Most animal-based gelatin products in Malaysia lack halal certification
More than 95 per cent of the animal-based gelatin or protein used in food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and daily-use products in Malaysia reportedly do not have halal certification.
Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) chemical and process engineering lecturer Associate Professor Dr Farhan Mohd Said said less than three per cent of gelatin used in local products is halal-certified, reported Utusan Malaysia today.
Gelatin is a colloid made from collagen, usually extracted from the skin, bones and tissues of animals such as cows and pigs.
She attributed the low percentage to complex standards and procedures for obtaining halal certification. All stages — from slaughtering, pretreatment, extraction, filtration, purification to drying — must comply with the Malaysian Halal Management System (SPHM) and Halal Certification Procedure Manual (MPPHM).
Dr Farhan said awareness of halal certification also remains low among local industries, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the ruminant livestock sector, due to financial and management constraints.
Despite Malaysia having thousands of cattle, goat, buffalo and freshwater fish farmers, a halal gelatin industry is almost non-existent. Most farms are small-scale and cannot meet domestic demand.
According to the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), the total cattle and buffalo population in 2023 was about 798,771 — only sufficient to meet around 15 per cent of local needs.
This is because producing 1kg of halal bovine gelatin requires about 6kg of bones and skin from properly slaughtered cattle. With only 726,206 cows available, Malaysia imports about 85 per cent of its gelatin needs, Dr Farhan said.
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