Why Does Cheese Rind Matter?

You may throw away the rind and not give it another thought. If you purchase halal-certified cheese, you won’t have a problem.
If you are unable to source halal-certified cheese your next best choice is a cheese that is manufactured suitable for vegetarians. However, you will need to check the rind creation. Some natural rinds are created by whipping the surface of the wheel with lard, olive or vegetable oil, or sometimes wine or beer.

How to Know?

Rather than study all the elements of cheese making, you can be sure you are eating halal cheese by looking for a halal certification mark on the package. These certifications are important because reading the ingredients alone may not be enough. The manufacturer may change the rennet type without informing Muslim consumers. Vegetarians and halal consumers can stay safe by finding the certification.

By choosing cheese products that are halal-certified, you help support the halal industry and encourage manufacturers interested in serving the halal consumer. These products have gone through the proper channels to make sure they are halal.

a)Yogurt

Many yogurt products are thickened using gelatin, which can come from many sources. If it is derived from beef or pork, it must be certified halal to be considered permissible to consume. While animal-derived gelatin can be replaced with fish gelatin or plant thickeners, halal certification will offer much-needed peace of mind to halal consumers concerned about what’s in their food. And because yogurt is a staple of regions where halal diets comprise the majority—such as the Middle East and Northern Africa—it becomes that much more important to indicate that yogurt manufacturers certify their products.

b)Whey

Whey protein represents one of the fastest growing and most profitable industries on the market. But while whey on its own is halal, it is also manufactured using rennet—which, if you remember, can be processed with animal-based enzymes. Therefore, whey also must be certified in order to ensure it is consumable.

c)Desserts

Dairy treats such as ice cream and cakes are more difficult to certify since they often contain a long list of ingredients. Without certification, halal consumers usually resort to doing the safer thing by deciding not to purchase any dessert in case it is made with gelatin, lard, or alcohol-based flavorings. Certification saves halal consumers from the trouble having to decide whether their desserts are consumable or not.

With the industrialization of food manufacturing and the complications of processing, handling, packaging, and storing food over the centuries, it became more and more difficult to verify food.

Today, the AHF halal symbol is recognized around the world for epitomizing integrity, wholesomeness, and authenticity for halal-compliant food. This means consumers don’t need to read labels and wonder.
If you are a cheese or dairy business, call American Halal Foundation at +1 (630) 759-4981 for more information on how to become halal-certified today.