Ensuring halal food integrity: An overview of modern molecular and technological solutions

Abstract

Food authenticity is crucial for ensuring consumer trust, public health and market integrity with particular importance in the context of religious and cultural practices. For the global Muslim population, halal food adherence is not merely a dietary preference but a fundamental aspect of faith, necessitating rigorous verification of halal status. Traditional methods of halal food authentication such as sensory evaluation basic chemical analysis, electrophoresis and ionizing radiation often fall short in addressing the complexities of modern food production and supply chains leading to potential cross‐contamination and mislabeling. These limitations underscore the urgent need for advanced techniques in halal food authentication. This paper explores technologies such as DNA‐based methods, spectroscopy, chromatography, immunological assays, and emerging innovations like blockchain and artificial intelligence. By providing a comprehensive overview of these advanced techniques, this paper aims to highlight their potential in enhancing the accuracy, reliability and efficiency of halal food authentication thereby supporting industry stakeholders, regulators and consumers in upholding halal integrity. There is a growing need for integrating multiple techniques to address gaps and improve halal food authentication systems. Advanced techniques like DNA‐based methods, spectroscopy, and chromatography enhance halal food verification accuracy. Immunological assays like ELISA and Lateral Flow Immunoassays (LFIA) are highly sensitive for detecting non‐halal ingredients. Emerging technologies such as biosensors, blockchain, and AI offer real‐time, reliable solutions. Despite advancements, challenges include high costs, limited accessibility, and lack of standardization across the industry.