Halal Food Guidelines
All food are considered Halal except the following (which are Haram)
- All food are considered Halal except the following (which are Haram)
- Swine/Pork and its by-products (like gelatine etc)
- Alcoholic drinks and intoxicants
- Reptiles and insects
- Carnivorous animals, birds of prey and certain other animals.
- Food containing ingredients such as gelatine, enzymes, emulsifiers, and flavours are questionable (mashbooh), because of the origin of these ingredients is not known
- The preparation, processing and manufacturing equipment must be free from all of the above.
- The above rules also apply to all raw materials which are used in the manufacture of your product.
Food product must be free from all of the following
- Pig or Dog blood
- Blood
- Part or by-product of human body e.g. human hair in L-Cysteine
- Carnivorous animals (except fish)
- Birds with talons or birds that feed by snatching and tearing e.g. eagles and other similar birds
- Reptiles and insects
- Any marine animals except fish
- Animals that live on land and in water (amphibians) like frogs, crocodiles and other similar animals.
- Animals which have died, by any means other than slaughtering according to the Islamic Law.
- Animals which are generally considered as repulsive such as lice, maggots, mice, rats, spiders and other similar animals.
- Animals permitted under the Islamic Law (i.e. Cow, Sheep, Lamb, Goat, Poultry etc.) which are not slaughtered according to the Islamic Law. (Note: Most animals in the U.K. are not slaughtered according to the Islamic Law).
- Wine, Ethyl Alcohol or Spirits
- Intoxicating and hazardous plants
- Any product or by-product (including any product used temporarily as a substitute or for trial) which contains or is derived from any one or more of the above products (as defined in sections 1. to 13.) in however minute quantity, whether as an ingredient or subingredient or as a processing aid or as a releasing agent or as a glazing agent or as an additive or as a colour or in any other form, is Haraam (unlawful) for Muslims
- The preparation, processing and the manufacturing equipment must be free from all of the above as defined in sections 1. to 14.
- The packaging material, which comes in contact with the food product must be free from all of the above as defined in sections 1. to 14.
The above rules also apply to all raw materials which are used in the manufacture of your product. You may need to forward this definition to your suppliers/manufacturers for confirming the suitability of their product.
Common Food Ingredients And Additives
Opinion on the permissibility of food ingredients and additives made from animal sources.
Listed on the following pages are common food ingredients and additives that many food products contain. Some of these ingredients and additives can be made from animal or plant sources or produced synthetically. The ingredients which are made from plant or produced synthetically are Halal.
All food ingredients and additives produced from animals which were not slaughtered according to Islamic rite or from the pig are Haram and not suitable for Muslims to consume, and Any food product, ingredient or additive containing alcohol or produced with the use of alcohol is Haram and unsuitable for Halal use.
List of common food ingredients and additives
| Substance | Description | Islamic Opinion |
|---|---|---|
| Acetic Acid | Occurs naturally in plant juices and can be prepared synthetically and can be obtained from animal tissues.n | Halal if it is made from plant sources or synthetically. If it is made from animal tissues, then it will not be Halal |
| Adipic Acid | Occurs naturally in beets and can be prepared synthetically. | As the source is plant, it is Halal. |
| Agar Agar | Naturally occurs as seaweed, used in place of gelatine | As the source is plant, it is Halal. |
| Beta-apo-8- Carotenal (C30) (Apocarotenal) (E160e) | An orange/yellow colour derived from plants but may utilise gelatine or lard to dissolve in water. | If lard or gelatine made from animal (other than fish) is used then it will not be suitable for Halal use. |
| Carmine / Cochineal (E120) | A colour obtained from a dried female insect, cochineal | It is not suitable for Halal use. |
| Casein | A protein of milk used in the manufacture of cheeses. It is precipitated by acid or by animal or vegetable enzymes. | If animal enzyme is used then it will not be suitable for Halal use. |
| Chocolate Liquor | Syrup made from chocolate and used for chocolate flavoured products. It is not liquor or alcohol but because it is a liquid it is called liquor. | It is suitable for Halal use. |
| Dextrose (corn syrup) | Made from starch, used as a sweetener or colouring agent. | As the source is plant, it is suitable for Halal use. |
| E153 Carbon Black | A colour obtained by charring bones, meat, blood, wood, vegetable etc. | If charred from wood or vegetables then it will be suitable for Halal use. |
| E322 Lecithin | An emulsifier originally obtained from egg yolk but commercially prepared from Soya bean oil | It is suitable for Halal use. |
