The Ajinomoto case

The Ajinomoto case

Thank the holiday season and the good sense of all the parties
involved for the fact that, for once, an argument involving
religious principles did not get blown out of proportion and
prompt street protests.

The argument, this time, involves the Indonesian Council of
Ulemas (MUI) on one side and PT Ajinomoto, the producer of the
widely popular taste enhancer of the same name on the other. It
concerns the question of whether the product is halal or haram to
Muslims -- in other words whether Muslims are allowed or
forbidden to use it in their food.

Guardian of religious morality and fidelity in a country where
the overwhelming majority of the population is Muslim, the
Council is empowered by the government to review the halal
certificates which must be stamped on the packages of all food
and beverage products that are sold in this country and which
Muslims are allowed to consume. Since producers may change the
ingredients contained in their products, these certificates are
reviewed every two years.

What the Council says it has found in this year's re-audit of
the Ajinomoto taste enhancer is that the company is now using the
bactosoytone pig enzyme in its production process instead of the
polypeptone enzyme it used in the past. The reason is that while
both enzymes can be used as a medium to cultivate the bacteria
needed to produce the compounds necessary for the production of
the enhancer, the bactosoytone enzyme produces more bacteria and
thus also more compounds. Some experts have argued that this is
not really a problem since the pig enzyme does not actually get
into the product. It is used only to grow the bacteria and is not
included in the bacteria.

This, however, is not an argument that Muslims can generally
accept. "Who can guarantee that?" MUI chairman Amidhan retorted.
"It is like growing plants on filth." Since pork and any product
derived from pigs, Amidhan insists that the company takes its
product off the shelves until a new product is brought on the
market that is free of any derivative coming from pigs.

The government, through the Ministry of Health's Director-
General for Food and Drug Control, Sampurno, has taken a middle
road and advised the public not to jump to conclusions.

"This needs to be examined further through biochemical
analysis. This is a sensitive issue and we shouldn't jump to
conclusions and condemn the product," he said.

Indeed it is sensitive -- the issue involves major religious
principles. In Amidhan's words, while there is still no
conclusive evidence, the case is classified as dubious, and in
Islam, things that are dubious or doubtful had better be
forbidden.

For the government, on the other hand, the issue concerns a
product that is popular throughout the country and banning it
could have major economic consequences, both for the company and
for the state. Thus, it is important to tread carefully.
Fortunately, the Ajinomoto company has had the good sense to pay
serious heed to the MUI's demands, thereby avoiding a possible
confrontation. It has changed its bacterium growing medium to a
plant derivative while promising to withdraw its dubious products
from the market.

What all this has shown us is how lax, or weak, the Ministry
of Health's Food and Drug Control Directorate-General's control
is over products being consumed by the Indonesian people. In this
particular case the government agency should have issued an early
warning to the Ajinomoto company not to use bacteria breeding
agents that could offend Muslims, who after all make up the
overwhelming majority of this country's population.