Question:
As Salamu Alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatu,
Shaikh Gibril, Are all cheese halal regardless of ingredients? I’ve received some emails several years ago about how cheddar cheese in the USA contains pork products (enzymes) and it’s not halal. Can you please give a detailed answer regarding this subject? JazakAllahu Khair.
Answer:
`Alaykum Salam,
Like lard in soap, the rennet used in cheese is processed and is no longer pork, and cheese by definition is a dairy product. To task people to look into it with a lab microscope makes life difficult for them and borders on waswasa. Nevertheless, for peace of mind, if a halal brand is not available one can use Kosher cheeses or those produced with vegetable or microbial enzymes, which is more and more widespread nowadays.
Hajj Gibril Haddad
