ABSTRACT
Gelatin is used in many food products, including jellies, ice cream, confectionery, cookies, and cakes. It is also used in nonfood products, including medical products, and in veterinary applications. Gelatin can be from halal or haram sources. Common sources of gelatin are pigskin, cattle hides, cattle bones, and, less frequently, fish skins and poultry skins. In general, a product label does not indicate the source of the gelatin (Chaudry, 1994), so halal consumers normally avoid products containing gelatin unless they are certified halal. As Muslim countries have increased imports of food products, there has been growing awareness of the problem gelatin presents to Muslim consumers. Malaysia, Indonesia, and several other Muslim countries now require that imported as well domestic products containing gelatin be produced with halal gelatin. Several gelatin manufacturers in Europe, India, and Pakistan produce halal gelatin.
