By Madiha Younas – Published author and homeschooling mother; degree holder in Usul-e-Deen
Abu Hurayrah (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (sa) said: “Allah the Almighty (swt) is Good and accepts only that which is good. And verily, Allah (swt) has commanded the believers to do that which He has commanded the Messengers. So the Almighty (swt) has said: ‘O messengers, eat from the good foods and work righteousness.’ (Al-Muminoon 23:51) and the Almighty (swt) has said: ‘O you who have believed, eat from the good [lawful] things which We have provided for you.’ (Al-Baqarah 2:172) Then the Prophet (sa) mentioned (the case) of a man who, having journeyed far, is dishevelled and dusty, and who spreads out his hands to the sky saying: ‘O Lord! O Lord!’ while his food is Haram (unlawful), his drink is Haram, his clothing is Haram, and he has been nourished with Haram, so how can (his supplication) be answered?” (Muslim)
One of the most significant aspects of a Muslim’s daily life has been the adherence to our dietary laws, the codice of Halal and Haram, as enjoined by Allah (swt) and explained in detail by His Messenger (sa). While many Muslims living in non-Muslim countries are accustomed to checking the labels of each product they buy to make sure they’re free from any Haram ingredients, most of us living in the Muslim countries don’t check because we assume that Haram products would not be sold.
Sadly this is not the case. Many supermarkets across the country are stocking items which contain Haram ingredients.
Therefore, we need to cross check our food purchases against this guide. Your checking process involves 3 steps: reading the food labels, the ingredients and the E codes.
- The Food Labels
If you see the product packaging, you will find a variety of labels. Each has a distinct meaning, and here we will discuss the three most commonly used and relevant labels for our purpose.
- Halal Certification: Check the product for the Halal certification label. Different Halal certifying authorities are working around the globe to ensure that companies use only Halal ingredients in their products. While the design of the label may vary slightly based on which certifying authority checked the product, the label will always have the word Halal written in Arabic, usually surrounded by a circular pattern with the name of the certifying authority mentioned therein. This label saves us the hassle of having to inspect the ingredients and is a green signal for the product being safe to use.
- The Vegetarian/Vegan Label: The vegan/vegetarian label signifies that a product is free from animal-based ingredients or by-products. It may however contain alcohol-based ingredients such as vanilla extract or soy sauce. So when buying something with a Vegetarian/Vegan symbol one may weed out ingredients like gelatine but will have to check for other prohibited ingredients. The most popular variation of this label is the green V ending with a leaf. Other symbols include the green square with a green dot inside, but this causes confusion for colour blind people who cannot differentiate it from the non-vegetarian symbol which is a red square with a red dot inside.
- The Kosher Symbol: Contrary to popular belief, kosher symbols (K or a U in a circle) do not mean the product is Halal. Firstly it may contain alcohol, and secondly for most Jews animal by-products like pork-based rennet are Halal, irrespective of whether the animal was slaughtered kosher. Thirdly, kosher meat is not equivalent to Zabiha. While Zabiha requires the name of Allah (swt) to be taken for each act of slaughter, Kosher can apply to the name recited once for an entire group of animals and it is even acceptable for them to recite it after the slaughter.
- The Ingredients
The following list includes some of the most commonly used problematic ingredients, but this isn’t an exhaustive list.
- Gelatine: Used in a variety of products, it is most commonly extracted from pigs or other animals which are non-Zabiha.
- Pepsin/ Porcine/Lard/ Elastin: Sourced from pigs’ stomach, fat or other parts.
- Lipase: Used in cheese and dairy-based products, this is an enzyme derived from animals.
- Rennet: Used mostly in cheese and dairy based products, it is also extracted commonly from animal sources.
- Vanilla Extract: A common ingredient, it is normally processed using huge amounts of alcohol, which may not be completely removed from the final product.
- Animal Fat: Sourced from animals which are either Haram or non-Zabiha.
- Animal blood: Used in meat products, it is impermissible for Muslims to consume this even as an ingredient regardless of the permissibility of the animal or its method of slaughter.
- Mono and Di Glycerides: Usually derived from animal sources unless otherwise clearly stated.
- Whey: Another common ingredient, it is also animal-based unless otherwise stated.
- L-Cysteine: Animal-based unless otherwise stated.
- Collagen/Keratin: Derived from the skin, bones, and connective tissues of animals, mostly pigs.
- Aspic: An alternative to gelatine, it is also animal-based.
- Lecithin: Used normally in junk foods, it is also animal-based unless otherwise stated.
- Emulsifiers: Made from glycerol and natural fatty acids derived from animals unless otherwise stated.
- Flavouring /Extracts: Derived usually from otherwise inedible ingredients using high amounts of alcohol.
- The E codes
These are additives used to enhance flavour, texture, and colouring of foods as well as to act as stabilisers to keep food fresh longer.
The E codes can signify both naturally occurring and artificially produced additives, many of which are not Halal. Hence, when checking any food package, one must look up the E codes to see what each signifies and whether it’s Halal.
The following is a list of common E codes to avoid, and this is not an exhaustive list. For a comprehensive and updated list, you can check the various Halal food directories available online.
- E 120
- E 140
- E 141
- E 161b
- E 161g
- E 252
- E 430
- E 431
- E 441
- E 542
- E 634
- E 635
- E 920
- E 921
- E 1105
While these steps should help you keep your food choices on the Halal side, it is important to remember that the modern food industry is a tricky maze for any Muslim to manoeuvre. Many products which may seem to fall into Halal categories may not fall into Tayyib or pure category. An example is livestock bred on Haram ingredients. It is imperative for one to be constantly on the lookout and try to judge each product vigilantly, for indeed we are what we eat.
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