New very sensitive Halal test kit available for everyday use

Halal is a requirement for food to be eaten by those of the Islamic faith.

It means that the food has been prepared, processed, handled and packaged according to strict requirements.

One of these requirements is that there be no pig meat in any halal certified product.

Until now ensuring this requirement has been met has been done by checking that no pig meat or products are in any contact at all with the halal products. This has been done through checking records and ensuring that procedures are followed correctly.

Now a new test method will potentially make this checking of process and documents, a thing of the past.

The University of Selangor in Malaysia has developed a brilliant test kit that will allow Muslims to very quickly test for the presence of non-halal ingredients in their food. Tests like this have been around for some time, but this new version will not only detect pig DNA but other materials as well. This makes it probably the most advanced Halal test kit available.

The new kit uses nano-sensor technology to a detectable level of  0.001 percent, in a small pack which will allow people at home to use it easily and within only 10 seconds.

The University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Doctor Anuar Ahmad, said “Although it is small, it can save costs compared to laboratory tests”.

The kit will be relatively cheap to be accessible to the public, but as with all test kits it is the repeatability, effectiveness and accuracy that will need to be tested to ensure it is still applicable.

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.