Piggie Piggie: The Saga Continues

I always knew that smoking was haram...

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Cigarette filters contain pig’s blood

1. April 2010 05:25

By Candy Lashkari

The next time you light up a cigarette you may be puffing on a filter which contains pig’s blood. Recent Dutch research found that pig hemoglobin was being used to make filters of cigarettes more effective in blocking harmful chemicals before they enter the smoker’s lungs.

Simon Chapman, a professor at the University of Sydney said that this was one of the 185 industrial uses of a pig that the Dutch research had identified. Chapman was quoted by Australian AAP news agency saying “I think that there would be some particularly devout groups who would find the idea that there were pig products in cigarettes to be very offensive”

"The Jewish community certainly takes these matters extremely seriously and the Islamic community certainly do as well, as (so) would many vegetarians. It just puts into hard relief the problem that the tobacco industry is not required to declare the ingredients of cigarettes ... they say 'that's our business' and a trade secret." said Chapman.

One cigarette brand in Greece was a confirmed user of Pig Hemoglobin in its production process. Considering that the Jews and Muslims consider the consumption of pork opposed to their core beliefs this new research finding is sure to shake a few feathers.

As a smoker of the Jewish or Islamic faith you would like to know if this ingredient is used in processing your cigarette, but tobacco companies do not provide these details. In voluntary disclosures of contents of their products they include “undisclosed processing aids” and these are said to be, “not significantly present in, and do not functionally affect, the finished product"

So in effect there is no way for you to know what really goes into the production of your cigarette.

Piggie Piggie

Where can I get a box of these? Dubious 'halal' takeouts, beware...

Pork test to bust cheats

(Reuters) - Scientists in mainly Muslim Kazakhstan have come up with an instant test for the presence of pork in food, a popular newspaper reported on Monday.

Oddly Enough

The plastic-stick test detects food molecules that are found only in pork, which is forbidden by Islam but is easily found in the Central Asian state, Megapolis weekly said.

"It's no secret that some chefs cheat and add pork to beef to make the dish cheaper," the newspaper wrote on Monday, saying the practice was widespread in Kazakhstan.

"When you get your beef patty, cut off a couple of small pieces and drop them in a glass of water. Stir, shake, put the test stick in ... In a minute or two you will see the result."

Megapolis said it was unclear when the test, in which the stick changes color as in a pregnancy test, would become widely available.

(Writing by Olzhas Auyezov, editing by Tim Pearce)