Quantitative and Qualitative Halal Authentication Analysis of Malaysian Animal-Based Fermented Food Products Using HPLC-DAD, FTIR-ATR Spectroscopy and Chemometric Approaches

Muhammad Zulhelmi Nazri; Siti Nor Azlina Abd Rashid; Nur Fashya Musa; Abdul Rahman Jabir Mohd Din; Rozaliana Ab Karim; Hajar Aminah A. Karim; Salimah Ab Malik; Muhamad Shirwan Abdullah Sani; Hesham Ali El-Enshasy; Dayang Norulfairuz Abang Zaidel

doi:10.22146/ijc.114765

Quantitative and Qualitative Halal Authentication Analysis of Malaysian Animal-Based Fermented Food Products Using HPLC-DAD, FTIR-ATR Spectroscopy and Chemometric Approaches

https://doi.org/10.22146/ijc.114765

Muhammad Zulhelmi Nazri⁽¹⁾, Siti Nor Azlina Abd Rashid⁽²⁾, Nur Fashya Musa⁽³⁾, Abdul Rahman Jabir Mohd Din⁽⁴⁾, Rozaliana Ab Karim⁽⁵⁾, Hajar Aminah A. Karim⁽⁶⁾, Salimah Ab Malik⁽⁷⁾, Muhamad Shirwan Abdullah Sani⁽⁸⁾, Hesham Ali El-Enshasy⁽⁹⁾, Dayang Norulfairuz Abang Zaidel^(10*)

(1) Innovation Center in Agritechnology for Advanced Bioprocessing (ICA), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Jl. Eduhub Tinggi, Pagoh 84600, Malaysia; Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Jl. Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur 54100, Malaysia
(2) Innovation Center in Agritechnology for Advanced Bioprocessing (ICA), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Jl. Eduhub Tinggi, Pagoh 84600, Malaysia
(3) Innovation Center in Agritechnology for Advanced Bioprocessing (ICA), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Jl. Eduhub Tinggi, Pagoh 84600, Malaysia; Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Jl. Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur 54100, Malaysia
(4) Innovation Center in Agritechnology for Advanced Bioprocessing (ICA), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Jl. Eduhub Tinggi, Pagoh 84600, Malaysia
(5) Innovation Center in Agritechnology for Advanced Bioprocessing (ICA), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Jl. Eduhub Tinggi, Pagoh 84600, Malaysia
(6) Innovation Center in Agritechnology for Advanced Bioprocessing (ICA), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Jl. Eduhub Tinggi, Pagoh 84600, Malaysia
(7) Innovation Center in Agritechnology for Advanced Bioprocessing (ICA), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Jl. Eduhub Tinggi, Pagoh 84600, Malaysia
(8) International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), Level 3, KICT Building, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Jl. Gombak, Selangor 53100, Malaysia
(9) Innovation Center in Agritechnology for Advanced Bioprocessing (ICA), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Jl. Eduhub Tinggi, Pagoh 84600, Malaysia
(10) Innovation Center in Agritechnology for Advanced Bioprocessing (ICA), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Jl. Eduhub Tinggi, Pagoh 84600, Malaysia; Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Jl. Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur 54100, Malaysia
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract

Halal status verification of animal-based fermented food products is critical for protecting consumer health and ensuring regulatory compliance in Muslim-majority markets. This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of qualitative and quantitative aspects of Malaysian fermented food products using integrated chemical, spectroscopic, microbiological, and chemometric approaches. Histamine quantification by HPLC-DAD revealed concentrations ranging from 44.2–570.3 mg/kg, with 47% of samples exceeding the Codex Alimentarius limit of 100 mg/kg, indicating potential chemical safety concerns. FTIR-ATR spectral profiling distinguished fermentation-induced lipid modifications and differentiated halal products from non-halal reference lard samples, revealing distinct molecular fingerprints across animal, plant, and fermented food matrices. Chemometric analysis using principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) in the wavenumber fingerprint region (1500–650 cm⁻¹) achieved clear sample discrimination and confirmed the absence of non-halal lipid adulteration. Microbiological assessments revealed total plate counts within acceptable regulatory limits, no detection of Escherichia coli, and controlled levels of Staphylococcus aureus, indicating satisfactory hygienic quality. These amalgamated findings establish a robust, multi-modal framework for halal authentication and quality control of fermented food products with direct implications for strengthening regulatory oversight, preventing food adulteration, and ensuring consumer protection in halal-certified food systems.

Keywords

chemometric; fermented food; food safety; FTIR-ATR spectroscopy; halal authentication; histamine

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/ijc.114765