Hot! Stem Cell Technology products

In the name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful

In these two days, I was asked to read on an issue which I didn't really pay attention before. It is an issue regarding the authenticity and availability of Halal certification on one of stem cell based product in Malaysia. After being asked to read, then I start to wonder what is actually happening. The issue seems to be more critical. It became an issue when the company actually put one of unauthorized Halal logo on the packaging of its products. As what I have discussed in my previous post (Halal logo), there is only one Halal logo which is accepted and to be trusted in Malaysia, which is Malaysia Halal logo. However, I was not about to comment on the argument from the member of the company since the prove and explanation given by the authority is clear enough for us to understand. Which one does the consumer choose to do: either to continue consuming or changing to other products that we are confident with. 

Rather than focusing on the Halal logo issue, I am more curious whether it is important to choose Halal certified stem-cell based product or not. Before that, let us briefly go through about stem cell. We may have heard the name before or some may use stem cell product before but doesn't really know what they are.

Stem cell refers to young cells which are capable of self-renewal and it have potential to differentiate into different specific cells. (specific cells are such as muscle cell, skin cell or any other kind of cells on human body, plant or animal). Due to this property, stem cell can be like a repair system that replaced the died or lost cell with the cell newly divided. Stem cell technology is now a rapid developing technology which also used to cure malignant or non-malignant diseases. And now people had gone further into developing product which can be consume by any people as health supplement that can improve our health and used for gaining beauty.

(Example of culture: Not a stem cell culture...only a leaf culture...)

There are two things involved in stem cell technology: Ethical and Halal issue. Both issues relates with the origin of the stem cells. There are two aspects that we should look into which are, in light of medical purposes and in light of product creation.

In medical practices:

• There are two types of stem cell; adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells.
• Adult stem cells can be obtain from adult tissues with little harmful effect on the individual taken from.
• On the other hand, embryonic stem cells are obtained from multi-cellular embryos which being cultured in the laboratory.
• Ethical issue and Halal issue involves in usage of human embryo until some stages of the embryo. In Islamic perspective, it is permissible to use embryonic stem cell technology to cure human disease as long as the embryo that taken has not reach stage of blastocyst. This is because at the stage of blastocyst is when the embryo had attached to the mother's womb and still has no sensory. (Source from e-fatwa, Malaysia)

Stem cell as product:

• When we are referring to products, it may be edible or it may only needed to be applied without penetrating to our body.
• Stem cell product, as far as what I have read, it is sold in forms of sachet that needed to be eaten by the user. 
• Thus, it is must that we need to consider to check on the availability of Halal logo or not. 
• What are the things that need to be consider?
• Origin of the stem cell : plant / human / animal
• Type of media that used (stem cell need to be cultured (grow) in order to expand the volume): there are type of chemicals and additives that may come from non-Halal source.
• For products, it is easy for us to scan through whether it is based on which origin. However, we wouldn't know what type of media that they are using to culture the stem cell.

Hoping that other can gain benefit from this post...=) 

and hoping that 'the issue' will solve in proper manner...

Dearest consumer, let's play our role!

That's all for now

Wallahualam