25 guides
Halal food guides
Each guide answers one question properly: what the ingredient is, why it is halal, haram or doubtful, and how to check it yourself the next time you are standing in a shop.
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Halal E-numbers list: halal, haram and source-dependent codes
Check E-numbers by halal status. See halal, disputed and source-dependent codes including E120, E422, E471, E631, E904, E920 and legacy E441.
Read the guide E-numberIs E500 (sodium carbonates) halal?
E500 sodium carbonates, including baking soda, are mineral or synthetic and halal. Learn the E500(i), E500(ii) and E500(iii) names and label checks.
Read the guide Ingredient guideIs natural flavouring halal?
Is natural flavouring halal? Learn how animal, microbial and ethanol-carried flavours are labelled, when sources matter and how to verify a product.
Read the guide ConceptsWhat 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 guide6 answers
Start here: scan and check a product
Learn the repeatable checking process first: scan a barcode, read the ingredient panel, and understand why the result is halal, haram, Mushbooh or unresolved.
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 startedHalal 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 startedHaram 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 How toHalal 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 toHow 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 FeaturesBoycott 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.
Read the guide13 answers
E-numbers and food additives
Use these references to decode a specific E-code, distinguish a fixed origin from a variable one, and know when a manufacturer or certifier must confirm the source.
Is E500 (sodium carbonates) halal?
E500 sodium carbonates, including baking soda, are mineral or synthetic and halal. Learn the E500(i), E500(ii) and E500(iii) names and label checks.
Read the guide E-numberIs E920 (L-cysteine) halal?
E920 L-cysteine can come from fermentation, synthesis, feathers or hair. Learn the halal ruling, the EU human-hair ban and how to check bread labels.
Read the guide E-numberIs E435 (polysorbate 60) halal?
E435 polysorbate 60 depends on the source of its stearic acid. Learn when it is halal, why it is not automatically pork and how to verify Tween 60.
Read the guide E-numberIs “E441” gelatin halal?
E441 often means gelatin in legacy halal lists, but current Codex INS 441 is a different emulsifier and gelatin is INS 428. Learn which reference you have.
Read the guide E-numberIs glycerin halal?
Glycerin can be vegetable, synthetic or animal-derived. Learn when glycerol and E422 are halal, what the EU rule proves and how to check pork sources.
Read the guide E-numberIs pectin (E440) halal?
Pectin (E440) comes from fruit, not animal gelatin. Learn how regular and amidated pectin are made and what else to check in sweets and jam.
Read the guide E-numberIs E631 (disodium inosinate) halal?
E631 can be made by plant fermentation or from animal tissue. Learn when disodium inosinate is halal, why E635 is related and how to verify the source.
Read the guide ReferenceHalal E-numbers list: halal, haram and source-dependent codes
Check E-numbers by halal status. See halal, disputed and source-dependent codes including E120, E422, E471, E631, E904, E920 and legacy E441.
Read the guide E-numberIs E471 halal or haram?
E471 can come from plant or animal fats. Learn when mono- and diglycerides are halal, when they are haram, and how to verify the source on a product.
Read the guide E-numberIs 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-numberIs 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-numberIs 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-numberIs 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 guide6 answers
Ingredients and Islamic rulings
These guides explain ingredients such as gelatin, enzymes and pectin, then separate chemical identity, production source and the relevant halal ruling.
Is rennet halal?
Rennet can be animal-derived, microbial, plant-based or fermentation-produced. Learn which label words resolve the source and when certification is needed.
Read the guide Ingredient guideIs natural flavouring halal?
Is natural flavouring halal? Learn how animal, microbial and ethanol-carried flavours are labelled, when sources matter and how to verify a product.
Read the guide Ingredient guideAre food enzymes halal?
Are food enzymes halal? Compare animal, plant and microbial sources, understand rennet and bread enzymes, and learn what labels cannot reveal.
Read the guide IngredientIs gelatin halal?
Pork gelatin is haram; bovine gelatin needs slaughter evidence; fish gelatin is generally halal. Learn how to read gelatin labels and verify a certificate.
Read the guide ConceptsWhat 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 ConceptsIs alcohol in food haram?
Is ethyl alcohol halal in food? Compare rulings on E1510, trace flavour carriers, vanilla extract, fermentation and vinegar, with sources and label checks.
Read the guideStop guessing in the supermarket aisle
Scan the barcode, get the verdict and see exactly which additive decided it. Available for iPhone, iPad and Android.
iPhone and iPad · Android 8.0+ · Free to download