Halal food guides

Getting started

Halal scanner app: how to check any product in two seconds

How a halal scanner app works, what it can and cannot tell you, and how to use HalalFoodScan to check any barcode for Halal, Mushbooh or Haram additives.

Read the guide Getting started

Halal barcode scanner: check any food product instantly

What a halal barcode scanner reads, how a barcode maps to an ingredient list, and how to scan any product for a Halal, Mushbooh or Haram verdict.

Read the guide Getting started

Haram checker: how to tell if a food product is haram

The four things that make a food haram, the ingredient names that hide them, and how to use a haram checker app to catch them on any packet in seconds.

Read the guide Reference

Halal E-numbers: the complete list of halal, mushbooh and haram E-codes

A complete reference of E-number additives by halal status: which E-codes are always halal, which are mushbooh and source-dependent, and which to avoid.

Read the guide Reference

Haram E-numbers to avoid: the complete reference list

The E-numbers that are haram or need source verification, why each one is a problem, and which everyday supermarket products they show up in.

Read the guide E-number

Is E471 halal or haram?

E471 (mono- and diglycerides) is Mushbooh: halal from plant oil, haram from pork fat. How to tell which one is in your food and what to do about it.

Read the guide Ingredient

Is gelatin halal?

Gelatin is halal only from fish or an Islamically slaughtered animal. How to identify the source, which products hide it, and how to check a pack fast.

Read the guide E-number

Is E120 (carmine) halal or haram?

E120 is carmine, made from crushed cochineal insects. Why most scholars class it as haram, where the Maliki position differs, and how to spot it on any label.

Read the guide E-number

Is E904 (shellac) halal or haram?

E904 shellac is resin from the lac insect. Why certifiers list it as haram, why some scholars permit it, and how to spot it on sweets and coated snacks.

Read the guide E-number

Is E621 (MSG) halal or haram?

E621 monosodium glutamate is made by bacterial fermentation and is halal in mainstream rulings. Where the pork-enzyme rumour came from and what matters.

Read the guide E-number

Is E322 (lecithin) halal or haram?

E322 lecithin is almost always from soy or sunflower and is halal. When it can be egg-derived, and how to confirm the source on any product label.

Read the guide Concepts

What does Mushbooh mean?

Mushbooh means doubtful: food whose status cannot be determined because an ingredient source is undeclared. What it is, what it is not, what to do.

Read the guide How to

Halal ingredient checker: how to read any food label

How to check an ingredient list for haram and mushbooh ingredients, including the camera scan for products that are not in any barcode database.

Read the guide How to

How to check if food is halal

Five ways to verify whether a food product is halal, ranked by reliability, from certification marks to ingredient analysis, and how to combine them.

Read the guide Concepts

Is alcohol in food haram?

Where scholars agree and disagree on alcohol in food, covering vanilla extract, vinegar, flavour carriers and E1510, plus how to check any product.

Read the guide Features

Boycott barcode scanner: checking product origin and ownership

How to check where a product is made by scanning its barcode, what country-of-origin data can and cannot tell you, and how the boycott flag works.

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