Is E120 halal? Carmine and cochineal explained

Updated October 20, 2026 by madebykamal

E120 is the code for cochineal, carminic acid and carmine, a red color made from the cochineal insect, so the question turns on whether that insect may be eaten. The certifiers and fatwa bodies below list E120 as haram, not permitted, usually not halal, or halal with conditions, and the Malaysian Federal Territory Mufti office records that the Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools forbid eating insects while the Maliki school permits it. This page reports who lists it how; it is not a ruling, and if you follow a particular school or certifier, check what that one says.

What E120 is and what it is made from

E120 is one red color sold under several names. The UK government's list of approved additives gives E120 as "Cochineal; Carminic acid; Carmines", and SANHA (South Africa) lists it as carminic acid, also known as carmine of cochineal and Natural Red 4, with its source given as the cochineal insect. In FDA's summary of color additives for use in the United States, cochineal extract and carmine both sit under 21 CFR 73.100 with the European number E120.

An article published by LPPOM MUI in Indonesia names the insect as Dactylopius coccus, which lives on cactus plants. The American Halal Foundation describes cochineal (carmine) as a red dye derived from insects. SANHA lists its food uses as including some alcoholic drinks, red apple sauce, pie fillings, meats, baked goods and yogurt.

How E120 appears on US and UK labels

FDA's questions and answers on color additives say that colors exempt from certification can be listed together as "artificial colors", "color added" or a similar term, without naming each one, with one exception: because of potential allergic reactions in some people, carmine and cochineal extract are required to be identified by name on food labels. On a US ingredient list, the words to look for are carmine and cochineal extract.

In the UK, the code and the names above all refer to the same additive, which sits among the colors on the government's list of approved additives. That list says which additives are approved; it says nothing about halal status.

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Why the answer turns on the insect

None of the sources below disputes what E120 is. They differ on whether an insect such as cochineal may be eaten. The Federal Territory Mufti office in Malaysia records that the Shafi'i, Hanafi and Hanbali schools hold insects forbidden to eat, except the locust, as repulsive things (al-khaba'ith) under Surah al-A'raf, verse 157, and that the Maliki school permits eating insects.

The Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) reached the opposite conclusion for cochineal. According to LPPOM MUI, experts including an entomologist told the council that cochineal shares characteristics with grasshoppers, and the council cited the hadith naming fish and grasshoppers as permissible carcasses.

What certifiers and fatwa bodies list

• Federal Territory Mufti office, Malaysia (Irsyad Hukum 817, 21 December 2023): the use of carmine from cochineal in food or drink is not permitted, on the view of the majority of jurists (Hanafi, Shafi'i, Hanbali) that insects may not be eaten. It records that the Maliki school permits eating insects.
• Halal Authority India, E-number sheet: E120, cochineal or carminic acid, is "Haraam according to Hanafi Fiqqah".
• SANHA (South Africa): lists E120 as haraam, with its source given as the cochineal insect.
• American Halal Foundation (US), ingredients list of October 2024: lists cochineal (carmine) among haram ingredients as "often considered haram", and E120 as "usually not halal unless derived from permissible sources".
• Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI), Fatwa 33 of 2011: food and drink colorings derived from cochineal are halal as long as they are beneficial and not harmful. The LPPOM MUI article reporting it (September 2023) also notes that the East Java NU Bahtsul Masail Institute had discussed carmine dyes and declared them unclean and disgusting.

Schools and certifiers differ

There is no single position to report. The Malaysian office sets out all four schools: Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali forbid eating insects other than the locust, and Maliki permits it. Halal Authority India gives its haraam listing according to Hanafi fiqh, and MUI holds cochineal coloring halal on conditions. If you follow a particular school, or rely on a particular certifier, check what that school's scholars or that certifier says about E120, and ask your own scholar about anything that matters to you.

What to check on a product

• Read the ingredient list for E120, carmine, cochineal, cochineal extract, carminic acid or Natural Red 4. On US labels, FDA requires carmine and cochineal extract to be named.
• Look for a halal certification mark from a certifier you follow. The American Halal Foundation advises looking for the halal symbol on processed and packaged foods.
• Check what that certifier lists for E120, since the bodies above do not agree.
• If you are unsure which red color a product uses, ask the manufacturer.

Checking E120 with Dalil

Dalil, a halal ingredient scanner for iPhone, lets you type an ingredient or an E number, or point the camera at an ingredient panel, and shows what published rulings say with a link to each one. Insect colors are marked haram or mushbooh with the reason attached, and carmine is one of 11 topics where published rulings disagree, so Dalil shows both positions with the bodies that hold them and lets you set your own position. It never says a product is halal or certified, and it works with no account and no network code.

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