E Numbers
Click here… to see a list of E-numbers that All Things Halal has carried out research on so far; though it covers most if not all E-numbers present in everyday products, new ones are released occasionally and thus All Things Halal will do its best to keep the E-numbers up to date as possible. This is also true for ingredients that are not in E-Number form (listed under ‘Other Common Ingredients of Animal Origin); sometimes it is difficult to know what a specific ingredient is within a product, thus a list has been drawn up for the Muslim communities benefit.
Please remember that the list is correct as of time of research including the E-Numbers, if you find any discrepancies with any of the listings or if anything needs to be added please feel free to email and we will do so accordingly after thorough research has been carried out on the ingredient in question.
E-Numbers that are in ‘RED’ (click here) have and can only be derived from animal origin as there are currently no vegetarian alternatives. However, some such as Gelatine can be produced using the Halal Slaughter method, thus making it ok to consume by the Muslim market.
Please Note A word of warning: Please do not eat products which have E-numbers that claim to be Halal, simply because it says ‘Halal’ on the packaging; make sure it has been checked by an authentic certification body or Halal Authority such as All Things Halal.
E-Numbers that are in ‘BLUE’ (click here) in many cases the origin of the product may be either from animal or non-animal sources. This is especially the case for those additives that contain fatty acids mentioned below. These are normally of plant origin, but animal origin cannot be excluded. As the products are chemically identical, only the producers can give information on the exact origin.
If you have difficulty with our interactive display links above please go to our E-Number Types page.
Other common ingredients of animal origin
Please Note: That this is only a list of ingredients which would be hard to tell whether it was of animal origin or not; we have not added very obvious ingredients such as Sperm Oil, Blood, Alcohol, etc. as then the list would become too long, thus we advise that you look at the ingredients of a product carefully and as the saying goes ‘if in doubt, leave it out’; or ask us and we will get it checked for you.
Aspic: Aspic is a dish in which ingredients are set into a gelatine made from a meat stock or consommé
Animal Fat Types: Suet, Tallow, Lard, Dripping.
Collagen: is the main protein of connective tissue in animals and the most abundant protein in mammals, making up about 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content
Pepsin: is expressed as a pro-form zymogene, pepsinogen, whose primary structure has an additional 44 amino acids.
Proteins: are organic compounds made of amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of adjacent amino acid residues.
Rennet: contains many enzymes, including a proteolytic enzyme (protease) that coagulates the milk, causing it to separate into solids (curds) and liquid (whey). The active enzyme in rennet is called chymosin or rennin but there are also other important enzymes in it, e.g., pepsin or lipase. There are non-animal sources for rennet that are suitable for vegetarian consumption
Casein and caseinate: A protein from cow's milk
Lactose: Sugar from cow's milk
Whey and whey powder: Whey, whey powder and cheese may not be Halal when the animal that provided the rennet to clot the milk is not slaughtered according to Islamic rules. Only the producer can provide the information on the status of these products
Vitamin B12: Commercially only made by bacterial fermentation. Isolation from meat is too expensive, due to the very low concentrations.
Leucine: Is an amino acid, Leucine is a major component of the sub units in ferritin, astacin and other 'buffer' proteins.
Fatty acids: Fats, whether from plant or animal origin, consist of glycerol and generally 3 fatty acids. Fats can enzymatically be split in fatty acids and glycerol. The fatty acids can be purified and reconnected to glycerol as mono- di- of triglycerides (glycerol with 1, 2 or 3 fatty acids respectively). Many additives consist of these semi-natural fats, which act as emulsifiers.
These semi-natural fats are degraded and metabolise in the body, just like normal fat. Chemically the fatty acids from animal or plant origin are identical. Therefore the origin is of no importance for the function in the food. Producers thus normally choose the cheapest oils to make these fats. This is generally some vegetable oil. However, animal fats cannot be excluded.
