Secret Recipe rubbishes non-halal viral buzz

PETALING JAYA: A popular cafe chain, caught in an apparent mix-up over its name, has clarified that its award-winning cakes and food items are halal.

Secret Recipe Cafe and Cakes Sdn Bhd says it does not use 'whole egg powder' and 'whole milk powder' products distributed by Puratos Malaysia Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of a Belgian-based bakery giant, in its food items.

The controversy started on May 12 when the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) issued a Press statement that it had found swine DNA in the two products, listed as as 'Talento Brownies Concentrate Secret Recipe' and 'Talento Cake Secret Recipe'.

The statement was publicised on several blogs and in newspapers, and allegations were made that the cakes and breads at Secret Recipe also contained swine DNA.

The Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM) published a complaint on its blog and called on Muslim consumers not to patronise the cafe as its products were deemed haram.

Secret Recipe put up a notice on its website explaining that the words 'Secret Recipe' used by Puratos Malaysia were "generic" and not related to the cafe.

At the company's office here yesterday, its Halal executive, Wan Zawani Wan Ahmad, also said Secret Recipe did not use products distributed by Puratos Malaysia.

"The items we use in our cakes are imported from Puratos in Belgium which are certified halal by Jakim."

Wan Zawani said she had been receiving numerous phone calls from anxious customers since last week and although some accepted her explanation, others swore never to patronise the company's outlets again.

She said the people could check the the validity of Secret Recipe's halal certification on the Jakim website.

Secret Recipe, which began in 1997, has over a hundred outlets, mainly in Malaysia but also in Australia, Brunei, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Its process engineering manager, Benjamin Lim, said the two products cited on the Jakim website had nothing to do the cafe chain.

"We believe that when someone uses the search feature in Jakim's halal website and types 'Secret Recipe', both products will appear apart those from our cafe.

Preparing Every Needful Thing: Whole Egg Powder Review

Eggs are an essential ingredient in baking and cooking.  They add texture and taste, as well as fantastic nutrition!  If you often use fresh eggs, you should consider powdered eggs in your emergency supply.  You can purchase Whole Egg Powder, Egg Whites Powder, or Egg Yolks Powder, but Whole Egg Powder is the way to go for general baking and cooking.  How much does it cost and how much do you need?  Well, you have to pull out the ol' calculator.  Different brands list different serving sizes as equaling one egg, with different quantities of eggs claimed in each can.  This gets tricky because, for example,  Augason Farms eggs  say 56 eggs per can at $17.45, while  Shelf Reliance  state 236 eggs per can at $23.29.  I haven't inquired about their methods of processing, but even with adjusting serving sizes, weights, and volumes for a side-by-side comparison (which I totally did not do), according to that claim, Shelf Reliance would be by far the biggest bang for your buck.  However, in my observation, they are MOST OFTEN NOT the best value in terms of quantity--being one of the most expensive food storage brands--so to me that is all kind of a big WUH?  (Some guesses on an explanation can be read here .)  But how much you need will come down to approximately how many eggs you go through in a week x 52 and then check the can quantity, etc.  The brand I currently have is Provident Pantry  from Emergency Essentials, which states that each #10 can is 2.25 pounds and equals about 80-90 fresh eggs.  When purchased at $14/can as they are priced currently with  group orders , you are getting a dozen eggs at about $2.  Not bad considering the current price of eggs is about the same and you can't store them long term. If you've never used egg powder, it may sound like some pretty kooky stuff.  Truth is, is does smell "interesting" and has a texture that reminds me of Moon Dough.  But it's not so mysterious.  In baking you simply add it to your dry ingredients (per the specified number of tablespoons listed on your brand of egg powder), and then add water (per the specified number of tablespoons listed on your brand) with your other wet ingredients.  In my experience there is no noticeable difference whatsoever when using egg powder vs. fresh eggs in baking. It's just not the same, but it's not the worst thing I've ever eaten.

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