Guides and news

E additives Muslims should absolutely avoid

Reading an ingredient list can be confusing. Here are the additives that deserve special attention:

🚫 RED category — To avoid

• E120 (Cochineal / Carmine) — dye extracted from insects. Not halal according to the majority of scholars.
• E441 (Gelatine) — if not specified halal, it may come from pork.
• E904 (Shellac) — insect resin, disputed status.
• E422 (Glycerol) — may be of animal origin.

⚠️ ORANGE category — To check

• E471 (Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids) — may be plant or animal. Ask the manufacturer.
• E472 a/b/c/d/e — same issue as E471.
• E635 (Ribonucleotides) — may contain meat derivatives.
• E631 / E627 — inosinates/guanylates, often derived from fish or meat.

✅ GREEN category — Generally OK

• E100 (Curcumin) — natural dye from turmeric. ✅
• E300 (Ascorbic acid) — synthetic vitamin C. ✅
• E330 (Citric acid) — of plant or synthetic origin. ✅

Our Halal-o-meter automatically detects suspicious additives on every product page.

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How to read a food label like an expert

In Europe, regulations require a number of mandatory mentions. Here is how to interpret them:

📋 The order of ingredients

Ingredients are listed in decreasing order of weight. The first ingredient is therefore the most present in the product.

⚠️ Allergens in bold

The 14 major allergens must be highlighted (bold, italics, underlined). Among them: gluten, milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans, molluscs, peanuts, nuts, soy, sesame, mustard, celery, lupin, sulphites.

🔍 Common pitfalls

• "Natural flavourings" — may include pork meat extracts. Always check with the manufacturer.
• "Gelatine" unspecified — potentially of pork origin.
• "Rennet" — coagulant that may be of animal origin (calf) if not certified halal.
• "Wine" in sauces — even if the alcohol evaporates during cooking, the product may remain non-halal.

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Guide to halal certification bodies around the world

There are hundreds of halal certification bodies around the world. Here are the most recognised:

🇬🇧 HMC — Halal Monitoring Committee (United Kingdom)

One of the strictest certifications in the world. Requires slaughter without stunning and checks in slaughterhouses. Highly respected by British and European Muslim communities.

🇲🇾 JAKIM (Malaysia)

Malaysian government certification. Global reference for South-East Asia. Recognised in more than 50 countries.

🇮🇩 MUI (Indonesia)

Majelis Ulama Indonesia. Mandatory for every food product sold in Indonesia since 2019.

🇺🇸 IFANCA (United States)

Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America. Very common on products imported into the USA.

🇫🇷 AVS / ARGML (France)

The main French bodies. Their rigour varies — always check which mosque validates the certification.

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Eating halal while travelling: the complete guide

Travelling can be a challenge for halal consumers. Here are our tips by region:

🇪🇺 Europe

• France, Belgium, UK : supermarkets with halal sections. Look for the HMC (UK) or AVS (France) logos.
• Germany : Turkish grocery stores (Türkische Lebensmittel) everywhere.
• Scandinavia : less common, prefer Lebanese supermarkets or Arab grocery stores.

🌏 Asia

• Malaysia : a halal paradise. JAKIM certification on almost everything.
• Indonesia : MUI logo mandatory since 2019.
• Japan : more and more halal restaurants and supermarkets in big cities.

🌍 North Africa

Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia: most local products are halal by default. Watch out for products imported from Europe.

Use our Travel Mode to filter the products available at your destination.

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