To IFANCA:

The Dallas Morning News had a column on Sunday Feb. 10 saying that cloned food was halal. I was surprised to read that. Given that (IFANCA is ) the largest halal authority, I am inquiring whether your organization or any other organization has certified products from clones as halal. Our organization has been arguing that the FDA did an inadequate review of the food safety aspects of animal cloning. We would be happy to discuss this further with your staff. In the meantime, we want to be sure about the position of halal certifying groups.

– Jaydee Hanson, Center for Food Safety, Washington, DC

 

Dear Jaydee,

Thank you for contacting us. We share your concern but find no basis for declaring cloning as haram. However, we do recommend and promote back to basics approach in farming. (The Muslim) community is more concerned about pigs and pig genes than cloned animals or GMOs. IFANCA hasn’t certified any meat from cloned animals. If food safety of products from cloned animals does become a serious issue, we would take a second look. In case we do receive a request for halal certification of cloned products, we would consult halal consumers in the target market areas.

– MMC

To IFANCA:

In the Name of God. Peace be upon Prophet Muhammad. Assalaamu Alaikum. The last time I checked, the vanilla yogurt fruitful Popsicle label suggests that it contains “bourbon vanilla”. I was wondering if the Fruitfull Company just put your halal symbol on everything as a blanket certification or if you consciously certified this product and why? Shukran. Jazak Allah.

– Andreann Moseley, Baltimore

 

Dear Andreann Moseley,

It is a certified product. Bourbon vanilla is a type of vanilla bean. It has no relationship with bourbon the liquor. It is an excellent question though. – MMC

To IFANCA:

Salam. I would like to know if Creatine ethyl ester is halal? I know that anything synthetic is halal (correct me if wrong), and creatine is usually synthetic…but the ethyl ester puzzles me. Is it alcohol therefore making it haram? Thanks very much for the service.

– Muaaz Altaher, Brunei

 

Dear Muaaz Altaher,

Creatine is actually presented in vertebrates. For use in energy drinks it is generally a synthetic version. There is no alcohol in the product. The product is considered synthetic and halal.

– MMC

Dear Haider Khattak (IFANCA, Canada):

Thank you for following up with us and for your patience as we looked into your inquiry. Dairy Milk and Caramilk both have milk ingredients that definitely come from cows. The natural and artificial flavors are proprietary information, which we are unable to release. None of our products that are produced at the plant that manufactures Dairy Milk and Caramilk are halal certified. We hope this information helps.

Thank you, again, for taking the time to contact us. – Cadbury, Cadburyadams@cybercrs.net

(Natural and artificial flavors may contain alcohol as well as ingredients derived from animals. – IFANCA)