The Critical Point of Halal in Supplements and Medicines
Assalamu’alaikum Sobat Halal-Mu
Are you among those who consume food supplements for body health? Consumption of supplements for the body is good, but you need to check whether the product uses ingredients that have been confirmed halal. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the halalness of these drugs and health supplements.
In the Decree of the Head of the Food and Drug Administration of the Republic of Indonesia Number HK.00.05.23.3644, what is meant by food supplements is a product that is intended to complement the nutritional needs of food, containing one or more ingredients in the form of vitamins, minerals, amino acids or other ingredients (derived from plants or not plants) which have nutritional value and or physiological effects in concentrated amounts.
In addition, food supplements produced and/or distributed in the territory of Indonesia must have a distribution permit from the Head of the Agency. In its production, it must use materials that meet quality standards in accordance with the Indonesian Pharmacopoeia, Indonesian Materia Medica or other recognized standards.
Then according to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, Drugs are materials or alloys of materials, including biological products that are used to influence or investigate physiological systems or pathological conditions in the context of determining diagnosis, prevention, healing, recovery, health improvement and contraception, for humans. If you use it properly, it can prevent, cure diseases or overcome health problems.
So what are the critical points of halalness in Food Supplements and Medicines?
“Know that if an unlawful food enters the stomach of one of you, his deeds will not be accepted for 40 days” (HR At-Thabrani).
Critical points that must be observed include:
– Raw Materials
Raw materials are the main ingredients for making drugs and supplements. Raw materials can come from animal and vegetable sources. If the raw material comes from pigs and their derivatives or animals that are not necessarily halal, then it is clear, the resulting product must be haram. As for if it comes from halal animals, it must be ensured that it is sourced from animals that are slaughtered in a shar’i manner.
– Auxiliary Materials
Similar to raw materials, auxiliary materials must also be ensured to be halal, although their role is not as much as raw materials. In synthetic drugs and supplements, the critical point in auxiliary materials needs to be considered. For example, tablet coatings that may come from gelatin must be ensured to come from halal animals and slaughtered in a shar’i manner. Similarly, liquid chemicals, when stored in capsule shells, need to be considered whether they come from gelatin or plant origin. The use of emulsifiers also needs to be considered whether they are derived from plants or halal animals that are slaughtered in a shar’i manner.
– Additional Ingredients
One of them is solvent. If the solvent is alcohol, it is necessary to ensure that the source is not derived from khamr.
– Capsule Shell
Capsule shells are usually made of gelatin. Gelatin capsule technology is chosen by pharmaceutical manufacturers because it is superior in its bioavailability, in addition to being easier to modify in terms of biopharmaceutics. The raw materials for gelatin are skin and bones from mammalian animals, such as cattle and pigs. Broadly speaking, gelatin sources for capsule manufacturing are divided into type A gelatin derived from pig skin and type B gelatin derived from cattle skin and bones.
– Production Process
For synthetic drugs and supplements, because it only involves chemical reactions, there is little chance of contamination with non-halal products. However, in herbal medicines, the extraction process is very important to pay attention to its halalness, especially if the extraction comes from animals, it must be ensured that it comes from halal animals.
Halal Is Our Need, Our Quality and Our Choice!
Source : various sources
