Lipids are the collective term for oils, fats and lipoids. Usually when we say fats we also include oils; the oily substances in food are mainly oils and fats. Generally, those that are liquid at room temperature are called oils, and those that are solid at room temperature are called fats. Fats are composed of three elements: C, H and O. Fats are triacylglycerols composed of glycerol and fatty acids, where the glycerol molecule is relatively simple, while the types and lengths of fatty acids vary. Fatty acids fall into three major categories: saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fats are soluble in most organic solvents but insoluble in water; they are glycerides of one or more fatty acids, C3H5(OOCR)3.
One of the most common ingredients in food manufacturing and processing plants is oily substances. Oil is defined as any greasy substance that is insoluble in water. There are vast differences in the types of oils, and their sources also vary—some come from animals, plants and even minerals. Edible oils usually come from animals or plants. A question we are often asked is: must vegetable oil from an oil processing plant be Halal?
Currently, the more common Halal oils and fats in the international market are of plant origin, and this chapter is limited to explaining plant-based oils and fats.
Pure vegetable oils that have not undergone deep processing—i.e. virgin soybean oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, etc.—are essentially Halal (provided that their processing equipment and transportation methods do not cross-contaminate or affect the Halal nature).
Oils must indicate their actual source on the packaging, that is, plant or animal origin. The purpose of this is that consumers can easily identify which are non-Halal oils. However, the most important thing is to note whether the product is approved by a reliable Halal certification body. The reason for this is that manufacturers of vegetable shortening often use the same equipment to process animal fats. The purity of pure plant products can meet the guidelines of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), but in terms of Halal, vegetable oil may be non-Halal because it may be processed on non-Halal equipment.
The main challenge for vegetable oil to maintain its Halal nature comes from crude oil refining, deodorization and processing at refineries. Due to trade demand, most refineries, in addition to processing vegetable oils, also process butter, lard and the like. Butter and lard are not allowed to share processing and transportation pipelines with vegetable oils; if a vegetable oil processing plant has previously processed butter or lard, then a thorough cleaning becomes extremely important. Cleaning must be carried out under heating conditions, because hot water must be used for cleaning rather than flushing with oil. To ensure absolute cleanliness, the cleaning process must be personally carried out by an inspector appointed by a Halal certification body. Since water and oil cannot mix, but hot water must be used for cleaning, a period of drying is usually required after hot-water cleaning to thoroughly dry the equipment.
Our center (SINOQUAL) is the official designated agency in China established by the International HALAL Certification Department of MUIS (the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, a unit under Singapore's Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth), the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America in Chicago (IFANCA), the Halal Food Council (HFC), and the Asia Pacific Halal Council (APHC), to adapt to China's growing demand for Halal certification, mainly responsible for handling the Halal certification business of their Halal certification departments in the China region. Due to our professional experience and precise, efficient, enthusiastic service philosophy, as well as our unmatched credibility, we currently have more than 1,000 clients, including Fortune 500 enterprises: COFCO, Sinopharm, CNPC, Sinopec, Greatview; foreign enterprises: Yihai Kerry, LION Corporation, GL Biotech Co., Ltd, Chamgoeul Co., Ltd, CORETECH Co., Ltd., Myoungsung Flour Milling Co. Ltd; companies listed in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Shenzhen: Huiyuan Juice Group, North China Pharmaceutical (NCPC), Xiangchi Holdings, JF-NATURAL, HEC Pharm, Yifan Xinfu, Hengshun Vinegar, and Jinan Shengquan Group (Healtang).
As a trusted partner, SINOQUAL's policy is to maintain the highest standards of honesty in business. SINOQUAL aims to handle business and relationships in a fair, honest and lawful manner.
Due to honest dealing and attention to detail as well as high standards of certification requirements, we have a repeat customer rate of over 98%. These clients all agree to provide us with their technical data and confidential production processes and formulas, and we ensure the strict confidentiality of this information. Regarding confidentiality, please consult our confidentiality notice: http://www.halalkosher.org/halal/notice/900.htm