Free halal barcode and ingredient scanner

HalalFoodScan is free to download, with optional in-app purchases. The current iOS listing requires iOS 16.0 or later; Android 8.0 or later was last verified in September. Check your store and in-app purchase screen for current feature limits, regional prices and platform-specific Premium options. A free download does not mean every function is free or unlimited.

The barcode is a unique product number. The app reads it, retrieves that product’s declared ingredient list, then matches every ingredient and E-number against a halal classification database. The strictest additive determines the verdict, so one pork-derived ingredient makes the whole product haram, no matter how clean the rest is.

Mushbooh (مشبوه) means doubtful: a relevant source or ruling is unresolved. It is not proof that a food is forbidden. A manufacturer statement can resolve a specific source question; a current product-level certificate can provide broader assurance. Match either to the exact recipe and market rather than treating any vegetarian symbol or certification logo as a universal answer.

A code alone does not establish every source or religious ruling. Pork-derived ingredients are unsuitable; source-dependent additives such as E471 need verification. Carmine E120 and shellac E904 have named authority positions that should not be presented as universal consensus. “E441” is also used inconsistently in older references. Identify the ingredient, use the detailed guide and verify the exact product or certificate.

E471 is source-dependent, not automatically haram. Its fatty acids can come from plant oils or animal material. A documented plant source resolves the direct animal-fat question; pork-derived material is unsuitable, while other animal sources need their own assurance. A vegetarian statement is useful within its scope, not a certificate for the entire recipe or factory.

Use the ingredient scan tab instead. Point the camera at the printed ingredient list on the back of the pack and the app reads the text directly, extracting the additive codes it recognises. This works for local bakery items, store brands and products with no barcode at all.

No, it depends on the source. Pork gelatin is haram. Beef gelatin is halal only if the cattle were slaughtered according to Islamic requirements. Fish gelatin is halal. Unlabelled “gelatine” is doubtful; pectin is a plant-derived alternative used in many jams, jellies and sweets.

Barcode lookup works wherever the product is in the database, with the best coverage in Europe and North America. Everywhere else, the ingredient scan feature works on any label, because E-numbers are written identically in every language, so E471 is recognisable on a Thai, Japanese or Turkish pack.

Scholars differ. Intoxicating drink is unambiguously prohibited. Trace ethanol used as a solvent in a flavouring is disputed: the stricter position treats any added alcohol as prohibited, while many contemporary scholars permit non-intoxicating residual amounts from a non-khamr source. Vinegar is permitted by the majority under the transformation principle.

The analysis is only as good as the declared ingredients, and it has real limits: it cannot verify slaughter method, cannot see cross-contamination on shared production lines, and cannot identify the origin of undeclared processing aids such as food enzymes. That is why the app shows which additive triggered a flag and why, and why a halal certification mark is stronger than ingredient analysis alone.