by Chewwies -
Most of you who are not concerned about whether something is halal or not will simply say: “That’s just milk, right?”. After closely investigating all the facts, you will most definitely conclude that it’s not just milk.
First of all, what does “halal” mean?
According to crescentrating.com Halal is an Arabic term that means permissible. In Islamic terms, it means permissible according to the rules of Islam. It is most frequently referred to in regard to food, but it includes any type of action permissible in Islam.
The opposite of Halal is Haram or sometimes referred to as non-Halal. This refers to anything considered unlawful under Islamic teachings. Although it is often used in reference to food, it can also refer to other unlawful acts in Islam such as stealing, corruption, etc.
This also applies to food. Food that is allowed to eat is called Halal food and you can find plenty of it on our website.
What makes cheese halal?
Cheese would be called halal for sure if it weren’t for one specific ingredient. This ingredient is called rennet and it’s considered to be haram, or in other words non - halal. The problem occurs in the way the animal was slaughtered.
Islamic faith has certain rules which must be obliged to consider the animal product halal. The ingredient we already mentioned, rennet, is gathered from animals. The whole debate about whether cheese is halal or not happens in the slaughtering process.
If the way the animal is slaughtered is unknown, then the origin of the cheese and whether is halal or not is also unknown.
The good news is that most vegetarian products are halal because they don’t use products from slaughtered animals. On the other hand, simply look for certified halal food and you can’t go wrong.
What is rennet?
This is the ingredient that makes halal cheese questionable. Rennet is an enzyme that is gathered from the slaughtered animal’s guts and stomach. If the animal was not slaughtered according to Islamic rules, then the product is definitely haram and not halal.
Usually, rennet comes from the cow’s stomach, but this also doesn’t have to always be true. If this ingredient comes from a pig’s stomach, the product is definitely not halal no matter the way the animal was slaughtered.
Also, there are two approaches to the idea of whether cheese is halal or not. Some scholars say that after the milk has separated into curds and whey, the rennet is pretty much gone, so it’s “safe” to eat cheese without fearing you’ve broken your religious laws.
The other theory is quoting a verse in Quran which says that the prophet Muhamed asks for and is served cheese which automatically means it’s halal.
But, to be absolutely sure, buy certified food or food supplements which use permitted ingredients. The enzymes they use in their halal cheese are microbial enzymes or plant-based enzymes.
So, is mozzarella halal?
As we already established, there is not a 100 % certain way to know if the cheese is halal, but there are some tips you can use before you choose to buy the specific cheese.
- Check if the product is certified as halal. That is definitely one way to go and be sure you’re eating the right thing.
- Read the label and choose vegetarian labels if the first option is not available.
- Last, but not least, you can always contact the producers and ask them directly.
