Rapid Test Pork DNA
PETALING JAYA: The owner of the “Pork Meat Test” gadget today
clarified that its product doesn’t determine the status of a food item as
“halal” or “haram” and only detects the presence of pork, if there is any.
Iftitah Solutions (M) Sdn Bhd, which owns both the Rapidtest
brand and Pork Meat Test, said this a day after the Department of Islamic
Development Malaysia (Jakim) said it would only accept the results from the
Chemistry Department as proof of the presence of pig DNA in food products.
Iftitah CEO Abdul Syukor Othman, in a statement today, said,
“Jakim is an authorised body to determine the ‘halal’ or ‘haram’ status and the
Department of Chemistry Malaysia is a party to be referred to in determining
the content of a product.”
He said their product was based on the principle of
immunochromatography and was a low-cost method to deliver simple and fast
results compared with DNA testing.
Immunochromatography is a simple paper-based device used to
detect the presence (or absence) of a target analyte in a liquid sample
(matrix) without the need for specialised and costly equipment.
He also said the product was suitable for use “as a screening
mechanism” for dubious food items and could assist overseas travellers too.
“The test conducted is an individual endeavour to enhance their
confidence in a product which previously did not have any self-executing test
mechanisms. But the test results are only to determine the presence of pork
elements not ‘halal’ and ‘haram’ status,” Abdul Syukor said.
Jakim had to issue a statement following claims that a gadget
could detect the pig DNA in food in 10 minutes.
Its director-general Mohamad Nordin Ibrahim had said that such a
claim could cause confusion in society.
“Consumers should be careful and should not be confused by this
equipment,” he had said.
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