(#073)
List of Halal & Haram ingredients
Answer
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
حامدا و مصليا و مسلما
Muhtaram
We received your query regarding non Halaal food ingredients. Our response is as follows:
Firstly, we would like to applaud you for your concern in consuming only Halaal food for truly in this day and age this is a great bounty of Allaah Ta’ala.
However, due to the field of Halaal products being very vast it is difficult to list each and every non- Halaal ingredient which one should be aware of nevertheless, we will list the common ingredients which render a product Haraam for your benefit;
| Ingredients. | Description | Status |
| Pork, Ham etc and it’s by products similarly all animals which are not slaughtered according to Shar’ee rites | Haraam | |
| Wine, Alcohol and it’s by products such as sherry, cognac and the like of alcoholic beverages. | Haraam | |
| Gelatine | Gelatine is a mixture of peptides and proteins produced by partial hydrolysis of collagen extracted from the skin, boiled crushed horn, hoof and bones, connective tissues, organs and some intestines of animals such as domesticated cattle, chicken, pigs, and horses. Food-grade gelatine is produced mainly from two raw materials, beef skin and pig hide. {Wikipedia} | If the source of the gelatine is Halaal meaning that the animal is a Halaal animal like cattle (not swine) and has been slaughtered according to Shar’ee rites, the gelatine will be Halaal otherwise not. The following is the E number for gelatine (E441) |
| Whey powder | Whey as defined by MSN Encarta: Whey, watery by product of the cheese making process. It is drained off after the milk has been heated and rennet (a curdling agent) added to induce coagulation. In Scandinavia, especially Norway, whey is turned into cheese, mysost and gjetost (from goat’s whey). The flavour of whey cheese is sweet from added brown sugar. When whey is heated under controlled conditions, the protein molecules bond in a process called polymerization to form an edible film. | The reason for the problematic nature of whey is the rennet used to curdle the milk in order to produce the whey and cheese. If the rennet is Halaal (for instance from a Halaal animal, vegetable, or most microbial sources) then the whey and cheese is also Halaal, otherwise not. |
| Rennet | A substance containing rennin, an enzyme having the property of clotting, or curdling, milk. It is used in the making of cheese and junket. Rennet is obtained from the stomachs of young mammals living on milk, especially from the inner lining of the fourth, or true, stomach (abomasum) of milk-fed calves {MSN Encarta} | According to the preferred view of the Hanafi Jurists it is not permissible to consume the rennet of a Haraam animal. |
| L-Cysteine | L-Cysteine a naturally occurring amino acid that is classified as a protein amino acid. It is found in most high protein food. L-Cysteine is mainly used in bakery, pharmaceutical and personal care products. L-Cysteine is obtained industrially by hydrolysis of human hair, feathers or synthetically. | L-Cysteine which is synthetically derived is Halaal suitable for consumption. [Ref : SANHA] As far as L-Cysteine which is derived from Duck Feathers, it will be permissible to consume if it is derived from Ducks which are slaughtered according to Shar’ee rites. If it is taken from Ducks which are not slaughtered according to Shar’ee rites, then it will not be permissible to consume. L- Cysteine which is derived from Human hair will not be permissible to consume |
| E 120 Alternative Names :Carmine of Cochineal; C.I. 75470; Natural Red 4 | (Colour) Source: From insect Cochineal. Uses: Some alcoholic drinks, red apple sauce, pie fillings, meats, baked goods, yoghurt Other Uses: Cosmetics, red eye make-up, shampoo, mascara {Ref: SANHA} | Haraam |
Similarly one should bear in mind that there are 2 types of vegetarian products available on the market:
1. Approved by the Vegetarian Society
2. Suitable for vegetarians
1. Approved by the Vegetarian Society
The Vegetarian Society checks and approves products that meet its conditions and these products display the vegetarian society logo and also state that the product is approved by the Society. These products are free from meat products but may contain alcohol, as it is permissible for vegetarians. There is a possibility that alcohol may be part of flavouring, flavour enhancer, processing aid etc. And this alcohol may not be declared on the ingredients list.
2. Suitable for vegetarian
Manufacturers themselves decide that their products are suitable for vegetarians. But these have not been approved by the Vegetarian Society. In addition these products may contain alcohol in the flavourings, flavour enhancers, processing aids etc. which may not be listed in the ingredients list.
The above is a list of the common Haraam ingredients used in products and can be used as a guideline. These are not the only Haraam ingredients. One should contact the manufacture of the products to be certain if they are using any Haraam substances. Sometimes the manufactures are not required to list the minimal amounts of ingredients on the package. Cross contamination is also a factor in determining Halaal and Haraam.
And Allaah Ta’ala knows best
Musayyab Sahib
4th Sha’baan 1434
15th June 2013
Checked and approved by
[Mufti] Muhammad Irshad Motara
4th Sha’baan 1434
15th June 2013
