Food antimicrobials: addressing potential sources, challenges and testing as halal food preservatives

• Main Authors: Abdullah Sani, Muhamad Shirwan, Jamaludin, Mohammad Aizat, Ahmad Sowhini, Nur Syahiba Haseena, Mohamad Asri, Nurul Aimi Amanina
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: QD Chemistry; TP368 Food processing and manufacture
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/91425/3/Sani%20et%20al.%20-%202020.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/91425/9/91425_Food%20antimicrobials%20Addressing%20potential%20sources_Tentative.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/91425/; https://worldhalalsummit.com.tr/en/

Food antimicrobial agent (FAA) provides the first food defence system against food-borne pathogens and act as an antioxidant in preventing colour and taste changes in processed food products. Although various reports on halal focus on food, a negligible report is available for FAA as a halal food preservative. Muslims are concerned about (1) the FAA sources, which may contain non-permissible ingredients due to unknown and doubtful sources, (2) an incremented risk of consuming toxic FAA and (3) organoleptic effect rendered by the FAA. An in-depth scrutinisation of sources and toxicity level of the FAA, appropriate laboratory testing may address these issues and challenges. The FAA is categorised according to ingredient sources such as animal, plant, bacteria, or synthetic origins. There are doubts on the halal status of animal-origin FAA as the source might be originated from pig, unslaughtered animal, human, or filthy origins. Investigation via analysis of process flow for the source of FAA and its additive and complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and related analytical testing to confirm the halal status of the FAA will facilitate this activity. Toxicity challenge can be addressed through (1) preliminary determination of FAA dose including disk-diffusion, minimum inhibitory and time-kill tests and (2) toxicity test such as repeat-dose toxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity tests to verify and determine the final safe dose of FAA. The shelf-life test of the FAA on specific food model and actual food systems shall cater to organoleptic issues. Actions taken to address these issues and challenges shall ensure the production of the FAA complies with the requirement of halal standards worldwide and bring confidence to Muslim consumers on their food consumption. Furthermore, this review also highlighted how FAA could be verified as a halal food preservative, which is becoming future research in developing halal ingredients and processed food products.