an agent of stabilising, binding, thickening, platicizing, emusification, foaming, gelling and most of all it's HALAL! The fact is God will always love more for those who faithful to Islam Law and follow the Syaria'ah way, EAT HALAL FOOD! Forbid HARAM. Refer to Verses in Al-Quran here >> HALAL & HARAM _________________________

Housewives - those who always cook, cakes, pudding, desserts Owner of bakery shop - Doesn't matter what is your religion or race because muslim people are also your customer though. Owner Cake House - Yup you too! Owner of any restaurants that serve desserts - Restaurant chef should be more responsible and understand what your muslims customer wants which definately certified HALAL Factories of beauty cosmetic - Hello! Manufacturer for toothpaste, perfumes, soap, lotions etc Those who produce softgel capsule Those who produce all kinds of food product and many-many more!

And a lot more of you out there! Please, wake up!

"Everybody, doesn't matter what race or religion you are, you should have use Halal Gelatine for your products because as long as you selling your goods to muslim people, you are bound to beresponsible in respecting Islam religions law!"

Muslims around the world are working hard and giving their all to get halal food. They have been asking around with a little hope to find this halal gelatin. So far, no one has discovered it yet. Well, now your search ends here! You dont have to look far anymore. You all can just stop searching. Stop Right Now!!! Because...

...there is a manufacturer for HALAL GELATINE called HALAGEL

Incorporated in 19th August 1997, Halagel today is a leading supplier of Halal gelatine ingredients for food and pharmaceutical manufactures in Malaysia. Halagel also has broaden its business to overseas markets to cope with increasing demand for Halal products. Here is some info, step by step on how Halagel gelatines capsule manufacturing process.

The facts that makes Halagel Gelatines Halal is : The gelatines factory located in Islamic country. The factory is own 100% by the muslim. All the workers in management and operational site also 100% muslims. The source of producing the gelatines, taken from the bones of the animal that HALAL to eat. Like cow and goat. All the animals, slaughtered ONLY by Muslims according to Islamic law/syariah. Halagel gelatines, are truly Halal because a non halal animal bones, NEVER MIX with halal animal like most of the factory did. Unlike other factory in the world, our factory only processing the bone of the Halal animal that came from a 100% halal sources. It also strictly adheres to the Islamic procedures of handling and processing techniques in the production of Halal gelatine, which has been certified by three main Islamic Development Department that from Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand : Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) Islamic Central Committee of Thailand (ICCT)

Pengkajian Pangan, Obat-obatan & Kosmetika Majlis Ulama Indonesia (LPPOM-MUI) The inspections to the gelatines factory and slaughter center house are made by these departments each and every year to keep the halal status always up to standard procedures all the time. (Please check our certificates)

Why is it so difficult for you to accept the fact? Why are you still haven't change? Are you willing to continue eating the food that full of haram's ingredients? Still willingly using your daily use the one that you know coated with pig fats? Doesn't it enough that we already sinful and we want to add more? Don't you ever think that this is one of the way of lies and deceptions that used by the people of infidelity trying to twist around our belief in more of delicate way?! Why do we have to bow to satan's persuations? ...bow to them? NO! Don't you be sceptical, NO MORE! Think of your family and child. Give them a chance to grow in a healthy environment and a much better life. Think of the future of our world. Educate your childrens to eat hygiene, healthy and good food...further more, EAT HALAL!

"SO...BE ALERT, dont simply believe with all kinds of food that have haram gelatine...don't fall to those tricks! ...CHOOSE HALAL, CHOOSE HALAL GELATINE!!!"

Gelatin
Is Gelatin made with pork ingredients halal (permissible)?
According to Quran and Sunnah
WWW.MUTTAQUN.COM

The following article claims that Gelatin derived from pork ingredients is halal due to a protein chemical change. The evidence in this article is flawed, as we will discuss immediately following it.

Subject: [SalafiEducation] Re: Pork in Frito Lay-Chips and the 'asl of istihala As Salaam `Alaykum wa RahmatAllaah, Concerning the issue of the pork in the frito-lays brand chips, more research needs to be done as to whether it is changed from one form or state to another. There is a fiqh principle known as istihala which states, "Ruling upon an object is upon what it is named (what it is), if the name (what it is) changes then so does the ruling." This was principle was discussed in detail in a lecture by Shaykh Muhammad Bazmool (hafidahullah) , Professor at Umm ul Qura Makkah, based on a fatwa given by Shaykh Al-Albaanee (rahimahullah) on gelatin. The principle is also discussed by Ibn Hazm (rahimahullah) , the exponent of the Literalist school, in his manual Al Muhalla. As the Shaykh so perfectly described it in his lecture, "We must be careful when we call things haraam because it is a form of thulm (oppression) . Scholars have said that it is worse that you make something halaal to haraam rather than making something haraam to halaal. This deen of Allaah has been made yusr (easy) let us not make it 'usr (hard)." I am not a scholar, nor do I like potato chips (frito-lays or any other) but we should get a fatwa from the `ulema on this before we make our own fatwa, because the enzymes used in these frito-lays come from pork, but they could have changed over in the chemical process to something entirely different, and so the ruling would now be different. Wallahu Ta'ala 'Alim. The following is the transcription of the lecture given by Shaykh Muhammad Bazmool (hafidhahullah) : The Fiqh Principle of Istihala Changing from impure to pure (Taken entirely from a dars given by Sh. Muhammad Bazmool, Professor at Umm ul Qura Makkah translated by Moosa Richardson and a fatwa given by Shaykh al-Albaani) Istihala is when something becomes pure. It was najis (impure) but it is now taahir (pure). A good example would be maitah (animal carcass): it is najis, but should it be burned and become ashes, or decompose and become earth, then it is taahir, it is no longer najis. This can happen with dung or feces or whatever. Whenever something changes from one property to another, then the ruling likewise changes. Example: Let us say that someone uses the fat of a dead animal to make

soap. That fat is najis, but the chemical change that it was put through makes it taahir. Ibn Hazm put it concisely when he said, "Ruling upon an object is upon what it is named (what it is), if the name (what it is) changes then so does the ruling." He also mentioned in his book of fiqh, Al-Muhalla: "If the quality of the substance of naturally impure objects changes the name which was given to it so that it is no more applicable to it and it is given a new name which is given to a pure object, so it is no more an impure thing. It becomes a new object, with a new rule." Meaning that if the natural composition of a substance changes to another substance of a different composition, so much so that you can no longer call the new substance by the name of what it was-- ruling upon that substance changes too. Proof/Example 1: The companions (radyallahu anhum) used to eat a cheese that came from the land of the disbelievers. In that cheese was a part of the calf which was slaughtered by the disbelievers in a way that is not in accordance with Islaam. The companions knew this, but they also knew that the prohibition was upon the calf, what is directly from the calf, and what could be properly called part of the calf; the ruling is not upon that which you cannot identify as part of the calf nor is it called any longer suchand-such part of the calf. This is called istihala. Proof/Example 2: Another proof from the Sunnah: The Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) forbade making vinegar out of wine, but he said that if you should come across vinegar that has been made from wine then it is halaal. Why? The ruling is upon what the object is, and not what it was. Wine is haraam; vinegar is not, and before the wine became an intoxicant, it was halaal. Why? Because it was fruit before that. Proof/Example 3: Allah says in the Qur'an:

"And surely there is a lesson for you in the cattle we give you to drink of what is in their bellies from between the feces and blood, pure milk, wholesome to those who drink it." (16:66) Allah is putting forth an example for us of how something pure can come from something impure. And we can also use as proof something that we've already gone over. The Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said that when the hide of maitah (the carrion) is tanned, then it is taahir. He (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) gave us a method to purify something which was first impure. Let us examine things we are familiar with: mono and diglycerides, whey, gluten, emulsifiers, gelatin, and whatever else is on the international haraam list. These by-products sometimes come from animals, pigs even, in which case the ruling on the initial substances is that they are haraam. But the initial substances (e.g. fat, marrow, cartilage, etc.) are put through chemical change so that you no longer can even call it "pig fat" or "animal bone" or "skin" or "cartilage", etc. because it is no longer that, hence it is taahir, it is halaal. What is gelatin? As Oxford dictionary of science defines: "A colorless or pale yellow, water-soluble protein obtained by boiling collagen with water and evaporating the solution. It melts when water is added and dissolves in hot water to form a solution that sets to a gel on cooling." (page 290) Is this a chemical change or is this not a chemical change? Is it protein any longer? No, it is not. You are in disbelief so you ask, "But how can it be halaal when it came from something haraam?" Because of the proofs mentioned above, the ruling is not based upon what it was, the ruling is based upon what it is. A Hanafi scholar, Ibn Abedin gave the example: "the swine which drowns in a salt lake and decomposes and becomes salt itself, is now halaal." And other Hanafi scholars go on to say: "salt is different from meat and bones. If they become salt, they are salt." To take the salt example further: salt consists of sodium chloride (NaCl) when together they are the halaal food known as salt, when separated they make up two poisonous substances which are then haraam for

consumption. The ahnaaf (Hanafis) also use as an example the human semen, saying that it is najis, then when it inseminates the egg and becomes a blood clot it is still najis, but when it becomes flesh it is no longer najis. And the ahnaaf are not the only ones who take this position. The examples are numerous and they extend beyond food: Yesterday a man was kaafir and going towards Hell, today he is Muslim, so what is the ruling upon him? It is based upon what he is today. We must be careful when we call things haraam because it is a form of thulm (oppression) . Scholars have said that it is worse that you make something halaal to haraam rather than making something haraam to halaal. This deen Allah has made yusr (easy) let us not make it 'usr (hard). Wallahu 'Alim. End of Dars

Regarding the article in which it discusses proofs for why gelatin is believed to be permissible
These two things are not similar: decomposing things that change into something later ... and putting pork into a big pot with other ingredients, stirring it all up, and then baking it in an oven. How can it be halal to knowingly eat any food in which one of the ingredients is pig or pig oil? It doesn't go through a naturally occuring transformation like salt just because it's been cooked. Sure, it may change from thin to thick, etc. But the name of something isn't what matters. WHAT is in it, is what matters. Intoxicants are haram. If it's no longer capable of causing intoxication, then it's not haram. Intoxication is an effect of the food. Comparing this to pork is like comparing apples and oranges. They don't compare. Pork is haram to ingest, period. A REFRESHER ON THE HARM OF PORK INGREDIENTS * Pork Tapeworm: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taenia_solium

"In Muslim countries, it is found only very rarely, due to religious dietary restrictions."

* Pork tapeworm infection: http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=18494

The signs and symptoms of the disease depend on the location and number of cysticerci in the body. o Cysticerci in the muscles: Cysticerci in the muscles generally do not cause symptoms. However, you may be able to feel lumps under your skin. o Cysticerci in the eyes: Although rare, cysticerci may float in the eye and cause blurry or disturbed vision. Infection in the eyes may cause swelling or detachment of the retina. o Cysticerci in the brain or spinal cord (neurocysticercosis): Symptoms of neurocysticercosis depend upon where and how many cysticerci (often called lesions) are found in the brain. Seizures, and headaches are the most common symptoms. However, confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, difficulty with balance, swelling of the brain (called hydrocephalus) may also occur. Death can occur suddenly with heavy infections.

Yes, it is inconvenient to have to rule out several more store bought foods. But since when was anything good or worthwhile in life easy? It is related in al-Bukhari and Muslim that the Prophet, sallallahu aleihi wa sallam, said: "The value of [one's] deeds is determined by [one's] intentions; and thus for each shall be according to his intentions." Yes, this religion has been made easy for us. But that is no excuse to do whatever we want. That means we are to pick the easy path when faced with two or more HALAL choices. LOOKING AT THE INGREDIENTS LABEL ON THE BOX If a label on food from the USA says LECITHIN, this is various oils from animals including pork. If, however, the label says SOY LECITHIN, this is the oils from soy and okay. Look on your labels. If it a box from the usa and it says GELATIN or LECITHIN, do not eat it. Well, unless you don't care about those pig tapeworm and other garbage from the pig possibly entering your body. Or maybe you think Allah will just "understand" that it's okay because of the inconvenience of having a diet different from the majority. In Muslim countries, they usually do not use the pork oils

when creating gelatin and so they are usually ok to eat. You don't have to use pork oil to create gelatin. Ideally, one would contact the food manufacturers to determine the ingredients for all the processed food we tend to eat. Or, baring time constraints, one would rely on the Muslim organizations that have already done the research for us. Creating food called "gelatin", which isn't the same as something becoming salt over a long natural process, is simply a cooking process. Why would we want even a drop of pork or the oils from pork ..... in our food? It's not like we're starving or there is no alternative. CHEMICAL CHANGE? Using words like enzymes and proteins just seems to complicate a very simple matter. The motion of cooking something doesn't make it halal. If that were the case, cook pig meat all by itself until the proteins and enzyme content has changed (which is what happens when you cook food) and then eat it. Even though the pig meat has gone through a chemical change, it is NOT halal. If you cook a slab of pig meat, it also goes through a chemical protein change, but it is NOT halal to eat. The fact that something results in a chemical protein change IS IRRELEVANT. Here is some proof that SIMPLY COOKING FOOD can cause a chemical change:
From "Cooking Eggs, Chicken and Pork" http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1005183

Eggs, chicken and pork all benefit from not being overcooked. Overcooked scrambled eggs will be watery. Why? Well, when the eggs first set, they've reached a temperature of about 145F. They are ready to eat at this point. If the temperature of the eggs rises further, to about 165F, the protein in the eggs undergoes a second chemical change which results in a tighterprotein matrix. This squeezes water out of the eggs, resulting in tough watery eggs. A similar process occurs in pork. When pork is just done, it's at about 145F as well. It is as tender as it will ever be. If the temperature of the

pork is allowed to rise over about 170F, water will be squeezed out of the pork, and the pork will toughen. Unlike the ruined eggs, however, the pork can be brought back to salvation. Heating to 185F for an extended period of timeresults in a third chemical change in the pork. This change affects the interconnectedness of the individual strands of muscle constituting the pork. The pork will break into pieces after heating this hot over a long period of time. This is the fundamental goodness of Carolina Bar-B-Que. Chicken breast behaves much like pork in that it possesses a similar set of three chemical changes that occur as it's cooked, at similar temperatures. Another aspect of cooking to the second degree of tender is that a smaller piece of meat is produced. Some pork will shrink by as much as 50% during good pulled pork cooking.

APPLYING THE RULING CORRECTLY >From the article in question, it says, "The ruling is upon what the object is, and not what it was." Yes, that is correct. It is food with pig as one of the ingredients when cooking. It is therefore not halal. CONCLUSION While someone may want to chide others for "making halal into haram," it should be noted that there are other valid differences of opinion in which one of the opinions is that something is halal and the other opinion is that something is haram. So, just picking the side of "halal" doesn't always make a person to be on the right side of an issue. One could equally argue that making something haram into halal is a form of oppression, as it physically can harm the body and can anger Allah if done. However, we would get nowhere. We simply have to just discuss the point, which is whether or not cooking food (resulting in a chemical change) makes something haram into halal. If that were true, then we could just cook pure pork meat and because it goes through a chemical change, we would then believe it is ok to eat. Please don't over-complicate a very simple directive. It's really quite simple: don't ever eat a food that you believe contains or may contain pork.

Allah is our Protector.

Foods produced in the West, such as gelatin

Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid Question: For a great time now my community and I have been concerned with the issue of foods such as Gelatin, mono and dyglycerides, pepsin and rennetAll these thing are in our foods today and yet we do not know what we can eat and the reason for each. PLease give me a very detailed response that could end this trouble. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Allaah has blessed His slaves by creating for them all kinds of provision on earth, and He has permitted them to eat from that which is halaal (permissible) and good; this includes very many things, it is not limited. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and good on the earth, and follow not the footsteps of Shaytaan (Satan). Verily, he is to you an open enemy. [al-Baqarah 2:168]
Allaah forbids a limited number of foods, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

Say (O Muhammad): I find not in that which has been revealed to me anything forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be Maitah (a dead animal) or blood poured forth (by slaughtering or the like), or the flesh of swine (pork); for that surely, is impure or impious (unlawful) meat (of an animal) which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allaah (or has been slaughtered for idols, or on which Allaahs

Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering). [al-Anaam

6:145] The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade the eating of every carnivorous animal that has fangs, and every bird which has talons. (Narrated by Muslim, 6/60) And he forbade the flesh of (domestic) donkeys (narrated by al-Mukhari in al-Fath, no. 4215). Of the foods which are to be found nowadays, some of them are clearly haraam, such as dead meat [from an animal which has died naturally as opposed to being slaughtered properly] and pork. Some foods may contain ingredients and derivatives which come from haraam sources, so we have to find out where they come from so that we may know what the ruling is concerning them. The gelatin which was mentioned in the question may originate from the skin, muscles and bones of haraam animals such as pigs. Hence gelatin which is derived from collagen which comes from pigs is haraam, because it is as if the pig had been turned into salt. The most correct view is that it is haraam even if it has been changed, so long as it originally came from a pig, which is haraam. The fats which are used in foods come either from vegetable sources or animal sources. If they come from vegetable sources they are halaal, so long as they have not been mixed with anything that is impure (najjis) or anything that could contaminate them. If they come from animal sources, they are either from animals that we are permitted to eat or animals that we are not permitted to eat. If they come from an animal that we are permitted to eat, then they come under the same ruling as the meat of that animal. If they come from an animal which it is haraam for us to eat such as pigs then we look at whether they are used in foods or for other purposes. If they are used for non-food purposes, e.g. many fats are used in making soap, then there is a difference of scholarly opinion, but the most correct view is that they are haraam. If they are used in foods, e.g., pig fat (lard) is used in making sweets and other foods, this is haraam.

With regard to cheese: if it is made from the milk of an animal which we are not permitted to eat, then according to scholarly consensus it is not permissible to eat it. If it is made from the milk of an animal which we are permitted to eat, and it is known that it is made with rennet that has been derived from an animal slaughtered according to shareeah and it has not been mixed with any najaasah (impurity), then it may be eaten. If it was made with rennet derived from dead meat, there is a difference of scholarly opinion as to whether we may eat it, but the most correct view is that it is haraam. If it was made with rennet from a source which is inherently naajis (impure), such as rennet derived from pigs, then it should not be eaten. See Ahkaam al-Atimah fil-Shareeah al-Islamiyyah by al-Tareeqi, p. 482 In many cases these matters are unclear to the Muslim (he does not know the source of food ingredients). In this case, it is better to fear Allaah and be cautious. Avoiding doubtful things may be preferable to using them in these circumstances, as stated in the hadeeth narrated by al-Numaan ibn Basheer (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say and al-Numaan pointed to his ears That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain, and between the two of them there are doubtful matters about which not many people know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honour, but he who falls into doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and truly Allaahs sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it is sound, all the body is sound and which, if it is corrupt, all of it will be corrupt. Truly it is the heart. (Narrated by Muslim, 1599). From the above we learn that the basic principle concerning food is that it is halaal, apart from those things for which there is clear evidence (daleel) that they are haraam, such as dead meat, blood, animals sacrificed to other than Allaah and meat over which the name of Allaah was not pronounced at the time of slaughter. Concerning the foods mentioned in the question: if it is proven that they contain ingredients derived from haraam sources, it is necessary to avoid them, otherwise they need not be avoided. If you are not sure whether they contain anything haraam or not without being paranoid or succumbing to the waswaas (insinuating whispers of the Shaytaan) then it is preferable to avoid them as a precaution out of fear of Allaah.

And Allaah knows best.

Gelatin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the dessert food, see Gelatin dessert.

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. The talk page may contain suggestions. (March 2010)

'Sheet' or 'leaf' gelatin for cooking

Gelatin (spelled gelatine in the UK and some Commonwealth countries) is a translucent, colorless, brittle (when dry), nearly tasteless solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals,photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. Substances containing gelatin or functioning in a similar way are called gelatinous. Gelatin is an irreversibly hydrolysed form of collagen, and is classified as a foodstuff, with E number E441. It is found in some gummy candies as well as other products such as marshmallows, gelatin dessert, and some low-fat yogurt. Household gelatin comes in the form of sheets, granules, or powder. Instant types can be added to the food as they are; others need to be soaked in water beforehand.

Contents
[hide]

1 Composition and properties 2 Production

o o o
3 Uses

2.1 Pretreatments 2.2 Extraction 2.3 Recovery

o o

3.1 Technical uses 3.2 Other uses

4 Religion and gelatin substitutes 5 Medical and nutritional properties

6 Safety concerns 7 References

[edit]Composition

and properties

Gelatin is a protein produced by partial hydrolysis of collagen extracted from the boiled bones, connective tissues, organs and some intestines of animals such as domesticated cattle, pigs, and horses. The natural molecular bonds between individual collagen strands are broken down into a form that rearranges more easily. Gelatin melts to a liquid when heated and solidifies when cooled again. Together with water, it forms a semi-solid colloid gel. Gelatin forms a solution of high viscosity in water, which sets to a gel on cooling, and its chemical composition is, in many respects, closely similar to that of its parent collagen.[1] Gelatin solutions show viscoelastic flow and streamingbirefringence. If gelatin is put into contact with cold water, some of the material dissolves. The solubility of the gelatin is determined by the method of manufacture. Typically, gelatin can be dispersed in a relatively concentrated acid. Such dispersions are stable for 11100 days with little or no chemical changes and are suitable for coating purposes or for extrusion into a precipitating bath. Gelatin is also soluble in most polar solvents. Gelatin gels exist over only a small temperature range, the upper limit being the melting point of the gel, which depends on gelatin grade and concentration and the lower limit, the freezing point at which ice crystallizes. The mechanical properties are very sensitive to temperature variations, previous thermal history of the gel, and time. The viscosity of the gelatin/water mixture increases with concentration and when kept cool ( 4 C). In addition to the animal gelatins described above, there are also vegetarian gelatins such as agar.

[edit]Production

The worldwide production amount of gelatin is about 300 thousand tons per year. On a commercial scale, gelatin is made from by-products of the meat and leather industry. Recently, fish by-products have also been considered because they eliminate some of the religious obstacles surrounding gelatin consumption.[2] Gelatin is derived mainly from pork skins, pork and cattle urin, or split cattle hides; contrary to popular belief, cheese is not used.[3] The raw materials are prepared by different curing, acid, and alkali processes which are employed to extract the dried collagen hydrolysate. These processes[4] may take up to several weeks, and differences in such processes have great effects on the properties of the final gelatin products.[5]

Gelatin can also be prepared in the home. Boiling certain cartilaginous cuts of meat or bones will result in gelatin being dissolved into the water. Depending on the concentration, the resulting broth (when cooled) will naturally form a jelly or gel. This process is used for aspic.

While there are many processes whereby collagen can be converted to gelatin, they all have several factors in common. The intermolecular and intramolecular bonds which stabilize insoluble collagen rendering it insoluble must be broken, and the hydrogen bonds which stabilize the collagen helix must also be broken.[1] The manufacturing processes of gelatin consists of three main stages:

1.

Pretreatments to make the raw materials ready for the main extraction step and to remove impurities which may have negative effects on physiochemical properties of the final gelatin product,

2.

The main extraction step, which is usually done with hot water or dilute acid solutions as a multi-stage extraction to hydrolyze collagen into gelatin, and finally,

3.

The refining and recovering treatments including filtration, clarification, evaporation, sterilization, drying, rutting, grinding, and sifting to remove the water from the gelatin solution, to blend the gelatin extracted, and to obtain dried, blended and ground final product.

[edit]Pretreatments
If the physical material that will be used in production is derived from bones, dilute acid solutions are used to remove calcium and similar salts. Hot water or several solvents may be used for degreasing. Maximum fat content of the material should not exceed 1% before the main extraction step. If the raw material is hides and skin, size reduction, washing, removing hair from the hides, and degreasing are the most important pretreatments used to make the hides and skins ready for the main extraction step. Raw material preparation for extraction is done by three different methods: acid, alkali, and enzymatic treatments. Acid treatment is especially suitable for less fully crosslinked materials such as pig skin collagen. Pig skin collagen is less complex than the collagen found in bovine hides. Acid treatment is faster than alkali treatment and normally requires 10 to 48 hours. Alkali treatment is suitable for more complex collagen, e.g., the collagen found in bovine hides. This process requires longer time, normally several weeks. The purpose of the alkali treatment is to destroy certain chemical crosslinkages

still present in collagen. The gelatin obtained from acid treated raw material has been called type-A gelatin, and the gelatin obtained from alkali treated raw material is referred to as type-B gelatin. Enzymatic treatments used for preparing raw material for the main extraction step are relatively new. Enzymatic treatments have some advantages in contrast to alkali treatment. Time required for enzymatic treatment is short, the yield is almost 100% in enzymatic treatment, the purity is also higher, and the physical properties of the final gelatin product are better.

[edit]Extraction
After preparation of the raw material, i.e., reducing crosslinkages between collagen components and removing some of the impurities such as fat and salts, partially purified collagen is converted into gelatin by extraction with either water or acid solutions at appropriate temperatures. All industrial processes are based on neutral or acid pH values because though alkali treatments speed up conversion, they also promote degradation processes. Acid extract conditions are extensively used in the industry but the degree of acid varies with different processes. This extraction step is a multi stage process, and the extraction temperature is usually increased in later extraction steps. This procedure ensures the minimum thermal degradation of the extracted gelatin.

[edit]Recovery
This process includes several steps such as filtration, evaporation, drying, grinding, and sifting. These operations are concentration-dependent and also dependent on the particular gelatin used. Gelatin degradation should be avoided and minimized, therefore the lowest temperature possible is used for the recovery process. Most recoveries are rapid, with all of the processes being done in several stages to avoid extensive deterioration of the peptide structure. A deteriorated peptide structure would result in a low gelling strength, which is not generally desired.

[edit]Uses

Probably best known as a gelling agent in cooking, different types and grades of gelatin are used in a wide range of food and non-food products: Common examples of foods that contain gelatin are gelatin desserts, trifles, aspic, marshmallows, candy corn, and confectioneries such as Peeps, gummy bears and jelly babies. Gelatin may be used as a stabilizer, thickener, or texturizer in foods such as jams, yoghurt,cream cheese, and margarine; it is used, as well, in fat-reduced foods to simulate the mouthfeel of fat and to create volume without adding calories.

Gelatin is used for the clarification of juices, such as apple juice, and of vinegar. Isinglass, from the swim bladders of fish, is still used as a fining agent for wine and beer.[6] Beside hartshorn jelly, from deer antlers (hence the name "hartshorn"), isinglass was one of the oldest sources of gelatin. Gelatine was used for hardening paper in Colonial times.

Leaf or sheet gelatin is now commonly used to make translucent, edible, diamond-paned windows in gingerbread houses.

[7]

[edit]Technical

uses

Capsules made of gelatin.

Certain professional and theatrical lighting equipment use color gels to change the beam color. These used to be made with gelatin, hence the term color gel.

Gelatin typically constitutes the shells of pharmaceutical capsules in order to make them easier to swallow. Hypromellose is a vegan-acceptable alternative to gelatin, but is more expensive to produce.

Animal glues such as hide glue are essentially unrefined gelatin. It is used to hold silver halide crystals in an emulsion in virtually all photographic films andphotographic papers. Despite some efforts, no suitable substitutes with the stability and low cost of gelatin have been found.

Used as a carrier, coating or separating agent for other substances; for example, it makesbeta-carotene water-soluble thus imparting a yellow colour to any soft drinks containing beta-carotene.

Gelatin is closely related to bone glue and is used as a binder in match heads and sandpaper. Cosmetics may contain a non-gelling variant of gelatin under the name hydrolyzed collagen. As a surface sizing, it smooths glossy printing papers or playing cards and maintains the wrinkles in crpe paper.

[edit]Other

uses

Blocks of ballistic gelatin simulate muscle tissue as a standardized medium for testing firearms ammunition. Gelatin is used by synchronized swimmers to hold their hair in place during their routines as it will not dissolve in the cold water of the pool. It is frequently referred to as "knoxing," a reference to Knox brand gelatin.[8]

When added to boiling water and cooled, unflavored gelatin can make a home-made hair styling gel that is cheaper than many commercial hair styling products, but by comparison has a shorter shelf life (about a week) when stored in this form (usually in a refrigerator). After being applied to scalp hair, it can be removed with rinsing and some shampoo.

It is commonly used as a biological substrate to culture adherent cells. Also used by those who are sensitive to tannins (which can irritate the stomach) in teas, soups or brews. It may be used as a medium with which to consume LSD. LSD in gelatin form is known as "windowpane" or "geltabs." Gelatin is used to make the shells of paintballs, similar to the way pharmaceutical capsules are produced.

Gelatin is also used as an ingredient in implantable medical devices, such as in some bone void fillers. Doctors may discuss this with their patients in cases of religious beliefs.

Gelatin is also used in nail polish remover and makeup applications. The gelatin is often tinted in different colors to match the models natural skin tone.

[edit]Religion

and gelatin substitutes

Special kinds of gelatin indicate the specific animal that was used for its production. For example, Muslim halal or Jewish kosher customs may require gelatin from sources other than pigs, like cows and/or fish and from animals slaughtered ritually. Muslims do not eat foods or use products that contain gelatin derived from porcine sources. There are many companies that specificallly indicate the source of the gelatin used and let the consumers know this via the nutrition information and/or their hotline.[citation needed] Likewise, Hindu customs may require gelatin from sources other than cow which is considered sacred, although many Hindus are vegetarian. Moreover, vegetarians and vegansmay choose not to eat foods containing gelatin made from animals.

Some dietary or religious customs forbid the use of gelatin from certain animal sources, and medical issues may limit or prevent its consumption by certain people.

Alternatives to gelatin include non-animal gel sources such as agar-agar (a seaweed), carrageenan, pectin, konjak, and guar gum. However, these sources can be associated with health problems of their own (see for instance health concerns regarding carrageenan).

[edit]Medical

and nutritional properties

Amino acid composition

Although gelatin is 98-99% protein by dry weight, it has less nutritional value than many other protein sources. Gelatin is unusually high in the non-essential amino acids glycine and proline(i.e., those produced by the human body), while lacking certain essential amino acids (i.e., those not produced by the human body). It contains no tryptophan and is deficient in isoleucine,threonine, and methionine. The approximate amino acid composition of gelatin is: glycine 21%,proline 12%, hydroxyproline 12%, glutamic acid 10%, alanine 9%, arginine 8%, aspartic acid 6%,lysine 4%, serine 4%, leucine 3%, valine 2%, phenylalanine 2%, threonine 2%, isoleucine 1%,hydroxylysine 1%, methionine and histidine <1% and tyrosine <0.5%. These values vary, especially the minor constituents, depending on the source of the raw material and processing technique.[9]

Eggs in aspic

Several Russian researchers offer the following opinion regarding certain peptides found in gelatin: "gelatin peptides reinforce resistance of the stomach mucous tunic to ethanol and stress action, decreasing the ulcer area by twice."[10]

Gelatin has also been claimed to promote general joint health. A study at Ball State Universitysponsored by Nabisco, the former parent company of Knox gelatin,[11] found that gelatin supplementation relieved knee joint pain and stiffness in athletes.[12]

[edit]Safety

concerns

Strict regulations apply for all steps in the gelatin manufacturing process. Gelatin is produced from natural raw materials which originate from animals that have been examined and accepted for human consumption by veterinary authorities. Hygienic regulations with respect to fresh raw materials are ensured and each batch of raw material delivered to the manufacturing plant is immediately checked and documented.

In addition to the raw material quality, also the production process itself is an effective quality assurance measure. In the production process a comprehensive monitoring system ensures that potential risks are minimized.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with support from the TSE (Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy) Advisory Committee, has since 1997 been monitoring the potential risk of transmitting animal diseases, especially bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The FDA study concluded: "...steps such as heat, alkaline treatment, and filtration could be effective in reducing the level of contaminating TSE agents; however, scientific evidence is insufficient at this time to demonstrate that these treatments would effectively remove the BSE infectious agent if present in the source material."[13]

The Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) of the European Union (EU) in 2003 stated that the risk associated with bovine bone gelatin is very low or zero.[14][15] In 2006 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) stated that the SSC opinion was confirmed, that the BSE risk of bone-derived gelatin was very small, and removed support for the 2003 request of excluding the skull and vertebrae of bovine origin older than 12 months from the material used in gelatin manufacturing.[16]

All reputable gelatin manufacturers today follow the Quality Management System according to ISO 9001 to comply with all required physical, chemical, microbiological and technical production and quality standards. In this way all process steps follow international laws and customer-specific quality parameters and are guaranteed and documented. For pharmaceutical grade gelatins strict regulations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European CPMP's regulation and European Pharmacopoeia must be met. A detailed overview of the regulatory requirements for gelatin production can be found in the Gelatine Handbook, page 99-101.[17]