Food Additives Halal Status Verification Database

Basically, all products are Halal,(hɑːˈlɑːl),  except those which are declared Haram (Impermissible) as per the Islamic Law, including pork & other non-Halal animals, carrions, animals slaughtered improperly, alcohol & other intoxicants, hazardous food etc.

Halal Food means food and drinks, which is allowed to be consumed according to Islamic rules from Al Qura’an and Al Sunnah Al Nabawiyah and are pure, hygienic and free of Najasah by eating, drinking, injecting or inhaling. (Source: GSO 2055-1:2015)

Halal Food means food permitted under the Islamic Law and  does not consist of or contain anything which is considered to be unlawful according to Islamic Law and has not been prepared, processed, transported or stored using any appliance or facility that was not free from anything unlawful according to Islamic Law; and has not in the course of preparation, processing, transportation or storage been in direct contact with any food that fails to satisfy 

Halal food can be prepared, processed or stored in different sections or lines within the same premises where non-halal foods are produced, provided that necessary measures are taken to prevent any contact between halal and non-halal foods and can be prepared, processed, transported or stored using facilities which have been previously used for non-halal foods provided that proper cleaning procedures, according to Islamic requirements, have been observed. (Source: CAC/GL 24-1997)

Haram, (ˈhɑːˌrɑːm), is an Arabic word that is opposite to Halal; it means something is forbidden or unlawful or, forbidden , or impermissible for Muslims to consume.

“O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and wholesome, and follow not the footsteps of the devil. Lo! he is an avowed enemy of you.” (Qur’an: 2:168).

“They ask you, [O Muhammad], what has been made lawful for them. Say, “Lawful for you are [all] good foods and [game caught by] what you have trained of hunting animals which you train as Allah has taught you. So eat of what they catch for you, and mention the name of Allah upon it, and fear Allah .” Indeed, Allah is swift in account.” [Qur’an: 5:4]

“O messengers! Eat from what is good and lawful, and act righteously. Indeed, I fully know what you do.” [Qur’an: 23:51]

List of Foods that are forbidden or Haram: (Source: GSO 2055-1:2015)

• The animals that may not be slaughtered according to Islamic Rules, the slaughtered animals of polytheists, irreligious, seculars, atheists, Magis, apostates and other disbelievers other than Christians and Jews, dead animals, suffocated animals, fatally beaten animals (Mawqouza), falling animals (Motaradiah), butted animals (Nateehah), animals Eaten by beast of prey and animals on whose slaughtering the name of Allah is not mentioned, the animals slaughtered on idols, the animals slaughtered not in approach of Allah, or the animals contaminated with prohibited animals of harm, if eaten.
• Pigs, domestic donkeys, mules, elephants, monkeys, dogs, foxes, cats and the like
• Predators such as fanged beasts of prey and the like such as lions, cheetahs, bears, except for hyenas
• Birds of prey with sharp claws used for attacking and the like such as eagles, falcons, hawks, sparrows, peregrines, kites and owls
• Rodents, reptiles, pests and the like such as mice, rats, centipedes, serpents, snakes, monitors, lizards, geckos, chameleons, hedgehogs, martins, bats, squirrels, polecats, moles and Coleopteran (except for dab lizards and jerboas
• Scorpions and all types of insects, worms and animals prohibited to be killed by Rules and the like such as ants, bees, woodpeckers and hoopoes, except for locusts and unavoidable bee parts falling in honey
• Odious creatures and the like such as shells, larva and other similar animals
• Animals fed with unclean items, unless they are confined and fed with permissible feeding according to Islamic Rules for at least three days
• Toxicant or harmful species, unless toxicant or harmful substances are Plants, their products and their toxicant, harmful or narcotic derivatives, unless toxicant or harmful substances are removed during preparation. removed during preparation
• Intoxicating beverages or those containing alcohols, narcotic, calming, toxicant or harmful substance
• All foods produced by genetic modification from a prohibited specie or more than one species, of them one specie is prohibited
• Blood and all its derivatives are prohibited and all body liquids from a human or animal origin such as vomiting and urine
• All toxicant, harmful or calming food additives, products and their products and derivatives or derived from non-Halal materials
• All enzymes derived from non-Halal sources
• All microorganisms such as germs, fungi, toxicant and harmful yeast produced on non-Halal environments or using non-Halal ingredients

Literally meaning “doubtful” or “suspect,” foods are labeled mushbooh when it is unclear whether they are Halal (consumption is permitted) or Haraam (haram) (consumption is prohibited).

Mushbooh (Mash-booh) means doubtful or suspect. If one is not sure about the slaughtering process or the ingredients used while preparing the food, then those items are considered as Mushbooh.

Another meaning; Mashbooh is neither obviously Haram nor obviously Halal, thus doubtful or suspect in terms of whether Muslims are allowed to consume it.

Najis means filth or unclean things in Arabic and refers to substances that contaminate food and equipment. This includes anything derived from pigs and dogs, urine, feces, blood, bodily fluids, milk from impermissible animals, and other types of dirt or contaminants.

While many people familiar with Halal food and certification know that it refers to certain animals and types of meat that are permissible to consume, they may not realize that it also encompasses another category, dealing with the purity and wholesomeness of the food. In the Qu’ran, the holy book of Muslims, instructions on what to eat cover two realms, Halal and Tayyib:

“O mankind! Eat of that which is Halal and Tayyib…” (Quraan, Al-Baqarah, Verse: 168).

Also, filth indicates any substance that is harmful to human health is also prohibited, even if it isn’t specifically mentioned in the category of najis. For example, food dyes, artificial sweeteners, or preservatives that have been found to be carcinogenic would not be permissible, since a central tenet of Islam is avoiding harm. Similarly, if equipment was cleaned with strong detergents or disinfectants, but not properly washed, this could also contaminate the food and result in it not being acceptable for certification or consumption.

Najis substances are often vectors for disease, so strictly avoiding them helps avoid foodborne illness and keep people healthy. This would have been extremely important guidance in the past when people did not understand microbiology or food safety in the way we do today. Now, modern science has confirmed the importance of ensuring that food is free from these substances.

Tayyib means Pure or free of filth or unclean things in Arabic and refers to food that is free of any kind of substances that contaminate food or harm human health.

The inclusion of purity in addition to lawfulness in Islamic dietary law ensures that food is safe and healthy to eat. 

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