Subtleties in Religious and Ethical Requirements for Food

Luke Grocholl, Head of Food Regulatory Experts

 

Halal Food and Certification

Understanding Different Types of Kosher

Kosher for Passover

Vegetarian Traditions

Summary

Many in the food industry are aware of the religious requirements for food and food ingredients due to the prevalence of kosher and halal-certified requirements, but they might not be aware of some of the more subtle ones. For instance, eating certain animals, like hogs, is forbidden by both Islamic and Jewish dietary laws (kashrut). However, even when the consumption of an animal is permissible, its meat and other byproducts must be slaughtered according to strict guidelines in order to be classified as halal or kosher. While certain animals meet the requirements for both halal and kosher due to distinct slaughtering practices in each religion, the majority of meat or animal-derived products cannot simultaneously adhere to both kosher and halal standards

Exceptions only apply where there is no prescribed slaughter process. Scaly fish, for example, can be both kosher and halal since neither requires a proscribed slaughter method. While halal permits the consumption of certain fish, like sharks or catfish, they do not meet the kashrut dietary standards due to the requirement for scales. Kashrut only considers fish with scales as kosher.

Halal Food and Certification

Islamic dietary laws prohibit the consumption of intoxicants, but this is not an absolute prohibition on alcohol in halal foods. A small amount of alcohol is produced when bread rises or fruit ripens, but the quantity is far too low to be intoxicating, and thus both can be approved as halal. Additionally, there is no intent to make such food intoxicating, and intent (niyat in Arabic) is a factor when considering halal. Therefore, foods that contain naturally occurring trace amounts of alcohol can conform to halal principles. There is debate within the halal community, however, when alcoholic ingredients are used in preparing food, even when the final food has only trace (non-intoxicating) amounts of alcohol. Vanilla extract, for example, is typically available as an alcohol solution. Although foods prepared with vanilla extract would contain only trace amounts of alcohol, and the intent was to add vanilla flavor rather than an intoxicant, some halal consumers may not accept this ingredient as halal. Similarly, products like alcohol-free beer or wine are considered questionable (mushbooh in Arabic), and Islamic guidance is to avoid mushbooh foods. Mushbooh may also extend to foods flavored to taste like haram (forbidden) foods such as bacon-flavored potato chips that contain no pork or porcine-derived ingredients.

In many Muslim-majority regions, there are specific, approved certification standards. An example is the UAE/GSO standard required in many of the Arab nations. Several Asian nations also have their own halal standards, such as JAKIM in Malaysia, BPJPH in Indonesia, MUIS in Singapore, and PSQCA in Pakistan. Although all these standards seek to provide guidance on ensuring the halal nature of food, they each have differences in process and standard for halal certification. There are attempts among the halal community to develop a global halal standard. The SMIIC standard is one such example or a proposed global halal standard; however, no single standard is universally accepted, and firms should discuss with both their customers and their halal certifying agencies to understand which standards are needed. Multinational firms should also be aware that most halal certifying agencies are regional, and they will likely need different certifying agencies in different countries. Some certifying agencies support global needs by partnering with different agencies across regions so they can make the halal certifying process more seamless for multinational customers.

Understanding Different Types of Kosher

Kosher practice requires not only restricting one’s diet to kosher foods but also determining which kosher foods can be combined in the same meal. Under Jewish dietary laws, meat and dairy (milk) cannot be consumed together. So, although milk from a kosher animal is kosher, no milk products can be combined with meat products. Kosher products that contain neither meat nor dairy are considered neutral, or parve in Hebrew (pareve in Yiddish). Parve does not necessarily mean vegetarian or vegan. Eggs from kosher birds are considered parve, but eggs are not considered vegan. Similarly, fish is parve, but many vegetarian consumers will not consume seafood. Kosher-certified meat products are typically identified by both the kosher symbol of the certifying agency as well as an “M” designating meat. Sometimes kosher meat products are designated kosher glatt, labeled with the kosher symbol and a “G” with “glatt” spelled out along with the kosher symbol. Glatt means smooth in Yiddish and refers to the lungs of a slaughtered animal being free of adhesions or blemishes. Lung adhesion could indicate a violent death as opposed to a proper slaughter. Glatt is therefore sometimes used as a designation for kosher meat, but strictly speaking, it only refers to kosher slaughtered animals with unblemished lungs. Kosher dairy products are labeled with both the kosher symbol and a “D” for dairy. Parve products often carry only the kosher symbol, lettering, or other distinction.

Preparation and cleaning vessels must also be considered when preparing kosher foods or ingredients. Although both cross-contamination risks must be considered in both kosher and halal, kashrut considers the concepts of absorption and transference when heating food or ingredients. When foods or ingredients are heated, the flavor or taste may be absorbed into the heating or cooking vessel. That essence could then be transferred to any food subsequently cooked or heated in the same vessel, even after it has been cleaned. In practice, this means cookware and ovens must be dedicated to kosher to preserve the kosher essence of the food. Since meat and dairy cannot be consumed together under kashrut, separate ovens or cooking vessels may be needed to keep kosher meat and dairy separate, although kosher parve materials could be cooked in either environment. Similarly, dishes, cookware, or similar items should be washed in separate sinks or dishwashers to avoid absorption or transference. Kashrut does allow for kasherizing, the process of heating a vessel with direct heat, steam, or boiling water to remove any absorption. It is highly recommended by kosher experts to consult a proper rabbi familiar with kashrut to ensure kasherizing is done properly. In an industrial setting, koshering agencies typically require their certifying rabbi to be present to observe or even perform any kasherizing.

Kosher for Passover

Passover is one of the major Jewish holidays, remembering the Jewish escape from slavery and flight from Egypt. Foods that involve leavening, such as allowing dough to rise or grains to ferment, are prohibited during the Passover holiday. Leaven in Hebrew is chametz, and chametz is defined as combining grains with water and allowing them to sit for eighteen minutes or longer. Five grains (barley, oats, spelt, rye, and wheat) are identified as chametz, but some foods similar to the chametz grains are considered kitniyot. Such foods include legumes, rice, and corn (maize), and some Jewish traditions forbid kitniyot during Passover.

During Passover, it is crucial not only to abstain from chametz but also to meticulously eliminate any chametz from the food preparation area within a household. This entails thoroughly cleaning food preparation facilities to ensure the complete removal of chametz. In an industrial setting, this typically requires the presence of a kosher-certifying rabbi to verify chametz are removed. Because of the strict cleaning requirements of kosher for Passover, the unique ingredient restrictions, and the religious significance of Passover to Jews, kosher consumers will typically use products marked as kosher for Passover by a reputable kosher certifying agency. Kosher for Passover products are often identified with a kosher symbol and “P” by the symbol or spelling out “Kosher for Passover” along with the kosher symbol.

Vegetarian Traditions

Muslims and Jews are not the only religious or cultural groups with defined dietary requirements. One of the most common dietary restrictions is for vegetarian food. Many people around the world choose vegetarian foods, and vegetarianism is part of the religious and cultural heritage of Hindus. The Indian food regulations, FSSAI, require that any non-vegetarian food sold in India be marked with a simple brown dot and define non-vegetarian as any food made from animals (including birds), insects, seafood, eggs, or any products produced from these sources.¹ Vegetarian food must be labeled with a green dot; this is any food that does not meet the non-vegetarian definition. The Indian regulations also recently established a vegan definition to support vegan consumers.² Foods in India labeled with a green “V” designating vegan cannot be derived from any animal source, nor can they be produced using any animal-sourced products, including enzymes, carriers, or processing aids. The Indian vegetarian and vegan designations should meet most of the traditional religious dietary restrictions, but some consumers may have other specialized diets. The Jain sect, for example, abstains not only from most animal products but also does not eat root vegetables or other foods that grow underground, since harvesting such vegetables could disturb or kill insects or other underground-dwelling animals as well as completely kill the plant itself. The Jain diet does allow for consuming milk products (no eggs); however, many followers of Jainism also abstain from milk-based foods.

India may be one of the few countries with mandatory vegetarian labeling, but there are many independent organizations that certify vegan and vegetarian food. Like regulatory or religious requirements, certifications like V-Label in Europe or the American Vegetarian Association require review of all ingredients including additives and flavors, as well as processing aids to confirm the vegan or vegetarian status of products. These organizations also ensure that cross-contamination procedures and verifications are in place to prevent any unintentional animal or animal-origin products in the foods they certify.

Summary

Consumers are increasingly discerning of the food they eat and are insistent that food claiming adherence to religious or ethical requirements be closely reviewed and approved. With the complex nature of the modern food industry, it is important to understand the many subtleties of such declarations. Certification by recognized authorities may be necessary to meet consumer and industry demand for religious and ethical declarations.

References

1. F. No.REG/L&D-Extension/FSSAI-2021.

2. F. No. Std/TF-Vegan Foods/Notif./FSSAI (33074/2022/REGULATION-FSSAI).