MENA FOOD

[brnidokiegurl 0]

Frito-Lay Products Containing Pork Seasoning ‘Chip’ off Muslim Consumers Worldwide

Rima Abdelkader

Published 04/27/2007 - 7:39 p.m. CST Rate This Article:

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rima Abdelkader

Frito-Lay Products Containing Pork Seasoning ‘Chip’ off Muslim Consumers Worldwide

By Rima Abdelkader

NEW YORK, 28 April 2007, (Arabisto.com):

In the wake of corporate scandals, the “War on Terror” and increasing globalization in this post-9/11 world, most multinational corporations are finding it increasingly difficult to compete worldwide in marketing their products and services to potential buyers and sellers with America’s tarnished image abroad. One American company, Frito-Lay, a United States company that markets a variety of chips and snack foods internationally, has recently drawn much criticism and concern from its Muslim consumers and non-consumers—not for “anti-American feeling,” but for not informing them of pork enzymes contained in some of its products they consume.

From around the world, Muslims have been calling up Frito-Lay, inquiring about their products after learning of possible pork enzymes in their cheese seasonings. Muslim students and professionals, in response, started email campaigns, wrote on their blogs, and some even created groups on the popular college-networking website, Facebook.

One group on Facebook, “Fight Against Pork in Frito-Lay Products,” has already accumulated over 1,810 students globally. Its moderator urged its members to “call whether [they] are for or against the change” and for them to inform Frito-Lay of their concerns.

Above only part of the story.

Im sure you all are more familar with the hidden foods that cant be purchased but im not, i was looking around and found the above article. How would i have known this? What are some of the hidden dangers that i souldnt buy? I have been here eating alone for while and have eaten what i choose, now i need think whats in everything ugh what about when you go out to eat, how you going know what has been put in things pls tell me the things you would never in a millions years think he couldnt eat

[amal 4]

we're not that picky lol. We do our absolute best to check the packaging that it doesn't show any known pork products. We don't go around making excuses to eat pork, I promise!!! but it's just that we know that god knows we do our best to check and that is as good as we can do. We don't have the time to call on every product we consume.

I know that u have to be careful with marshmallows. Be careful with the hot dogs and sausages coz they're oftentimes cased in pork intestines but it's not written on the label.

My husband is not picky about going out to eat as long as we don't physically order pork. I do know others though whose husbands refuse to eat take-out just because there's a chance that pork may have been cooked on or near the place the beef and/or chicken was cooked or prepared..OR the worry that they could use the same utensils to prepare them. It's all really up to the non-pork eater and their preferences. Definitely talk to him about how he feels. Explain the ways restaurants prepare things and there are codes and what not and just see how he feels. Good Luck!

OH, and anything that has gelatin...is not ok. Gelatin (at least from what I've read) is made from pork.

[~PalmTreeGurl~ 154]

BTW, Just a "food for thought" didnt know if ya'll were aware of the fact that when you order pizza, we use the same bubble popping stick to pop all pizzas that get air bubbles in the dough whether - pork or non pork pizzas. And we use the same pizza cutter on all pizzas.

[amal 4]

BTW, Just a "food for thought" didnt know if ya'll were aware of the fact that when you order pizza, we use the same bubble popping stick to pop all pizzas that get air bubbles in the dough whether - pork or non pork pizzas. And we use the same pizza cutter on all pizzas.

luckily it's not an issue in my hubby's mind. He says that it's his responsibility to not order pork and to ask the ppl behind the counter to please use utensils that have not been used on pork products. I got lucky in this area with him! (but thanks for letting us know so I can be extra careful from now on when ordering)

[catknit 144]

I wish there was an easy answer...you can do a lot research online. Some - and I say this as literally as possible - some people follow kosher markings as an indicator that no pork products are present. However, and this again is a big however, different koshering unions follow different rules.

Years ago, there were some koshering unions that allowed gelatin from pork sources to be labeled kosher because of the process rendering one of the mid-process components was inedible; thus making a new "start point" for the process - in their minds making it no longer pork based.

There are kosher rules pertaining to alcohol but not the lack of alcohol.

Religious food regs are beyond touchy because just as you see in all religions a lot of arguments about what is right or wrong about anything and everything, it rolls right over into food rules too.

A "for instance" - let's say there is an enzyme that helps make cheese taste better. The enzyme comes from the digestive system of a pig. For years, the enzyme was "harvested" from slaughtered pigs. With all the new fangled science, biochemists are able to figure out the structure of the enzyme and use biotech to make the enzyme in a lab using microbes. But, they have to use the genetic info from a pig to do it...the enzyme isn't coming out of a pig anymore - it's coming out of a petridish. But, the microbes used have a piece of genetic material from a pig - is that halal or not?

A few years back there was an agency out of Chicago that was trying to mark foods as Halal with a crescent moon. I don't know how wide spread the marking is.

You're going to have to try the best you can, read labels, find out which koshering unions are more strict and look for their marks on food...

Edited January 22, 2009 by milo75

[brnidokiegurl 0]

im thinking he wont be that hard to please, the obvious of course, but i was just wondering the hidden ones that i wouldnt ever think about. Ill do best i can and try to learn and get ideas from you all

[Y's_habibitk 2]

I have become a label reader for sure.

I worked with this girl years ago, she dated this guy from iraq. She found these super yummy turkey sausages. they ate them all_the_time. He would throw them on the bbq, eat them up like crazy. One day she happened to read the ingredients and the casing was made from pork! She didnt have the heart to tell him, she just told him the didnt make them anymore and never bought them again. yikes!

[maggieNomar 0]

A lot is going to depend on how strict he is. Will he only eat halal meat or is the supermarket meat ok? Then if only halal, you are limited to fish from the store, and items that don't have meat in them. That frito lay thing was surprising. Glad you have nothing to do but search the net while you wait for him so you can keep us informed.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

A lot is going to depend on how strict he is. Will he only eat halal meat or is the supermarket meat ok? Then if only halal, you are limited to fish from the store, and items that don't have meat in them. That frito lay thing was surprising. Glad you have nothing to do but search the net while you wait for him so you can keep us informed.

girl are you crazyyyyyyyyyyyyy nothing to do? try work, mom in nursing home, trying to straighten house, and now wondering what he will eat ha but he is not that strict we talked the meat and he said if avail if not its ok, but i still would like to do best he can. Thats what im afraid of eat something THEN find out but hey i just been eating what i like, but i think i see more healthy in the near future

[Aymsgirl 0]

BRNI...my hubby is like Amal's. He will not voluntarily eat pork but we do not have to spend the money on the Halal meat unless we catch a good deal or have it. Plus we can't worry all of the time about where we go, what they have used as far as pans and etc. Maybe we should but we just don't. We just try out best to choose not to consume pork. I have heard of some men having issues with this when they arrive. It's good that you are discussing this now then later.

[Imua 0]

Frito-Lay Products Containing Pork Seasoning ‘Chip’ off Muslim Consumers Worldwide

Rima Abdelkader

Published 04/27/2007 - 7:39 p.m. CST Rate This Article:

0

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rima Abdelkader

Frito-Lay Products Containing Pork Seasoning ‘Chip’ off Muslim Consumers Worldwide

By Rima Abdelkader

NEW YORK, 28 April 2007, (Arabisto.com):

In the wake of corporate scandals, the “War on Terror” and increasing globalization in this post-9/11 world, most multinational corporations are finding it increasingly difficult to compete worldwide in marketing their products and services to potential buyers and sellers with America’s tarnished image abroad. One American company, Frito-Lay, a United States company that markets a variety of chips and snack foods internationally, has recently drawn much criticism and concern from its Muslim consumers and non-consumers—not for “anti-American feeling,” but for not informing them of pork enzymes contained in some of its products they consume.

From around the world, Muslims have been calling up Frito-Lay, inquiring about their products after learning of possible pork enzymes in their cheese seasonings. Muslim students and professionals, in response, started email campaigns, wrote on their blogs, and some even created groups on the popular college-networking website, Facebook.

One group on Facebook, “Fight Against Pork in Frito-Lay Products,” has already accumulated over 1,810 students globally. Its moderator urged its members to “call whether [they] are for or against the change” and for them to inform Frito-Lay of their concerns.

Above only part of the story.

Im sure you all are more familar with the hidden foods that cant be purchased but im not, i was looking around and found the above article. How would i have known this? What are some of the hidden dangers that i souldnt buy? I have been here eating alone for while and have eaten what i choose, now i need think whats in everything ugh what about when you go out to eat, how you going know what has been put in things pls tell me the things you would never in a millions years think he couldnt eat

Wow - I am surprised I never heard about this - as a vegetarian these chips would not be good for me either. This reminds me of the suit file against McD's because they use beef flavoring in their fries - they stopped using it in India but still do in the U.S. It's amazing how allergy information is so prominent on labels now but maybe because enough vegetarian and religious groups haven't made a stink it still takes effort to see if there are any animal products in a given food. In India if a product is veg they put a green dot on the front of the package, if it is non-veg a brown dot. I wish there was a system like this in the US.

As others have stated, avoid anything with gelatin - you'd be surprised how many candies especially have it as an ingredient like Junior Mints, Starburst, Skittles...

[Imua 0]

This is a very useful list:

http://www.vegfamily.com/lists/animal-ingredients.htm

[MrsAmera 41]

brni - certain doritos/cheetos also have this enzyme in them as well as actual packaged cheese. My husband is like the others, as long as he isn't actually eating a hunk of pork he's good to go. However at first he was a little worried, I had found substitutes (like turkey ham, turkey bacon, turkey pepperoni) and it made him nervous because they are supposed to be made of pork. Now he's cooled his jets and enjoys it! As someone said, there comes a point where, is it really pork or is it so far removed from the source. This is how we think of the enzyme issue. PattuRuni is right about the candy thing, this is the hardest issue with my kids, I have to read EVERYTHING! Also the casing issue. Even if it says that they are non-pork hot dogs or sausages, check what the casing is. Also if you're unsure of a product you can alwasy call their customer help line, I've always been helped and gotten answers easily.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

This is a very useful list:

http://www.vegfamily.com/lists/animal-ingredients.htm

Vegetarians have great lists We've become quite a bit more hardcore in the last year re: zabiha only meat. This greatly limits what we can eat from the supermarket. Thank God for the vegetarian cheese list.

Basically, at this point I've become tired of reading labels, so I make just about everything myself. Homemade desserts (with alcohol free vanilla flavoring), pizza, meatloaf, fried chicken, I've made just about everything. Ice cream is a project I'm eager to try, although I want to invest in a good ice cream maker, so I'm saving my pennies (very few ice creams are made without vanilla extract).

By coincidence, I picked up In Defense of Food and an Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan a year ago, and it's helped a lot in my shopping and cooking. He explores the food industry, and lays out some rules to shop and eat by:

1. Don’t eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food (or someone's grandmother somewhere in the world).

2. Avoid foods containing ingredients you can’t pronounce.

3. Don’t eat anything that wouldn’t eventually rot.

4. Avoid food products that carry health claims.

5. Shop the peripheries of the supermarket; stay out of the middle.

6. Better yet, buy food somewhere else: the farmer’s market or CSA.

7. Pay more, eat less.

8. Eat a wide diversity of species.

9. Eat food from animals that eat grass.

10. Cook and, if you can, grow some of your own food.

11. Eat meals and eat them only at tables.

12. Eat deliberately, with other people whenever possible, and always with pleasure.

[Imua 0]

brni - certain doritos/cheetos also have this enzyme in them as well as actual packaged cheese. My husband is like the others, as long as he isn't actually eating a hunk of pork he's good to go. However at first he was a little worried, I had found substitutes (like turkey ham, turkey bacon, turkey pepperoni) and it made him nervous because they are supposed to be made of pork. Now he's cooled his jets and enjoys it! As someone said, there comes a point where, is it really pork or is it so far removed from the source. This is how we think of the enzyme issue. PattuRuni is right about the candy thing, this is the hardest issue with my kids, I have to read EVERYTHING! Also the casing issue. Even if it says that they are non-pork hot dogs or sausages, check what the casing is. Also if you're unsure of a product you can alwasy call their customer help line, I've always been helped and gotten answers easily.

Sadly yes, you really need to read the labels - almost all gummi candy has gelatin, marshmallows, etc. Most chocolates do not but I was surprised about Junior Mints - I used to love to eat those at the movies Also a lot of yogurt has gelatin in it, including most Dannon brands.