Halal Encyclopedia

This article aims to provide an introduction to commonly used halal and non-halal ingredients in the food industry, as a guide for businesses considering halalization of their products. Furthermore, given the current lack of halal product manufacturers in my country and the limited supply of halal products on the market, many Muslims face limited choice when purchasing goods, forcing them to choose products without "halal" labels when purchasing certain essentials. To ensure peace of mind, Muslim consumers often seek to understand the ingredients of their food. However, due to a lack of professional knowledge, they often make uninformed choices. This article aims to provide some guidance to consumers on this issue.

The main points of Halal products in the food industry are:

1. The product ingredients must not contain any Halal prohibited substances (e.g., it must not contain raw materials from prohibited animals, alcohol, etc.);

2. Animal ingredients: must be edible animals that comply with Halal regulations and must be slaughtered according to Halal principles;

3. No substances that do not comply with Islamic law shall be added during the manufacturing process of the product;

4. Product storage complies with Halal regulations.

Looking at the production processes of food processing companies, in addition to the main raw materials, their commonly used additives, such as antioxidants (such as vitamin C), preservatives (such as sodium benzoate), thickeners (such as gelatin or carrageenan, derived from seaweed), binders, coloring agents, etc., often comply with Islamic law.

Non-halal ingredients commonly used in products are as follows:

1. Emulsifiers. Common emulsifiers used in the food industry include hydrogenated butter (or lard) and hydrogenated vegetable triglycerides. Animal or vegetable fats that have been hydrogenated or decolorized become emulsifiers. If illegal animal fats are used, the emulsifier is non-halal. However, hydrogenated vegetable triglycerides are legal.

2. Geltin. Geltin is often made from animal bones and skins. Currently, in China, gelatin manufacturers use mixed bones or skins from various animals. This is illegal (not halal).

3. Enzymes. Enzymes are widely used in the food industry. Enzymes extracted from illegal animals (such as pepsin, elastase used as meat tenderizer, and trypsin) are not halal and cannot be used in the halal industry. Enzymes derived from microorganisms or plants are legal.

4. Glycerin. Glycerin made from animal fat is commonly used in the food industry. When halalizing products, plant-based glycerin should be used.

5. Lard. Usually refers to animal fat, which is illegal.

6. Lecithin. Lecithin can be extracted from both plants and animals. Currently, most edible lecithin is extracted from soybeans. Animal-derived lecithin is illegal.

7. Alcohol. Alcohol and other narcotic substances are prohibited.

8. Flavors. Flavors themselves are often derived from plants, but many are extracted from or dissolved in alcohol. Nowadays, many flavors can be made without alcohol as a solvent, so manufacturers can choose these flavors.

9. Packaging materials. Plastic and other materials are legal. However, some metal packaging materials may have an inner coating of animal fat (or stearate), which is illegal.

From the above, we can see that food manufacturers can achieve halal status by simply selecting the right ingredients (without increasing raw material costs). This presents a promising market for businesses.

The following table lists common items used in the food industry for ordinary Muslims to refer to.

Ingredient judgment

Acetic Acid is legal

Alcohol is illegal

Ammonium Sulfate is legal

Animal Fat Illegal

Ascorbic Acid (Vc) Legal

Sweeteners are legal

Benzoate/Benzoic Acid is legal

Calcium Carbonate Legal

Carrageenan (Carrageenan) Legal

Cholesterol Suspicious

Citric Acid Legal

Cocoa Butter Legal

Collagen is illegal

Corn Meal / Corn Starch is legal

Corn Syrup is legal

Dextrin / Dextrose Legal

Diglyceride Suspicious

Diglyceride Plant Legal

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is legal.

Enzyme Suspicious

Ergosterol Legal

Fatty Acid Suspicious

Ferrous Sulfate is legal

Fructose is legal

Fungal Protease Enzyme Legal

Gelatin is illegal

Glucose is legal

Glyceride Suspicious

Glycogen Suspicious

Gum Acacia is legal

Hormones Suspicious

Hydrogenated Oil is legal

Hydrolyzed Animal Protein Suspicious

Malt is legal

Mono Saccharides Legal

Monosodium Glutamate is legal.

Nitrates / Nitrites Legal

Oxalic Acid is legal

PABA Benzoate is legal

Glial Pectin Legal

Pepsin Suspicious

Phospholipid Suspicious

Potassium Citrate Legal

Renin Suspected

Saccharine is legal

Yeast is legal