E-Numbers: Which Are Halal, Haram or Mushbooh? (Quick Reference List)
E-Numbers: Which Are Halal, Haram or Mushbooh? (Quick Reference List)
You are in a supermarket in a city you do not know, holding a pack of biscuits whose label offers you “emulsifier (E471)” and “flavouring”. Neither tells you whether the packet is halal, because E-numbers hide what an additive was made from. This list sorts the codes Muslims ask about into three buckets and flags where certifiers disagree.
Key Takeaways
- Most E-numbers are plant, mineral or synthetic, and no certifier disputes them.
- A few are animal by definition: E120 (insect), E441 (gelatin), E542 (bone).
- The mushbooh group, E471, E472a-f, E920, E631, E635 and E1518, can be plant or animal.
- Certifiers disagree in both directions, so the E-number is never the verdict. The product and your certifier are.
TL;DR: About a dozen E-numbers are worth checking; the rest are almost always fine. Avoid E120, E441 (pork gelatin) and E542 unless certified. E471, E472a-f, E920, E631, E635 and E1518 are mushbooh, so the ruling depends on the source.
The short answer
SANHA, the South African National Halaal Authority, states the rule in its E-number guide, retrieved 2026-09-24: a few additives are “always” of animal origin, codes such as E471 “can be either of animal or plant origin and this latter type needs to be investigated on a case-by-case basis”, and “most of the additives are however suitable.”
That last sentence is easy to miss: these codes are mostly starches, gums, acids, minerals and vitamins (European Commission, retrieved 2026-09-24).
Bucket 1: generally halal
| E-number | Name | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| E100 | Curcumin | Turmeric |
| E300 | Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) | Synthetic, plants |
| E322 | Lecithin | Almost always soy or sunflower |
| E330 | Citric acid | Fermentation |
| E406 | Agar | Seaweed |
| E500 | Sodium bicarbonate | Mineral |
| E621 | MSG | Fermentation |
| E1105 | Lysozyme | Hen egg white |
E1105 is halaal on SANHA’s list because it comes from egg white (SANHA, E1105, retrieved 2026-09-24). That is a problem for vegans, not Muslims, which is why the vegan version of this list sorts them differently.
Bucket 2: generally haram, or haram without a certificate
| E-number | Name | Why it is a problem | What would change the ruling |
|---|---|---|---|
| E120 | Carmine, cochineal | Crushed cochineal insects | Istihala, per Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta |
| E441 | Gelatin | Pig skin and bone, or beef not slaughtered Islamically | Certified halal beef gelatin, or fish gelatin |
| E542 | Edible bone phosphate | Animal bones | Bones from a halal-slaughtered animal |
SANHA lists E120 as haraam and classes E441 and E542 as always animal-derived (SANHA, haraam E-numbers, retrieved 2026-09-24). Malaysia goes further: JAKIM does not allow E120 in halal-certified Malaysian products (Halalketak, retrieved 2026-09-24).
Gelatin catches people out because “beef gelatin” is not automatically halal: the animal has to be slaughtered Islamically and the factory certified. See also whether gelatin is vegetarian.
Bucket 3: mushbooh, the doubtful codes
This is where your reading time should go. Mushbooh means the same code can be plant or animal, and the label often will not say which.
| E-number | Name | Plant route | Animal route |
|---|---|---|---|
| E422 | Glycerol, glycerin | Palm, soy | Animal fat |
| E471 | Mono- and diglycerides | Vegetable oils | Animal fat |
| E472a-f | Fatty acid esters | Vegetable oils | Animal fat |
| E631 | Disodium inosinate | Fermentation | Meat extract, dried sardines |
| E635 | Disodium ribonucleotides | Fermentation | E631 from meat or fish |
| E904 | Shellac | Lac insect resin | Not applicable |
| E920 | L-cysteine | Synthetic, fermentation | Hair, feathers, pig bristles |
| E1517, E1518 | Glyceryl diacetate and triacetate | Plant glycerol | Animal glycerol |
SANHA marks E471, E472a-f, E542, E631, E635 and E920 as mashbooh, doubtful (SANHA, mashbooh E-numbers, retrieved 2026-09-24). Its E631 entry gives both routes: “meat extract or from dried sardines or microbiological fermentation”. E635 is a blend of E627 and E631, so it inherits the problem.
The Malawian certifier HD-MAM, a World Halaal Council member, lists E1518 triacetin as mushbooh for the same reason: “check source of glycerol” (Halaal Department Malawi, retrieved 2026-09-24). For E920, see L-cysteine in bread.
One shortcut works in Europe: a “suitable for vegetarians” mark means E471, E472 and E476 cannot be animal-derived, so only the alcohol still needs checking (IslamQA, Muftisays, retrieved 2026-09-24).
Why E120 and E904 split scholars
Both come from insects, and both turn on istihala: the idea that a substance can change enough that its original impurity no longer applies.
SANHA rules E120 haraam and E904 halaal (SANHA, E904, retrieved 2026-09-24), even though the second is a lac insect secretion. Malaysia’s JAKIM, in the Shafi’i school, rejects istihala as a general principle, so E120 is not allowed in its certified products.
Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta answers the insect question the other way: such substances change composition so completely that they become “pure and permissible”, though most scholars consider eating the insects themselves impermissible (Dar al-Ifta, fatwa 6880, retrieved 2026-09-24).
Same additive, three answers: “is E120 halal?” has no single correct reply.
Alcohol, flavourings and vanilla extract
Alcohol appears in food as a solvent, not a drink. E1510 is ethanol, and E1517 and E1518 are glycerol acetates used as carriers; SANHA lists all three as mushbooh.
The fiqh splits too. Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta applies istihlak: the alcohol is too diluted to intoxicate even in large amounts, and it records a view that chemically produced alcohol is not khamr (Dar al-Ifta, fatwa 6245, retrieved 2026-09-24). Darul Ifta Birmingham sets out the two Hanafi positions: one treats non-khamr alcohol like khamr, the other permits non-intoxicating amounts (IslamQA, retrieved 2026-09-24).
So vanilla extract is a judgement call for your own certifier. If you would rather not make it in the aisle, look for alcohol-free vanilla.
How to check a product in the aisle
Rules change with the region, so the first check is local. Indonesia requires halal certification for food, drink and food additives made by medium and large businesses, in force since 18 October 2024, with small businesses given until 17 October 2026 (BPJPH, retrieved 2026-09-24). In the US and most of Europe certification is voluntary, so a missing logo proves nothing.
- Look for a halal certification mark from a body your community recognises. If it is there, you are done.
- If not, read the codes against the tables above.
- Hunt for source words: “vegetable oil” or “palm” for E471 and E472; “beef gelatin” or “fish gelatin” for E441.
- Scan it: point the app at the barcode or photograph the ingredient list with halal selected, and the codes above get flagged in seconds.
- If it is still unclear, ask the brand.
Travelling? The halal travel food guide covers airports and restaurants, and Malaysia’s common ingredients is useful where certification is the norm.
The bottom line
Avoid E120, treat E441 and E542 as haram unless certified, and slow down on E471, E472, E920, E631 and E635 until you know the source. Check the product, not just the number.
Check before you eat. The Verify Veg app scans a barcode or reads an ingredient list from a photo and flags ingredients against your diet (vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher, Jain and more). Download on the App Store - Android is coming soon.
Written by Samir Narain, founder of Verify Veg. Verify Veg helps people check packaged food against their diet by scanning barcodes and reading ingredient lists from photos.
Note: Verify Veg provides ingredient-based compatibility checks, not certification. Additive sources can vary by manufacturer, and halal rulings vary by certifier and region: always confirm with the brand, the vendor or your certifier.