Overwhelming Majority of Gelatin Products Lack Halal Status

The vast majority of animal-based gelatin products used in consumer goods throughout Malaysia lack halal certification according to expert analysis. More than 95% of animal-based gelatin or protein utilized in food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, daily-use products in Malaysia reportedly operate without halal certification.

Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) chemical plus process engineering lecturer Associate Professor Dr Farhan Mohd Said reports that less than 3% of gelatin used in local products maintains halal-certified status, as reported by Utusan Malaysia.

Gelatin Production Involves Complex Animal-Derived Processing

Gelatin operates as a colloid made from collagen, typically extracted from skin, bones, tissues of animals such as cows with pigs. This extraction process creates significant religious concerns for Muslim consumers requiring assurance that source animals were slaughtered according to Islamic principles.

The material’s widespread use across multiple product categories makes certification status crucial for Muslim consumers seeking religiously compliant goods.

Certification Requirements Create Substantial Compliance Barriers

Dr Farhan attributes the low certification percentage to complex standards plus procedures for obtaining halal certification. All production stages—from slaughtering, pretreatment, extraction, filtration, purification to drying—must comply with Malaysian Halal Management System (SPHM) plus Halal Certification Procedure Manual (MPPHM). These comprehensive requirements create substantial operational challenges for producers attempting to achieve certification compliance.

SME Awareness Remains Limited Despite Market Opportunity

Awareness of halal certification remains low among local industries, especially small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the ruminant livestock sector, due to financial with management constraints. Despite Malaysia hosting thousands of cattle, goat, buffalo, freshwater fish farmers, a halal gelatin industry remains almost non-existent. Most farms operate on small scales, unable to meet domestic demand for certified halal gelatin products.

Livestock Population Fails to Support Domestic Needs

According to the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), total cattle plus buffalo population in 2023 reached approximately 798,771—only sufficient to meet around 15% of local requirements. This livestock shortage creates fundamental supply chain limitations preventing domestic halal gelatin production expansion. The gap between livestock availability with market demand necessitates heavy reliance on imported gelatin products.

Production Mathematics Reveal Fundamental Supply Constraints

Producing 1kg of halal bovine gelatin requires approximately 6kg of bones plus skin from properly slaughtered cattle. With only 726,206 cows available domestically, Malaysia imports about 85% of its gelatin needs according to Dr Farhan’s analysis. This mathematical reality demonstrates that even full utilization of existing livestock populations would fall dramatically short of meeting national gelatin requirements, making import dependence structurally inevitable under current conditions.

Original Article:

New Straits Times. (2025, September 30). Most animal-based gelatin products in Malaysia lack halal certification. New Straits Times. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2025/06/1237066/most-animal-based-gelatin-products-malaysia-lack-halal-certification