ABSTRACT
The dairy products industry produces a vast number of products ranging from fresh milk to ice creams and frozen desserts. Dairy is one of the oldest food industries. Therefore, most kosher dairy products can easily be halal certified and some that are not kosher can be halal. Cottage cheese may be made by curdling milk with acid, which makes it a halal-suitable process. Other cheeses such as mozzarella, cheddar, and colby are made use milk-curdling enzymes and bacterial cultures. Enzymes are a major area of concern for halal cheese production. Several enzymes are obtained from pigs, which are haram. Shredded cheese might contain anticaking agents such as animal or vegetable stearates. These ingredients should be from halal sources. All preservatives and mold inhibitors should be from halal sources. The preservatives can be proprietary mixtures of natamycin, sodium benzoates, calcium propionates, and other compounds, which may contain emulsifiers from animal sources, and so can be a concern for Muslim consumers.
