Pork residue found in some paper-based packaging used for Halal foods; contamination traced to some animal-based lubricants used in paper packaging machinery, says testing company Genetic ID Europe

Debra Garcia

LOS ANGELES , July 6, 2012 (Industry Intelligence Inc.) – Some paper-based packaging materials have been found to have pork residues that were traced to some animal-based lubricants used in paper packaging machinery, according to a laboratory testing company, reported Food Production Daily on July 6.

Packaging made from recovered paper also could contain traces of pork from a prior use, said Bill Thompson, CEO of Genetic ID Europe, which issued a warning after finding positive pork residues in some samples of Halal foods in countries such as Germany, France and the U.K.

The lubricant can “leak” into the food from packaging, he said, noting it was not a “huge problem" but that people needed to be aware of it and take precautions, Food Production Daily reported.

Halal foods, which are allowed under Islamic dietary rules, ban such substances as pork. Such foods are consumed by 1.6 billion people globally and are a major growth market, with an estimated value worldwide of US$600 billion, reported Food Production Daily.

This growth, and increasingly sophisticated testing procedures, have increased the incidences of finding positive results for Halal-prohibited substances, said Thompson.

More and more market participants are processing both non-Halal and Halal products in the same facilities, increasing the potential for Halal foods to be contaminated with forbidden residues if cleaning procedures are not stringent, he added, reported Food Production Daily.

Thompson urged manufacturers of Halal foods to make sure that testing is rigorous and that certifications include packaging.

The primary source of this article is Food Production Daily, Montpellier, France, on July 6, 2012.

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