Halal formula milk in Japan - revised

Sufi from Chiba had asked me to share some info she got by calling up manufacturers of infant formula in Japan

According to her, the only two infant formula which contains no traces of animal substances would be Meiji's Elemental Formula and Meiji's Mirufi-HP. Her latest finding confirmed that there is no infant formula for newborn babies in Japan with no traces of animal substances used during the production process.

According to this blog referred by Aida-Kyushu, there is no halal formula for 0-9 month old baby readily available in Japan, including Mirufi HP, as it contains taurine, and according to the author of that blog, taurine is derived from ox bile, hence the name taurine (from Latin taurus). The author though lists Tsuyoiko (Bean Stalk), Chirumiru (Morinaga) and Gun Gun (Wakodo) - all of them formula for babies aged 9 months onwards, to be halal for consumption.

Somebody left a comment in my previous entry, claiming that only Bean Stalk formula is halal - and coincidentally, from my personal observation, Bean Stalk products, Sukoyaka (0-9 month) and Tsuyoiko (9 month plus) seem to be the choice brand for many Japanese muslim mama.

There is no confusion regarding Meiji's Hohoemi (0-9 month) and Steppu (9 month plus) though, since pork related substance was listed as part of the ingredients, making them both clearly haram.

While no other brand lists pork-related substance as part of the ingredients, Sufi found out that in Morinaga's products (Hagukumi, Chirumiru, E-Akachan) case, while soy-based emulsifier and lecithin are used as part of the ingredients, pork-based enzyme is used in protein hydrolysis.

She also claimed that similarly, pork-related substances may form part of the process in infant formula production by Wakodo, Bean Stalk and Yukijirushi.

So, what is halal and what is haram then?

I am not an expert on fiqh matters, neither is hubby, so when Aida-Kyushu first told us about the above-mentioned blog, we quickly referred to another Ustaz who is more well-versed in fiqh and qaedatul fiqh matters.

That was when we learned of istihlak and istihalah.

Istihlak (assimilation) happens when a prohibited substance is diluted in a lawful medium to the extent that none of the known properties, be it color, taste or smell, of the prohibited substance are noticeable in the lawful medium, then the prohibited substance can be ignored. For example, most bread contains yeast, which produces alcohol during anaerobic respiration, but the amount the alcohol is so small, and further decreased during baking, that no amount of ingested bread could cause intoxication, then the bread is halal.

Istihalah (substantial transformation) is changing the nature of the defiled (najis) or prohibited substance to produce a different substance in name, properties and characteristics. This includes transformation through chemical reaction, burning, cooking, etc. Thus, when a najis or prohibited substance have been completely transformed that it no longer carries the properties and characters of the original substance, then the ruling of haram does not apply to the new substance because it is something different.

There are other fatwa which ruled differently regarding pork-related substances, saying that pork should be exclusively treated in that its substances never really changes under what ever conditions.

Since this is khilaf, I guess it is up to individuals to choose which fatwa to follow, while respecting others who choose differently. The concern with what is halal and what is haram is a good thing - it shows that we Muslims are not willing to sacrifice Islamic principles easily. However, to prohibit or label a certain product haram should not be done without sophisticated knowledge of fiqh and qaedatul fiqh. Those in Muslim countries are lucky to have organizations that could identify halal products with all the necessary knowledge and know-hows, but excessive prohibition on products in non-Muslim countries where no such halal-identifying agents are available, might cause undue hardship and frustration. (Imagine if no halal infant formula is available for Japanese muslim mamas who are unable to breastfeed for long. They don't really have the option of 'importing from home' like us gaijin muslim. )

Try googling istihalah and istihlak, and one will discover in no time that these principles are adopted by the Islamic Organization for Medical Sciences, based in Kuwait. I do not seek to marginalize the issues of halal and haram, but just to highlight some Islamic principles used in determining halal and haram which might be unknown and unfamiliar to others.

Since there is no Jakij here in Japan (as there is Jakim in Malaysia), personally, I am going to apply the istihalah principle in choosing the infant formula for my kids. I will not however take responsibility for others who choose to do the same - instead I would urge others to do their own homework and seek opinions from more learned scholars before making up their mind regarding this, because one should not have doubts regarding her/his choice.

So, there, my two yen on this matter.
I should be concentrating on my PTK notes (many thanks to Marha and Syah), the exam is going to be held this coming Wednesday and Thursday, but I had trouble concentrating this dawn, hence this entry. Please pray for me (to do okay in the PTK exam), ya?