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Multinationalism in the current process of globalization, along with biotechnology, has increased the rate and diversity of food products available around the world. It also increases the difficulty in figuring out what is halal (lawful) food. In fact, one of the most confusing products on the market today is "gelatin." Gelatin is a jelly-like protein by-product made from pork, skin, cattle bone, calfskin or fish skin for commercial use. The three main concerns about gelatin are: the origin of gelatin (is it from a pig or a cow or something else?), the safety of gelatin (is it safe to consume so much gelatin?), and the BSE risk of gelatin.
According to the fatwa (decree) of Mufti Ibrahim Desai of South Africa, "If the gelatin is derived from any part of an animal which can be consumed according to Shari'ah, (e.g cow, camel, sheep, goat etc.), and slaughtered according to Shari'ah [Islamic law], it will be permissible. If the animal cannot be slaughtered according to Shari'ah, or was not slaughtered according to Shari'ah, the gelatin from such an animal will not be permissible. However, if it undergoes a complete change of metamorphosis - tabdeel-e-Maahiyyat or istihala - the gelatin will be permissible" (Ask-Imam.com, p.1). Dr. Mian Riaz informs us that any product containing gelatin is either haram (forbidden) or mashbuh (suspected) when the source of the gelatin has not been identified (Riaz, p.3).
According to the fatwa of Ayatollah Abul Qassim al-Khoei of Iran, "An impure thing, about which it is not known whether it has undergone istihala - transformation or not, is impure". Ultraviolet rays are often used to purify gelatin. However, as we know, the sun is a purifier in Islam and nature and its ultraviolet rays kill impure things, but when it is used to purify gelatin it is likely that the ultraviolet rays used were produced artificially. Al-Khoei goes on to state: "If the body of an animal is stained with an original impurity like blood or with something which has become impure, for example, impure water, its body becomes pure after the removal of the impurity" (al-Khoei, p.40, 44).
However, gelatin is hard to avoid. It is used in many natural and unnatural forms, such as cereal bars, ice cream, yogurt, certain dairy drinks, medicines and chocolate, among other things (Riaz, p.3). It is often difficult to find out if this gelatin is pork or beef derived. The modification of natural amino acids in gelatin is also used to stabilize the shelf life of vaccines and therapeutic proteins and to enhance the attributes of various products (Fibrogen, p.1). The research of Drs. Troum and Dalton, published in the Journal of Southern Orthopedic Association, utilized Gelfoam, a biodegradable porcine (pork) gelatin (Troum, p.1), as a biodegradable carrier for osteogenic (bone producing) cells. This procedure is used for the healing of the bones in cases of fractures and bone defects. This gelatin was sterilized by ultraviolet radiation and then a suspension of bone marrow cells were applied as a skin implant in rats. Osteogenesis took place after four weeks and the "knitting" of bone tissues began to take place (Troum, p.4).
However, even if one only uses halal gelatin, the question of safety still remains. Allah (swt) gave us everything in balance. Everything has limitations of how, where and in what frequency it can be used. The gelatin in meat broths attracts liquids. This action is utilized in the formation of Jello-like products. In response, digestive juices go to the surface of the particles of cooked food. In Judeo-Christian societies this is used to aid digestion, correct intestinal disorders, anemia, diabetes, muscular dystrophy and cancer (Fallon, p.1, 2). In one case, a 72-year-old took ¼ oz. of gelatin daily in orange juice for six months as a treatment for arthritic hands. The bodily response was an increased flexibility in his fingers and less pain (Wang-Cheng, p.1). However, not all responses to gelatin are so positive. Allergic and immunological side effects have been associated with use of bovine (pertaining to ox, cow and other ruminating animals) gelatin.
In response, bioengineering has been employed to produce pure end products free of bacterial contamination, pesticides and other possible health risks.
Whatever our concerns might be right now, the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) changed its position in 1998 on gelatin due to fears of BSE. They state that "Gelatin produced from bones and hides obtained from cattle residing in, or originating from, countries reporting BSE or from countries that do not meet the latest BSE-related standards of the Office International des Epizooties should not be used either in injectable, ophthalmic, or implanted FDA regulated products, or in their manufacture" (FDA p.4).
Islam will always serve to guide us in the direction best suited for our general well being, while the inventions of man can both benefit and confuse us. May we hold fast to what is best for us.
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