MENA FOOD

[doodlebugg 10]

since i started the subject there should be no back stabbing, name calling etc. Its very simple i wanted to learn the right foods, (mostly the hidden not the obvious) and sincere in asking for help, thanks to all who actually helped. Now who would like to help clean this house from top to bottom on short notice?

bahahaha!!!! Hire someone! That seemed to be the consensus when Raja's husband got here.

[Berber Mama 5]

I just wanted to add that it's not always food that you need to look out for. I had been giving my husband Tylenol gelcaps and I was advised by a muslim that they should not be ingested because the coating is made from pork. Who would have thought.

[catknit 144]

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.

Not all Gelatin is made from pork. Starbursts candies for instance--AND I HAVE CALLED M&M&Mars,-- are made from beef gelatin, and many things can have chicken gelatin in them, but STAY AWAY FROM STARBURSTS JELLY BEANS! So if you're worried about it, then call about the type of gelatin. It would be nice if the different manufacturers would clairify, and WHY if the whole line of products is already made with beef gelatin, did they decide it necessary to make something with PORK?! UGH!

Two reasons - cost and functionality. The pork gelatin may have slightly different qualities - depends on the specs of the specific ingredient.

On the cost front, that's why you'll see labels that say "vegetable oil [cottonseed and/or soybean oil]". Depends on the commodity market, capacity in refineries,etc - also it can be very seasonal if an ingredient is botantically based [i know, I know - pigs aren't seasonal ].

Food companies will go with what is cheapest and easiest to source that won't change the label. First and foremost, they are a commercial business. Unfortunately, the outcry for halal foods in the US has historically been rather weak. I know that isn't true with many of you here. But, if a company isn't going with a kosher label [by the way, a lot of koshering organizations recognize the fact that other groups look at their labels and "talk up" that point for selling their services], unless the company is specifically marketing to some group [Muslims, vegetarians, raw food people, organic consumers, 7th day adventists, or macrobiotic diet keepers just as examples] - the company will use whatever works and fits the cost structure for a product.

UmmSqueaker - there is a great vanilla bean store on ebay - I forget the name but can hunt it down for you - super reasonable prices!!!

[ARALB 0]

I just wanted to add that it's not always food that you need to look out for. I had been giving my husband Tylenol gelcaps and I was advised by a muslim that they should not be ingested because the coating is made from pork. Who would have thought.

That is correct! I took some multi vites to my hubby and some acidopholis as well, to help him stay healthy... AFTER my startburst scandal... I was checking all the labels I could find! I didn't want him to think I was really trying to mess with his religion! I love him and his family toooo much to blunder into another error that could pose serious issues not just for them, but between my family as a whole!

So Yeah-- its interesting the things you gotta watchout for!

[brnidokiegurl 0]

so medicine prob in hard tablet form only no gel caps, so that would be like most time released things that look more like little plastic pills with the tiny crystals inside for whatever reason, sinus, cold etc

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Watch out of nyquil and mouthwash. Many mouthwash have alcohol, and nyquil definitely does. Dayquil is alcohol free, and there are a few brands of mouthwash that are alcohol free.

If you're looking for vitamins that normally only come in gel form, you can search online and find stuff made with fish gelatin. All the omega-3 pills at the store are just "gelatin," but online I order a brand made with fish gelatin. If I were ambitious, I'd write down all the brands at the store and would call them up to see what kind of gelatin were in them, but I'm tired of calling customer service, lol.

[ARALB 0]

so medicine prob in hard tablet form only no gel caps, so that would be like most time released things that look more like little plastic pills with the tiny crystals inside for whatever reason, sinus, cold etc

Exactly- but you CAN find vegi-caps that have no pork in them if you go to the healthfood store. Trader Joe's is a good one!!! WISH WE HAD ONE IN WYOMING! Also Herbal Remedies carrys many varieties of things too.

And watch out for things in homeopothay... often times they are in an alcohal base.--

[brnidokiegurl 0]

[sandinista! 1,816]

It is good adab to begin with bismillah before eating anything, but in particular, one says bismillah over meat where they are not sure if it was said while the meat was being slaughtered. Wa'la, the name of Allah (swt) is said over the meat.

As for elsewhere, it's not healthy to hang out amidst backbiting. So please do continue it elsewhere if you wish, but if you have sincere advice that would help people here to practice their religion better, then offer it to them in the best possible terms.

And say to My servants, that they say words that are kindlier. For surely Satan provokes strife between them, and Satan is ever a manifest foe to man. (17:53)

O you who believe, do not let any people deride another people: who may be better than they are; nor let any women deride [other] women who may be better than they are. And do not defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. Evil is the name of immorality after faith! And whoever does not repent, those — they are the evildoers.

O you who believe, shun much suspicion. Indeed some suspicions are sins. And do not spy, nor backbite one another. Would any of you love to eat the flesh of his brother dead? You would abhor it. And fear God; assuredly God is Relenting, Merciful. (49:11-12)

only if yr following the school that says it's recommended to say it prior to the animal being killed. other schools say it is obligatory to invoke the name of God before, no matter what. in their case you can say bismillah as many times as you want before you eat, but it's not going to do anything to fulfill the obligation of it being said before that animal died. and is therefore disallowed to eat it. people should know that, and be made aware that there are some differences in thinking there. they should also know and understand the rules of shechita and what is and isn't required during shechita before they go off and eat animals killed in that way. were you assuming that anyone and everyone reading what you wrote already knew and understood those things so they could understand the context in which you said it's ok to eat meat slaughtered according to kosher guidelines? that seems like a pretty big assumption to make of most people who post here.

no one has done any backbiting here, and i fail to understand why you keep bringing up it up here when it doesn't pertain to anything i've said here. if yr not "hanging out there" where i made those comments then i have no idea how you would know i said anything there in the first place. but i digress. my comments there still have nothing to do with what i've said here.

[Badrs Love 0]

I noticed my pack of gum has gelatin listed. So I contacted Wrigley's and this is the response I got:

U.S. Wrigley Products Without Animal-Derived Ingredients

• Wrigley's Spearmint® gum

• Doublemint® gum and mints

• Big Red® gum

• Juicy Fruit® stick gum

• Winterfresh® gum

• Five® Cobalt, Rain, Flare and Lush gums

• Extra® Cinnamon, Bubble Gum, Peppermint, Spearmint, Winterfresh, Cool Green Apple, Cool Watermelon, Supermint, Berry Pearadise and Fruit Sensations flavors

• Eclipse® gum and mints

• Hubba Bubba® chunk and tape gums

• Big League Chew® shredded gum

• Freedent® gum

• Orbit® Bubblemint, Wintermint, Peppermint, Spearmint, Cinnamint, Sweetmint, Citrusmint, Fabulous Fruitini, Lemon Lime, Maui Melon Mint, Mint Mojito, Raspberry Mint and Sangria Fresca

• Orbit® WhiteTM pellet gums

• LifeSavers® hard candies and LifeSavers® lollipops

• Altoids® Sours and Altoids® gum

[sara535 15]

well THANK GOODNESS Big League Chew is safe! thats one I was worried about

[sandinista! 1,816]

well THANK GOODNESS Big League Chew is safe! thats one I was worried about

yeah, i audibly breathed a sigh of relief. it looks like bubble tape is safe too.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

See, now wouldn't it have been easier to simply bring up these points, rather then mock me elsewhere? I certainly learned something new. I knew in my madhab and amongst the scholars many salafis follow here in the US, that saying bismillah before you eat makes kosher meat ok. If someone follows one of those other schools, well then, kosher meat isn't ok for them.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

Green Giant valley fresh steamers (asian style medley)lists gelatin, what the heck?