• Ingredients used to make the Mother Culture growth Media
• Ingredients used to make the Bulk Culture growth Media
• Milk Coagulating Enzyme, such as Microbial rennet used to coagulate milk or Rennet obtained from Zabiha slaughtered calves
• Fat Hydrolyzing Enzyme, such as Microbial Lipases
• Dairy ingredients such as Non Fat dry milk solid or cream or dry milk added
• Artificial color such as artificial blue or green color is added to neutralize natural yellow color in curd for Asiago or Blue cheese
• Media to grow mold Penicillium roquefortti providing blue color in blue cheese
• Harmless plant based enzyme is added for curing or flavor development and growth media for biological curing agent used on the surface of Brick cheese
• Flavoring, hydrolyzed lactose, whey for cold packed cheese food, gelatin is allowed in cream cheese but most manufacturer use gums instead of gelatin

• The McDonald raw French fries and Hash Brown are made with a food flavor containing Non-Zabiha beef extract.
• Dairy Flavors containing animal enzymes.
• Alcohol as an ingredient and Carrier in flavors

Cultured lipolyzed Cream is considered Halal if the culture media which is used to grow cultures is made from Halal ingredients. The use of microbial Lipase enzyme is the second requirement for cultured lipolyzed cream to be considered Halal. Cultured Lipolyzed Cream is made with use of cultures and Lipase enzyme. Lipase enzyme is used to split milk fat into free fatty acids eventually leading to methyl ketones, lactones and other volatile compounds for flavor.

Majority of Muslims do not purchase food products containing gelatin but a minority of Muslims consume food products made from Non-Zabiha beef gelatin. If these products are not under kosher certification, the manufacturer can change the source of gelatin from Non-Zabiha to pork.

There are four type of kosher gelatin in the food products but none of them meet the Islamic dietary requirements and considered not Halal.

Different kosher certifying organizations have different beliefs. For example kosher organization in Canada with symbols OU, COR, MK, BCK, Kuf K, CRC, Circle K do not consider pork gelatin as a kosher gelatin. Kosher organizations with kosher symbol K, KO accept pork gelatin as a kosher product. So the statements such as " Gelatin is considered Kosher regardless of its source of origin" which appears in many Halal foods books is not true.

• Gelatin in Jell-o Gelatin products is made from pork and considered kosher by a Rabbi who certify these products with a kosher symbol K. These products are Haram.
• Kosher gelatin is also obtained from non kosher slaughtered cattle bones and skin in China which is certified by a Rabbi in Florida. This gelatin is used in majority of Dannon Yogurts( Dannon's Premium Low Fat Plain, Premium Non Fat Plain and Natural Plain with UD kosher symbol do not contain any gelatin and considered as Halal products) and other brand of yogurts.
• Kosher gelatin is also made from pork source and listed as kosher gelatin in some products with kosher symbol KO.
• The Union of Orthodex Jewish Congregation of America certifies a Kosher gelatin which is made from cattle. These cattle are slaughtered according Jewish laws by a Sochet (A Rabbi). This kosher gelatin is used in Entenmann's Frosted Toaster Pastries with kosher symbol UD. Many Islamic Scholars do not accept kosher meat as the meat of Ahle-Kitab because Sochet (Rabbi) do not announce the name of Allah and other prayers on each animals. Only fish gelatin and gelatin made from the bones and skins of Halal animals slaughtered according to Islamic Sharia is considered Halal.
• Kosher Symbols: Allah says in Quran " This day are (all) things are good and pure made lawful unto you. The Food of the people of the books is lawful to you and yours is lawful unto them" (Sura 5, Ayat 5).
  
  If an authentic and genuine non meat kosher certified food products bearing kosher symbols such as OU, COR, MK, BCK, Kuf K, CRC, Circle K, V, Triangle K and Parve meet the Islamic dietary requirements, then those products are considered Halal. However if they contain gelatin, kosher gelatin, wine, alcohol, L-cysteine from human hair, wine vinegar, rum flavor, beer batter then they will not be considered as Halal food products. For example if a food product contains gelatin or Kosher gelatin and also bears kosher symbol, then it will not be considered Halal. We do not recommend Kosher meat for Muslims because they do not announce Allah's name on each animal. Majority of Muslims do not consider it Halal. Besides, the Zabiha meat is accessible to Muslims in USA and Canada.
• PLEASE DONOT USE THE KOSHER CERTIFIED FOOD PRODUCTS IF THEY CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS:

1. Gelatin
2. Kosher Gelatin
3. L-Cysteine made from human hair
4. Wine
5. Liquor
6. Beer batter
7. Rum flavor
8. Ethyl Alcohol as a main ingredient appears on the ingredient list
9. Cochineal or Carmine, a red color from insects
10. Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce
11. Yeast Extract or Autolyzed Yeast made from brewer's yeast, a by product of beer making
12. Torula Yeast grown on alcohol
13. Nucleotides (building block of nucleic acid) are obtained from yeast cells grown on alcohol, used in Infant Milk formulas to help babies build a good immune, digestive system and decreased incident of diarrhea
14. Vanilla Extract
15. Wine Vinegar
16. Ethyl alcohol is used as a solvent in natural and artificial flavors.

L- Cysteine from Halal synthetic material is Halal certified by Majelis Ulema of Indonesia and sale by Ajinomoto USA. BagelEz is a dough conditioner from Caravan Company of New Jersey. They used Halal certified L-Cysteine. According to Islamic Scholars the L-Cysteine made from human hairs is considered as a Haram product

There are numerous applications of yeast in the food industry.

Vanilla is the most world prized flavor. It is obtained from the beans of a tropical vine of genus vanilla. The beans at harvest do not have the characteristic vanilla fragrance but requires curing processes to obtain the vanilla fragrance. All curing methods involve four basic phases:

Wilting or killing of the beans that stops the natural respiratory metabolism and vegetative life of the pod.

Sweating the wilted beans which involves a fairly rapid dehydration and slow fermentation. The characteristic flavor compounds develops here during which sugars, phenols, vanillin compound are developed by enzymatic and non-enzymatic reaction.

Drying of sweated beans at very slowly at a lower temperature to 20-25% moisture.

Conditioning of the dried beans in closed boxes for a few months where they finish the development of their characteristic fragrance.

Vanilla Standards:
Vanilla extract is the only flavoring material with a US FDA standard of identity. It is included in the code of Federal Regulation.

Vanilla Extraction and Ice Cream Standard:
Vanilla standards was developed and promulgated concurrent and in close relation with Ice Cream Standard.The labeling of Ice Cream is dependent on the type of flavoring used.

Category I:Vanilla Ice Cream contains only pure vanilla components and no artificial flavors.

Category II: Vanilla ice cream can be flavored with up toone ounce of synthetic vanillin per unit of vanilla extract. This is a natural and artificial product and labeled vanilla flavored Ice cream.

Category III:Ice cream contains predominantly or exclusively
an artificial vanilla flavoring that includes primary synthetic vanillin. This product must be labeled Artificially flavored or Artificial vanilla.

VANILLA PRODUCTS:
a. Vanilla Beans: Vanilla beans are identified as the properly cured and dried fruit-pods of Vanilla planifolia in vanilla standard.

Vanilla Extracts and Vanilla Powders: The reminder of the standard is involved with describing in general terms how the extract is made and what other ingredients can be used. It also defines other products related to pure vanilla extract (what constitutes them and how they can be labeled).

b. Vanilla extract (extracted with alcohol).
c. Vanilla flavoring (extracted with alcohol)
d. Concentrated vanilla flavoring (extracted with alcohol)
e. Vanilla powder (no alcohol is used)
f. Vanilla-Vanillin extract (extracted with alcohol)
g. Vanilla-Vanillin flavoring (extracted with alcohol)
h. Vanilla-Vanillin powder (Vanillin may be obtained with or without alcohol)

The more significant statement in the standard, which should be noted, require that the finished extract have no less than 35% ethyl alcohol
and contains no less than one unit of vanilla bean per gallon.

There is no animal derived ingredients are used in the above products.

VANILLA WITHOUT ALCOHOL:

a. New Methods of Extractions: Modern methods of extraction are used such as supercritical carbon dioxide extraction and reverse osmosis for concentration. These methods produce useful products for industrial flavoring but they either fail to fit the regulatory requirements (alcohol extraction) for standard products, but they are expensive. These specialized products differ in solubility, flavor profile, and appearance but add to the list of natural vanilla flavoring available to food and beverages manufacturers.

b. Vanilla beans: Pure Vanilla beans are available for both food manufacturers for processed foods and common consumers for  home bake products (McCormik brand of pure vanilla beans are available in supermarkets).

c. Vanilla Flavor: A vanilla flavor may be in fact being non-alcoholic but it has to be outside of standard of identity.

d. Vanilla Powder: This is a standard vanilla product. Vanilla powder is a mixture of ground vanilla beans or vanilla oleoresin or both with one or more of the following optional blending ingredients (a) Sugars, (b) dextrose, (c) Lactose, (d) Food Starch, (e) dried corn syrup, (f) Gum acacia. Vanilla sugar is different from vanilla powder with sugar. Vanilla Sugar is made with sugar and vanilla extract and considered as Haram ingredient because of alcohol.

e. Vanilla-Vanillin Powder: This is the same, as vanilla powder but contains not more than one ounce of added vanillin. This is also a standard product. But this product is Halal only if added vanillin is obtained from vanilla bean without alcohol.

VANILLIN:
Vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde) a pleasant smelling aromatic compound occurs naturally in vanilla bean and also obtained from as by-product of pulp and paper industry by the oxidative break down of lignin. It may also be prepared by synthesis.

LIGNIN VANILLIN VANILLA BEAN VANILLIN
(vanilla bean flavor component)

C8H8O3 C8H8O3 
Molecular weight: 152.16 Molecular weight: 152.16


HALAL STATUS OF VANILLIN:
Artificial or synthetic vanillin do not contain alcohol and it is also Halal or Kosher certified. It is a Halal ingredient.

Artificial or synthetic vanillin is made with all Halal ingredients and Halal process without alcohol. Lignin which used to make the artificial vanillin is plant products which is Halal by nature. Only methane is used as a solvent which is a Halal solvent.

ISLAMIC SCHOLARS' VIEW ON THIS TOPIC:
Some Islamic Scholars considered a food product Not Halal if it is made with flavor containing alcohol as a solvent. But the others considered it Halal because they said the small or large quantity of the product does not intoxicate a person. Please consult your Sheik or Imam on this topic.

Fermentation :
The fermentation of sugar into alcohol (ethanol) and which comprises the first step in manufacturing of vinegar using the yeast Saccharomyces sp. Which proceeds as follow:

C6H12O6 -------> 2C2H5OH + 2CO₂ (sugar source) (Ethyl Alcohol) (Carbon Dioxide)

2C2H5OH + 2O₂ ---------> 2CH3COOH + 2H2O (Ethyl Alcohol) (Oxygen) (Acetic Acid) (Water)

Types of Vinegar:
There are six type vinegar is used throughout the world.
a. Distilled White or Grain or Spirit Vinegar: It is produced from the natural fermentation of dilute alcohol to vinegar. The vinegar is filtered and contains Natural mellow aroma.
b. Apple Cider Vinegar: It is produced from unprocessed apple juice and vinegar retains its natural amber color and fruity flavor.
c. Wine Vinegar: Wine vinegar is produced from Burgandy wine and other wines.It retains a ruby color and wine like flavor. It is used in Oil-Vinegar Dressing and gourmet cooking and condiments.
d. Corn (Maize) sugar Vinegar: This type of vinegar is produced from corn sugar. Sugar is first converted to alcohol then alcohol is converted to acetic acid and water. It is also a amber color vinegar.
e. Malt Vinegar: Malt vinegar is produced from the fermentation of malt to alcohol and then it is converted to vinegar.
f. Specialty Vinegar such as Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar is produced in Modena Italy from white and sugary Trebbiano grapes with special labor intensive method to special flavor and aroma There is possibility of left over wine in this vinegar.

Halal Status of vinegar:
There is a different of opinion among Hanafi and Shafi fiqa schools regarding vinegar. There is also different of opinion among Islamic Scholars regarding wine vinegar. Since there is possibility of wine being not 100% converted to acetic acid and water. There is left over wine in the wine vinegar, we considered wine vinegar is not a Halal vinegar. We recommend distilled white vinegar because it is made from dilute alcohol. Please consult your sheik or Imam on this topic.

In 1994, the Muslim Consumer Group brought the following facts about vitamins fortification of milk.

VITAMIN A: Vitamin A is produced commercially by reacting calcium carbonate with water and then esterified with palmitic acid (source can be from a plant or an animal or a synthetic).
VITAMIN D3: Vitamin D3 is produced from sheep's wool lanolin.