The Muslim population in the world is now approximately 1.57 billion; they live in more than 150 countries. They are market for exporters from food production countries. In 2008, the total consumption value of food products in Muslim countries amounted to 458 billion dollars, including that of halal(lawful) products (183 billion dollars).
"The majority of food products in the Muslim populations come from non-Muslim countries, such as Europe, America, Canada, Brazil, India, China, and Russia. Most of these countries, however, have been using the halal labels in their food products, "said Winai Dahlan, Ph.D., from The Halal Science Center, Chulalongkorn University of Thailand, at an international seminar "The Global Halal Food Market and Halal Product Analysis" held by Faculty of Pharmacy and the LPPT, UGM, in Management Magister Auditorium, Monday (19/10).
Dahlan said that the desired halal certification should have passed the test of knowledge and technology. "The results should be based on scientific tests done by a credible institution," he added.
On the occasion, Professor of Pharmacy, Prof. Dr. Achmad Mursyidi, M.Sc., Apt., said that food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics have become fundamental needs in the modern society. Islam, however, suggests that Muslims only consume goods that are halal. "In practice, the determination of lawful and unlawful goods to be consumed depends on the halal test," he said.
Some foods considered haram (unlawful), according to Mursyidi, are, for example, blood, meat of dead animals, compounds derived from pigs, and alcohol. In the field of medicine, what is haram is those that contain insulin, heparin, and gelatin from pigs. Cosmetics are considered haram if they contain elements derived from humans, animals, and plants, among others, keratin, albumin, placenta extract, hyaluronic acid, and products containing elements of collagen, elastin, fat, and their derivatives.