Halal Certification of Insect-Based Food: a critique

Abstract

In 2013, the United Nations began to campaign for insect consumption as a rich source of high-quality protein and minerals, to thwart the predicted global food shortage and to reduce greenhouse emission. Consequently, entomophagy (or insect consumption) began to receive stronger impetus, and many food industries and investors are developing an interest in insect-based food production. With the global edible insect market estimated to reach US$1.2 billion by 2023, and the Halal industry predicted to reach US$2.6 trillion by 2023, a good understanding of the interplay between the two industries is a necessity. However, while more insects are increasingly becoming parts of processed foods globally, halal certification bodies do not hold a unified stand on the halalness of insects and their extracts, and some of the arguments raised by some Islamists lack rigorous analysis. This paper juxtaposed the views of the four Sunni�Madhabs�(schools of Islamic Canon law) on insect consumption and drew on the Qur�an linguistics to derive the relevant factors that must be considered when certifying insect-based gastronomic items as�Halal. The novelty of this paper lies in exposing the cultural milieu that informed the verdicts of the classical scholars on insect consumption, which later became the harbinger for the controversies among the contemporary halal certification bodies. The paper seeks to pave the way for a unified Islamic stand with regards to insect consumption.� ���Keywords: Insect-consumption, Insect-based food, halal certification, Halalan-Tayyiban, Islamic Classical scholars.�

Factors Influencing Acceptance of Grasshoppers and Other Insects as Food: A Comparison between Two Cities in Malaysia

“…Muslims are frequently more cautious with food selection, especially when it comes to novel or unfamiliar foods, the ingredients in the food product and how the food business handles the food [ 30 ]. Additionally, the Islamic laws, which stipulate that Muslims may only consume food that has been certified as halal , are a major factor in the Muslim community’s willingness and acceptance of entomophagy [ 23 ].…”

“…Since Islam is the official religion in Malaysia, Muslims will consume foods that are regarded as permissible ( halal ) and will not consume any forbidden foods and beverages ( haram ) [ 21 , 22 ]. Grasshopper is recognised as a halal food that can be eaten by Muslims, and this has been agreed upon by scholars from all four Sunni madhhabs (i.e., schools of thought within Fiqh or Islamic jurisprudence), including Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali [ 23 ]. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the acceptance of grasshoppers and other insects as food among adults who had been born and raised in Klang Valley (Peninsular Malaysia) or Kuching, Sarawak (East Malaysia), as well as among those who had lived there for more than five years.…”

İnsan Gidasi Olarak Böcek Protei̇nleri̇ Tüketi̇mi̇ Ve Geti̇rdi̇ği̇ Sorunlar

“…Arap yarımadasında çekirge tüketiminin yaygın olmasının yanında ilmi olarak da çekirgelerle ilgili birçok bilgi mevcuttu. Örneğin, bu böceğin vücut özellikleri ve gelişim aşamaları biliniyordu (Tajudeen, 2020). İslam'ın kabulünden sonra Peygamber Efendimizin de (s.a.v.)…”

Innovative Approaches in Food Technology

“…Diğer bir görüş ise kültürlenmiş eti üretmek için kullanılan hücrelerin kaynağı ne olursa olsun, asıl kimliklerini kaybedecekleri varsayıldığından dolayı tüketimi yasak olarak tanımlanmıştır (Krautwirth, 2018). (Tajudeen, 2020). Hanefi, Şafii ve Hanbeli mezheplerinde böceğin doğrudan yenilmesi veya gıda ürün-lerinde katkı maddesi olarak kullanımı uygun değildir.…”

“…Aynı zamanda gıda sektöründe alışverişi de yasak olarak kabul edilir (Çayıroğlu, 2013). Aynı zamanda alternatif protein kaynağı olarak böceklerin, helal gıda pazarında kullanımı ve sertifikalandırılması üzerine literatür çalışmaları yetersiz kalmıştır (Tajudeen, 2020). Özellikle helal ve koşer gıda ürünlerine yönelik muazzam bir pazar büyümesi vardır.…”