Ajinomoto to get 'halal' certificate

Ajinomoto to get 'halal' certificate

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) is in the
process of issuing a halal certificate for Ajinomoto's new
monosodium glutamate (MSG) taste enhancer, which uses mameno
enzymes -- extracted from soybeans -- instead of the pork-based
bactosoytone enzyme.

"Eight representatives of Ajinomoto met with the MUI board on
Tuesday at noon and they submitted a request for a halal
certificate. We are now in the process of testing the validity of
the product," MUI chairman Umar Shihab told The Jakarta Post on
Wednesday. Halal means the product is allowed under Islamic law.

MUI's food and drug laboratory is testing the process used in
the production of the new MSG product, which the company claims
uses mameno enzymes, he said.

"Besides a scientific investigation, a fatwa committee will
study the aspects of Islamic law relating to the product. We will
also visit Ajinomoto's factory in Mojokerto (East Java) sometime
next week.

"If everything runs smoothly, we may issue the halal
certificate within three to four weeks. Basically MUI will not
give a hard time to any company that wishes to ask for a halal
certificate as long as they abide by the rules," Umar said.

MUI supports Ajinomoto restarting production because it
concerns the economic well-being of the people, he said.

"But at the same time, MUI has to protect Muslims from
consuming haram (forbidden) items. As for changing the company's
logo and everything... that is up to (Ajinomoto)," Umar
asserted.

The use of pork enzymes in the production of Ajinomoto's MSG
product caused a public furor last month in the country, which is
80 percent Muslim.

Muslims are forbidden under Islamic law to consume pork or
pork by-products.

Ajinomoto has guaranteed that all of its pork-tainted products
will be recalled from the market and will not be distributed in
Indonesia. The company said it would export the products to
countries which do not object to the use of bactosoytone, the
head of the newly established Food and Drug Control Agency
(BPOM), Sampurno, said on Wednesday.

"On Jan. 25 a team from the Ministry of Industry and Trade,
BPOM and related institutions conducted nationwide monitoring of
the recall of Ajinomoto products from the market ... and in a
follow-up meeting on Jan. 29, PT Ajinomoto agreed to purchase any
remaining tainted products still found on the market," Sampurno
said.

From Jan. 3 to Jan. 24 this year a total 2,756.1 tons of MSG
Ajinomoto, 586.7 tons of the taste enhancer Masako and 68 tons of
the Sajiku taste enhancer were pulled from the market, he said.

The tainted products will be exported to non-Muslim countries
such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia.

According to earlier reports, however, Ajinomoto produced
10,000 tons of the MSG taste enhancer with the pork enzyme. As
much as 3,000 tons were distributed domestically, while the
remaining 7,000 tons were exported.

Sampurno also asserted that the legal process against
Ajinomoto would continue.

"But basically we hope that the company will soon start
production of its MSG with the mameno enzyme extracted from
soybeans," he said, adding that 35% chloride acid would be used
in its hydrolysis process.

The controversy surrounding the pork-tainted MSG product died
down when government scientists concluded early in January that
the MSG taste enhancer produced by Ajinomoto did not contain pork
enzymes.

President Abdurrahman Wahid declared the product halal, while
also telling people to follow their hearts in the matter as MUI
had declared earlier the product was haram. (edt)