News From : DagangHalal.com (08 Mar 2011)
KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 (Bernama) — Muslim consumers should be wary when purchasing gelatin-based products in the market by ensuring that the products have obtained a halal certification from the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim).
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said this was because Jakim would only issue the halal certificate to products which contained 100 per cent halal ingredients and free from pig derivatives and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
“Among the categories for Jakim’s halal certification are food outlet, health supplements (vitamins), traditional medicine, cosmetics and other daily consumer products,” he told a press conference at the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department, here Monday.
The minister said pharmaceutical products and prescribed medicines were not listed for the issuance of the halal certificate.
He said Jakim had issued the halal certificate to 20 health supplement manufacturers and 14 traditional medicine manufacturers so far after conducting detailed research and found that the products were free from pig DNA and safe for consumption.
Jamil Khir said Jakim and the state Islamic religious departments nationwide would always monitor the sale of all health supplements and traditional medicines to ensure that they were free from pig DNA and had obtained the halal certification.
He said Jakim would only name the companies which had obtained the halal certification and would never disclose the list of non-halal products.
On March 3, the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry was reported to have conducted a research on 15 randomly-picked local pharmaceutical products, each contained in a gelatin capsule, and three of them were tested positive for pig DNA.
The pig DNA was detected using a device developed by a local company in a bid to develop the standard halal products in Malaysia.
If in doubt about the halal status of a certain product, Jamil Khir said the Muslim consumers could refer to Jakim or the National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau under the Health Ministry or visit the website www.halal.gov.my.
— BERNAMA