34 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.
Popular questions
Useful starting points
Start with these common food and ingredient questions, then browse the topic groups for the wording on your own pack.
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 in food?
Mushbooh means doubtful: a food’s halal status needs more evidence. See real manufacturer examples, halal vs haram distinctions and practical next steps.
Read the guide9 answers
New guides to everyday label ingredients
Understand preservatives, coatings, sweeteners, thickeners, raising agents and colours, including the different names used on regional labels.
Is sorbic acid halal, and what about potassium sorbate?
Understand sorbic acid E200 and potassium sorbate E202, compare label names and review a manufacturer example before checking the food in your own pack.
Read the guide E-numberIs carnauba wax halal?
Carnauba wax E903 has a palm-leaf origin. Compare it with beeswax and shellac, review real candy records and check the complete product before deciding.
Read the guide E-numberIs E466 cellulose gum halal?
Learn what E466, cellulose gum and carboxymethyl cellulose mean, compare them with gelatin and use real manufacturer labels to check the complete food.
Read the guide E-numberIs E470 halal or haram?
E470a, E470b and magnesium stearate can need a fatty-acid source check. Compare label names, vegetarian evidence and the certificate for your exact product.
Read the guide E-numberIs sorbitol halal?
Sorbitol E420 is a sugar alcohol, not drinking alcohol. Learn what the term means and compare a real sugar-free mint recipe before checking your own pack.
Read the guide E-numberIs silicon dioxide E551 halal?
Silicon dioxide E551 is an inorganic anticaking ingredient, not gelatin. Review real seasoning examples and learn what remains to check in the recipe.
Read the guide E-numberIs citric acid halal, and what about sodium citrate?
Citric acid E330 and sodium citrate E331 are generally compatible with halal ingredient checks. Understand fermentation and compare real food records.
Read the guide BakingAre raising agents and baking powder halal?
Identify E450, E503 and the ingredients in baking powder. Compare named UK and North American baking records without judging a whole cake by one code.
Read the guide E-numberIs caramel colour halal?
Understand caramel colour E150a–d and the difference from caramel flavour or sauce. Compare manufacturer label wording before checking your exact product.
Read the guide4 answers
Source and ingredient-name checks
Find out why polysorbate 60 and rennet need source evidence, what legacy “E441” means, and how baking soda differs from other raising agents.
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 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 Ingredient guideIs 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 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.
How to choose a halal scanner app for your groceries
Choose a halal scanner app by barcode matches, ingredient explanations and photo fallback. Learn what free downloads include and why a scan is not certification.
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: when the barcode is missing
Use a halal ingredient checker on an unlisted product or unreadable barcode. Check photo recognition, ingredient sources and the evidence a label cannot provide.
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 guide10 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 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 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?
SANHA lists shellac E904 as halal, and MUI permits its beneficial, non-harmful use. Read the named rulings, process checks and limits for a glazed sweet.
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 guide5 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 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 in food?
Mushbooh means doubtful: a food’s halal status needs more evidence. See real manufacturer examples, halal vs haram distinctions and practical next steps.
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