Vol.4 (2014) No.

4
ISSN: 2088-5334

Halal Cat Food for the World Market

Amir H.M.S.1, Razauden Z.1, Harisun Y.2, Ida I.M3, Mona Z.4,
1
Faculty of Biosceince and Biomedical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
E-mail: [email protected] /[email protected],
1
Faculty of Biosceince and Biomedical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
E-mail: [email protected]
2
Institute of Bioproduct Development,Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Skudai, Johor,Malaysia
E-mail: [email protected]

3
Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
E-mail: [email protected]
4
Faculty of Education, International Islamic University (UIA), Kuantan Campus, Pahang
E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract— Currently, University Technology Malaysia (UTM) is engaged with a well-known private company in Malaysia to develop
halal cat food for the world. A team of scientists from UTM was formed for the development of cat food from preparing palatants to
producing canned cat and kibbled cat food formulation on a commercial scale to fulfil the vast market demand, as well as to act as
contract manufacturer for this private company. Financial aid is made available by the university and Malaysian government. The
promising market potential of cat food is estimated to be over USD27 billion with over 7 million tonnes produced in 2013 (35% of the
pet food market). It is expected to grow at 5.5% in value and 2% in volume; and this had driven the project to be initiated by UTM.
The idea of halal, itself is a selling point to the Muslim consumers and the world at large. The world’s Muslim population is estimated
to be around 1.6 billion, while the world population is estimated to be at 4.6 billion. The demand for halal products is ever growing
with emerging markets in India & China. In addition, the purchasing power of the Muslims is growing, where between 1990 and
2010, the Growth Domestic Product (GDP) per capita for Muslims globally had risen from a Cumulative Annual Growth Rate
(CAGR) of 6.8% in comparison to global GDP per capita which is only at CAGR of 5.0%. Cat food will come in human contact
during feeding, handling, cleaning of feeding utensils under the same washing basin and dishwasher. Many times cat food will engage
with human food storage facilities such as in the refrigerator and May to some extent affect the human food chain if it is not halal.
Most of the available cat feed produce worldwide is non halal and majority are known to contain residues of porcine, dog materials
and blood meal, deem unhealthy and unclean by the Muslims community.

Keywords— cat food; halal; Malaysia

healthy and their lifespan prolonged. The only thing that the
I. INTRODUCTION westerners may not be aware of is the term ‘Halal’ which
The world’s pet food market is valued at USD69 billion indicate that the food is free from any kind of filth, the raw
and as much as 22 million tonnes had been manufactured in materials are from clean sources and does not contain
2013 [1] out of which 30-35% is dominated by cat food contaminants.
products. Based on Euromonitor report in 2013, there are The use of these animals by products, manufactured from
650 million of cats and dogs worldwide of which 35% of dead, dying, diseased and disabled animals, and also those
that population is cats, and 55% of them live in Europe & with drugs residues (sodium pentobarbital which is used to
North America [1]. euthanize companion animals) should not be allowed to
The demand for clean and quality cat food has been on the enter the human and animal food chain [2].
rise in recent years since they are aware of the benefits it It is anticipated that halal cat food products will not only
brings to their beloved animal; where their pets will be be for the Muslim market but also the global market. They
are guaranteed to be free from all contaminants and

26
produced from hygienic raw materials, which is essential for Cat food will come into human contact during feeding,
the cats’ health. handling and cleaning of feeding utensils using the same
basin and dishwasher used for humans. On many occasions,
II. WHY THE WORLD MARKET NEEDS HALAL CAT FOOD? cat food will be kept together with human food storage
The caption ‘halal’ is itself is a selling point and facilities such as in the refrigerator. This may, to some
frequently used as a strategic marketing tool. This caption is extent, contaminate human food if it is not halal.
expected to be recognised by Muslims worldwide and Halal is an Arabic word which is defined as permissible,
accepted without doubt as being safe and clean for food legal and allowed. Halal food may include: halal animal
consumption and to handle. which is slaughtered according to Islamic Law, and contains
The other factor is demand for halal products is growing no human parts, non-toxicating, non-hazardous, free from
due to sizeable and growing Muslim population, estimated at filth, including the equipment used in the food preparation.
around 1.6 billion (Fig.1) and with emerging markets in The ingredient used in the preparation of animal feed must
India & China, where the market demand for halal food also be halal in order to declare the feed as halal. Halal feed
product is estimated at USD2.1 trillion (NMS Consultancy, is guaranteed to be free from impurities and any harmful
2014) (Fig. 1). In addition, the purchasing power of the substances.
Muslims is growing, where between 1990 and 2010, the Most of the available dry cat food produce worldwide are
Growth Domestic Product (GDP) per capita for Muslims ‘non halal’ and a majority are known to contain residues of
globally has risen from a Cumulative Annual Growth Rate porcine, dog materials and blood meal. In the United States
(CAGR) of 6.8% in comparison to global GDP per capita of America alone as many as 100 million hogs are
which is only at CAGR of 5.0% (Fig. 1). slaughtered annually along with 37 additional millions of
cows. Where will all the carcasses go to if not into the
animal feed chain? Muslims view pig and its derivatives as
Overview of the Global Halal Market unhygienic, unhealthy and are strictly prohibited for
consumption. Why this is so, will be discussed in this paper.
USD 2.1 trillion
III. SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR REJECTING NON HALAL ANIMALS &
THEIR BY-PRODUCT
This paper will only cover the ‘non-halal’ animals & their
Growing
economic by-products since they are the main basic ingredients used in
development human and animal food chain that are widely and
in Muslim indiscriminately used in the cat food manufacturing industry.
countries The prohibited materials are pig, dog, blood, carrion and
dead animal; all of which used as the main protein source in
Sizeable and Emergence of
growing potential Halal this manufacturing industry. According to Muslims, all the
Muslim markets above are classified as non-halal for consumption and
(China &
population India)
touching those material will require the handlers to undergo
certain ritual cleansing procedures.

IV. WHAT IS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF SLAUGHTERING?

Muslim population “Chinese Halal The purpose of slaughtering animals according to Islamic
worldwide (2010) =
1.8 billion
markets is worth principle is to remove as much blood as possible from the
USD2.1 billion and muscles to ensure that the meat derived from the carcass will
Forecasted to grow at
growing at 10.0%
twice the rate by 2030
annually”
have longer shelf life prior to processing and preservation. In
representing 27% of addition severing the trachea, oesophagus, carotid and
global population jugular veins of the slaughtered animal is a must. This is the
Source:
best way to remove maximum blood from the animal and to
Source:
Pew Research “Between 1990 and Islamic reduce the animal’s suffering and speed-up the death
Centre 2010, GDP per capita for Association of process.
Muslims worldwide has China Blood is a fluid rich in mineral and has high moisture
grown at a Cumulative content which makes it the best medium for microbial
Annual Growth Rate
(CAGR) of 6.8% (Global
growth. The Muslim’s way of slaughtering animal is to
CAGR 5.0%).” ensure that minimum blood will be retained in the meat.
Basically cat food is comprised of Protein, Fat,
Carbohydrate and Vitamins & Minerals [4]-[7]. The perfect
Source: cat food may contain 50-60% protein, 30-50% fat, and 5-
United Nation and IMF 10% carbohydrate, which is the cat’s natural diet in the wild
[8]. Currently, there is no commercial dried cat food is
Fig.1 Overview of the Global Market [3] available in market that emulates the natural diet of the cat.
However, attempts have been made to produce canned cat
food with 95% or more protein per weight basis as defined

27
by AAFCO “95% Rule” with the use of ingredient/s derived Given:
from animal, poultry or fish [9]. Guaranteed Analysis for Selected Dried Cat Food (1 kg =
The common list of raw materials used in the cat food USD 9.50)
manufacturing industry today are: named meat meal, TABLE II
poultry meat meal, poultry by-product meal, meat bone COMPARISON BETWEEN WET AND DRY CAT FOOD
meal, bone meal, fish meal, fresh chicken, fresh beef, offal,
Under Moist On Dry Matter Basis
fresh fish, beef tallow, chicken oil, vegetable oil, animal fat, Condition Figure 5
animal digest, rice flour, soya bean flour, wheat flour, corn Figure 2
starch, tapioca, corn starch, corn gluten meal, vegetables
(fresh/dried fruits & nuts), permitted colouring, natural & Protein 35% 35./90 x 100 = 38.9%
artificial flavours, preservatives, anti-rancid, fish & animal Fat 17% 17./90 x 100 = 18.9%
natural flavours, vitamin & mineral. However, the common Crude Fibre 8.5% 8.5./90 x 100 = 9.4%
ones are as listed in Table 1. Moisture / Water 10% ---Nil---
Carbohydrate 29.5% 29.5./90x100=32.8%
TABLE I
BIOLOGICAL VALUES OR QUALITY OF 14 PROTEIN [10]
Therefore, the percentage of carbohydrate under moist
Wheat condition is 100% (35%+17%+8.5%+ 10%) = 29.5% (Fig.
flour
2), while the dry matter percentage is 100%-10% = 90%.
Wheat
gluten For dried cat food, the difference of availability of protein,
Beans
fat and carbohydrate under dry matter basis and that under
moisture condition is insignificant. This is due to the fact
Corn
that the moisture / water content in dry cat food may range
Peas from 7-12% (in this case 10%). In terms of quality, it is
Rice better to feed the cats with wet canned food rather than dry
Whole kibbles, however, combining both is another alternative [6].
wheat
Oat 1) Main Composition of Wet Cat Food
Soybeans
Chicken
Beef
Fish
Milk
Egg
% 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

V. WHAT IS IN CAT FOOD & THEIR COMPOSITION

A. Composition of main ingredient in dry cat food / kibbles/
biscuits Fig. 2 Percentage of Protein, Fat, Carbohydrate,Water& Crude Fibre based
on Moist Condition in Dry Cat Food
It is interesting to note that all commercial cat food has no
published content of carbohydrates on the label.
Carbohydrate does not play any important role for the well-
being of the cat. In fact, it is the source of obesity and
feeding high concentration of carbohydrates may induce
feline urologic syndrom, due to high accumulation of
carbohydrate concentration resulting in Magnesium
Ammonium Phosphate crystal precipitation (struvite) [11].
The following formula will be used to calculate the
percentage of dry matter and dry matter weight of each
nutrient available in the cat food as illustrated in Table II.
The carbohydrate concentration in each of the cat food
formulation will be revealed for scrutiny [1]. Basic
calculation
Fig. 3 Percentage of Protein, Fat, Carbohydrate & Crude Fibre based on Dry
Dry matter % = 100 – moisture content (1) Matter Basis in Dry Cat Food

Dry matter weight % = x 100% (2)

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 be formed, where all business issues will be resolved
2) Main Composition of Wet Cat Food / Canned Cat between them and the latter will market the product
Food worldwide; where the latter had already established
worldwide marketing network. This project is expected to
provide extra income to University Technology Malaysia for
their future research endeavours and development. This
collaborative approach between the universities and the
private sectors should be encouraged, where the dependence
on government grants by the former can be drastically
reduced or even totally eliminated. This symbiotic
partnership will enable universities in Malaysia to market
their expertise and technological knowhow to the private
sectors and bring mutual benefit not only to both parties but
also to the development of the country.
Fig. 4 Percentage of Protein, Fat, Carbohydrate, Crude Ash, Crude Fibre &
Water based on Moist Condition in Canned Cat Food ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We take this opportunity to thank the Chairmen of
ADABI-UTM Commercial Halal Cat Food Steering
Research Committee, Dr. Salleh Mohd Nor (Tan Sri) and
Syed Manshor Syed Mahmood (Dato,) for their kind
permission & the financial facilities made for us to present
this paper. We extended out thanks to the Vice Chansellor,
UTM, Prof. Ir. Dr. Wahid Omar (Datuk), Prof, Ir. Dr. Azraai
Kassim, Deputy Vice Chancellor UTM (Research &
Innovation), Prof. Dr. Jasmy Yunus, the Dean, Faculty of
Biosciences & Medical Engineering for their keen support
for this undertaking project.
Fig. 5 Percentage of Protein, Fat, Carbohydrate, Crude Ash, Crude Protein
based on Dry Matter Basis in Canned Cat Food
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