Cheeses and its Halal Status ( Halal , Haram, Syubhah )

The following things have to be Halal in order for a cheese to be considered Halal:

1. Ingredients used to make the Mother Starter Culture growth Media
2. Ingredients used to make the Bulk Starter Culture growth Media
3. Starter Bacterial culture are Halal if they obtained from milk source and not from meat source, usually in practice they obtained from milk.
4. Milk Coagulating Enzyme, such as Microbial rennet used to coagulate milk or Rennet obtained from Zabiha slaughtered calves
5. Fat Hydrolyzing Enzyme, such as Microbial Lipases
6. Dairy ingredients such as Non Fat dry milk solid or cream or dry milk added
7. Artificial color such as artificial blue or green color is added to neutralize natural yellow color in curd for Asiago or Blue cheese
8. Media to grow mold Penicillium roquefortti providing blue color in blue cheese
9. Harmless plant based enzyme is added for curing or flavor development and growth media for biological curing agent used on the surface of Brick cheese

Flavoring, hydrolyzed lactose, whey for cold packed cheese food, gelatin is allowed in cream cheese but most Halal product manufacturer use gums instead of gelatin.

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