E-number
Is E120 (carmine) halal or haram?
E120 is one of the few additives with a clear, single origin, and one of the few where the answer for most Muslims is a straightforward no.
E120 (carmine, cochineal, carminic acid) is derived from crushed cochineal insects and is classified as haram by most halal certifiers, including JAKIM and the HFA. The Hanafi, Shafi‘i and Hanbali schools generally hold insects to be impermissible to eat. Some Maliki scholars permit insects, so a minority position considers it acceptable. Unlike most additives, there is no plant-derived version of E120.
What E120 is
E120 is carminic acid, extracted from the bodies of female Dactylopius coccus, the cochineal insect, which is farmed on cactus in Peru and the Canary Islands. The insects are harvested, dried and crushed; the extracted acid is then processed into carmine lake pigment.
It takes roughly 70,000 insects to produce 500 grams of dye. It is prized because it is exceptionally stable to heat and light compared with plant reds, which is why the food industry keeps using it despite cheaper synthetic options.
Names it appears under
- E120
- Cochineal / cochineal extract
- Carmine / carmines / carmine lake
- Carminic acid
- Natural Red 4
- Crimson Lake
- C.I. 75470
"Natural Red 4" is the one that catches people out, because it sounds like a plant extract.
Why most scholars class it as haram
The reasoning is about insects as food, not about E120 specifically. The Hanafi, Shafi‘i and Hanbali schools hold that land creatures without flowing blood, meaning insects, are not permissible to eat, considering them among al-khaba’ith, the impure or repugnant. Since carmine is the processed body of the insect, and processing here does not change its essential nature, the prohibition carries into the additive.
The Maliki school takes a more permissive view of some insects, and on that basis a minority of scholars permit carmine. This is a genuine difference of qualified opinion, not a loophole.
The major halal certification bodies do not permit E120 in certified products. That includes JAKIM in Malaysia, MUI in Indonesia and the HFA in the UK. If you rely on certification, you will not encounter it in certified food.
Where E120 shows up
| Category | Typical products |
|---|---|
| Confectionery | Red and pink sweets, coated chocolate lentils, jelly beans |
| Dairy | Strawberry and cherry yoghurt, some flavoured milk |
| Drinks | Red fruit juices, some soft drinks, aperitifs |
| Meat | Some sausages and cured meats, for colour |
| Bakery | Pink icing, red velvet products, glacé cherries |
| Cosmetics | Lipstick and blusher, outside food scope but the same substance |
A useful heuristic: if a product is red or pink and does not contain actual red fruit in quantity, check the colouring.
Which red colourings are halal?
Manufacturers have real options, which is why an increasing number of products have moved away from carmine:
- E162 beetroot red (betanin). Plant, halal, but less heat-stable
- E163 anthocyanins. From grape skin, elderberry, blackcurrant; halal
- Paprika extract (E160c). Orange-red, halal
- Lycopene (E160d). From tomato, halal
- E129 Allura Red AC. Synthetic, halal, though subject to its own labelling requirements in the EU
If a label lists any of these instead of E120, the colouring question is resolved.
If you avoid E120, what else follows?
If you avoid E120 on the grounds that insects are impermissible, the same reasoning applies to E904 shellac, which is lac insect resin and is used as a glaze on sweets, coated chocolate and even waxed apples. It does not, however, apply to E901 beeswax or to honey. Bee products are treated differently in the mainstream position, since honey is explicitly praised in the Qur’an and beeswax is a product of the bee rather than the bee itself.
Frequently asked questions
Is carmine the same as E120?
Yes. Carmine, cochineal, carminic acid, Natural Red 4 and Crimson Lake are all names for the same insect-derived red colouring that carries the E-number E120.
Is there a vegetarian version of E120?
No. Unlike emulsifiers such as E471, E120 has only one origin, the cochineal insect. Any product declaring E120 or carmine contains an insect-derived colouring. Plant-based red colourings exist but carry different codes, such as E162 beetroot red or E163 anthocyanins.
Do all schools of thought consider E120 haram?
No. The Hanafi, Shafi‘i and Hanbali schools generally hold insects to be impermissible, which makes carmine haram. Some Maliki scholars permit insects, and on that basis a minority view allows it. Major certifiers such as JAKIM and the HFA do not permit E120 in certified products.
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