While consumers around the world who are looking for anti-ageing supplements or anti-wrinkle creams have often called on animal placenta, this has never been an option for Muslims as most placentas come from pigs.
However, Japanese firm
Nippon Barrier Free has found that salmon placenta provides almost the same benefit as pig placenta in a halal-certified format. The company hit on the idea by chance and has since developed the product with its own manufacturing method.
“Nippon Barrier Free extracts placenta from salmon and distribute it under the brand name ‘Marine Placenta’. It’s well accepted not just in Japan but also in southeast Asian countries, especially those with demand for halal food like Malaysia and Indonesia,” said Kenta Onodera, one of the company’s distributors.
“But from this placenta they can get almost the same benefit as the pig placenta but Muslims can feel secure in using this product.”
Having built a strong relationship with the Hokkaido salmon industry, Nippon Barrier Free's owner spoke to a university on the island there and challenged researchers to conduct a study on salmon placentas. They found that salmon placenta’s molecular weight was 600 Dalton, compared to animal placenta’s weight of over 1,000 Dalton, making it easier to absorb and penetrate into the blood stream to provide long-term results.
Marine Placenta contains 18 types of amino acids, and is free from BSE, foot-and-mouth, animal flu and H1N1. Produced in liquid form, the drink also stimulates the body’s cells to create collagen and elastin without adverse effects.
“In the beginning, the halal market wasn’t our main purpose, but after learning that Muslim countries had demand for placenta, though they couldn’t use pork placentas, we approached that market,” Onodera said.
“They have given us very good feedback, not only in terms of the halal issue, but also about the concept. Hokkaido salmon has a very good image in southeast Asian countries.”
As an ingredient supplier and branded producer,
Nippon Barrier Free is now looking to break into the lucrative Gulf market, where Onodera suspects consumers will be prepared to pay a premium for halal placenta.
“From what we have seen through our research, Muslim customers in the Middle East are willing to spend more for products like ours. As long as they can feel efficacy, they will pay a premium for halal supplements and cosmetics.”