Halal E number checker

Updated October 13, 2026 by madebykamal

Type an E number (E471, 120 or INS 441) or an additive name (gelatin, carmine) to see what it is made from, how halal certifiers and scholars list it, why, and which source says so. The same E number can be halal or not depending on its source, so a halal certification mark on the product, or the manufacturer, is the final word. The checker reports published positions and gives no ruling of its own.

How to read a result

Each result gives the additive's code and name, what it is made from, one of four labels, the reason, and the sources behind it, each linked. The labels summarize the cited sources:

• Often listed as haram: the cited certifiers put it on their haram or avoid lists, though views differ on part of it. Gelatin is the example.
• Sources differ: the cited certifiers or scholars disagree, as on carmine (E120), shellac (E904) and L-cysteine (E920).
• Doubtful (mushbooh): it can come from plant, animal or synthetic sources, and the code alone does not say which.
• Generally listed as halal: the cited sources list it as halal, sometimes with a condition such as a halal solvent.
• Not in this list yet: the checker does not guess. Check the product for a halal certification mark, or ask the manufacturer.

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Why the source decides for E471 and similar codes

An E number names a substance, not where it came from. Halal Authority India's sheet notes that E numbers follow the Codex International Numbering System (INS), so the checker treats INS 471 and E471 as the same code. SANHA, the South African National Halaal Authority, says E471 can be of animal or plant origin and has to be investigated product by product. Halal Authority India's sheet reads "Mushbooh, Halal if it is from plant fat, Haraam if it is from pork fat" for E471, and gives the same answer for most emulsifiers from E470 to E495.

IFANCA's list of questionable E numbers explains why the whole family is flagged: these ingredients are made from plant oils, animal fats or synthetically. Its advice is to look for halal certified products or ask the manufacturer. For E471 alone, see the guide Is E471 halal on this site.

The codes most often flagged, and why

Four codes come up most often on haram lists. The guide Haram E numbers list on this site covers the transformation (istihalah) debate over pork gelatin.

• E120, cochineal or carmine: SANHA notes it is always of animal origin, a red color obtained from female insects. The Federal Territory Mufti office in Malaysia holds it not permitted, on the majority view that insects are not eaten, and records that the Maliki school permits insects. The Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) holds cochineal coloring halal as long as it is beneficial and not harmful.
• E441, gelatin: IFANCA says gelatin named on a label without its source generally comes from pig skins and cattle bones, so it must be avoided, and that halal gelatin is made from fish bones or halal-slaughtered cattle. Gelatin is not on the UK's approved list, so labels usually print the word, not a number.
• E542, edible bone phosphate: SANHA describes it as an extract from animal bones, and Halal Authority India's sheet gives it as haraam if the bones are from pigs.
• E904, shellac: often on these lists, but the sources here mostly list it as halal. Halal Authority India's sheet gives halal for the type not treated with alcohol, and the GMWA Halal Food Guide (UK) calls it halaal while noting that some scholars still disagree.

Doubtful (mushbooh) codes

Most flagged codes sit here: emulsifiers and fatty acids that can come from plant oils or animal fats, and flavor enhancers that can come from fish, yeast or meat. Halal Authority India's sheet gives E631 (disodium inosinate) as halal from sardines, mushbooh from brewer's yeast extract and haraam from pig meat.

L-cysteine (E920), a flour treatment agent, sits between doubtful and disputed. The same sheet calls it mushbooh: haraam from human hair, halal from halal synthetic material, with feathers a third source, and records that scholars differ on it. The checker marks it as a code where sources differ.

What to do when you are not sure

• Look for a halal certification mark from a certifier you trust. IFANCA advises looking for halal certified products where the doubt has been cleared.
• Read the words around the number. A named source, such as soy lecithin, answers what the bare code cannot.
• Ask the manufacturer where the additive comes from.
• Check every code on the label: type several into the checker, separated by commas.
• For disputed items such as carmine, follow your own scholar or certifier.

Checking a whole label with Dalil

Dalil, a halal ingredient scanner for iPhone, takes a typed ingredient or E number, or reads an ingredient panel with the camera, and shows each ruling with the published sources it was drawn from. Its dictionary covers 291 additives (E100 to E1518) and 67 ingredients. For 11 topics where rulings disagree, such as gelatin and carmine, it shows both positions with the bodies that hold them. It never says a product is halal or certified, and it has no account and no network code.

Questions people ask

Related

• Is E471 Halal? What Certifiers and Scholars Say
• Haram E Numbers List: Which E Codes Are Not Halal?
• Halal Scanner - Dalil