Gelatin is mushbooh (doubtful). It is often derived from pork or non-halal slaughtered animals. It is only halal if clearly derived from bovine or fish sources with halal certification.

E471 (Mono and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids) is mushbooh as it may be derived from animal or plant sources. Seek halal certification.

Is carmine E120 halal?

Carmine (E120) is derived from the cochineal insect. The majority of Islamic scholars consider it haram.

Is vanilla extract halal?

Vanilla extract is mushbooh as it may contain alcohol as a carrier solvent. Prefer vanilla powder or halal-certified extract.

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Halal Ingredient Checker

Know what's in your food — before you eat it

Paste any ingredient list. Instantly identifies halal ✓, haram ✗, and mushbooh ⚠ ingredients with E-numbers database and scholarly references.

"O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and wholesome in the earth." (Quran 2:168). The Prophet ﷺ said: "The halal is clear and the haram is clear, and between them are doubtful matters." (Bukhari 52, Muslim 1599) — when in doubt, leave it out.

Paste ingredient list

Halal — permissible

Haram — prohibited

Mushbooh — doubtful

Unknown — verify

Checking ingredients against halal database…

Always verify: Ingredients databases cannot replace halal certification. Look for ISWA, HFA, HMC, IFANCA, or JAKIM certification marks. Contact the manufacturer for clarification on unknown ingredients.

⚠️ Common Haram Ingredients

Pork derivatives: Lard, ham, bacon, gelatin (pork), pepsin (pork), E441 (pork gelatin)

Alcohol: Wine, beer, spirits, ethanol in beverages

Insect-derived: Carmine (E120), Cochineal, Shellac (E904)

Non-halal meat: Any meat not slaughtered by halal method (Dhabiha)

Blood: Any blood product

⚠️ Mushbooh (Doubtful) — Verify

Code	Name	Status
E120	Carmine	Haram
E441	Gelatine	Mushbooh
E471	Mono & Diglycerides	Mushbooh
E472	Fatty acid esters	Mushbooh
E904	Shellac	Mushbooh
E920	L-Cysteine	Mushbooh
E330	Citric acid	Halal
E415	Xanthan gum	Halal
E407	Carrageenan	Halal
E412	Guar gum	Halal

🏷️ Halal Certification Bodies

HFA — Halal Food Authority (UK)

HMC — Halal Monitoring Committee (UK, strict)

ISWA — Islamic Society of Washington (USA)

IFANCA — Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America

JAKIM — Malaysia halal certification

SANHA — South Africa

ESMA — UAE halal standard

Understanding Halal Food

Halal (حلال) means permissible in Arabic. For food, it refers to items that comply with Islamic dietary law as prescribed in the Quran and Sunnah. The opposite is haram (حرام) — prohibited. Between them is the grey area of mushbooh (مشبوه) — doubtful items that should be avoided out of precaution.

The key prohibited categories under Islamic law are: pork and all pork derivatives, alcohol, blood, meat not slaughtered by the halal method (dhabiha), and carnivorous animals. Additionally, insects are generally considered haram, with the exception of locusts per a specific hadith.

Modern food processing has made ingredient checking more complex. Additives like E471 (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids) can be derived from either plant or animal sources. Gelatin can be porcine, bovine (halal or not depending on slaughter method), or fish-derived. Without halal certification, the source cannot be confirmed from the label alone.

Our ingredient checker is an educational tool based on scholarly rulings. It should be used alongside — not instead of — halal certification marks from recognized bodies. The Prophet ﷺ taught us: "Leave what makes you doubt for what does not make you doubt." (Tirmidhi 2518)