Our Methodology
How we determine
halal verdicts
Every verdict on HalalCodeCheck is based on established Islamic dietary principles, cross-referenced with recognised certification bodies and scholarly sources. Here is how it works.
The Three Verdicts
Every ingredient and E-code in our database is assigned one of three statuses, based on its source and the available evidence.
Permissible according to Islamic dietary law. The ingredient or additive is confirmed to be free of any forbidden substances and is derived from a permissible source. Examples: plant-derived lecithin, fish gelatin, most mineral and synthetic additives with known permissible origins.
Doubtful or questionable. The ingredient may be halal or haram depending on its source, and the label or available evidence does not resolve that ambiguity. The name "Mushbooh" comes from the Arabic root meaning "doubtful."
Examples: unspecified gelatin (could be porcine, bovine, or fish), unspecified lecithin (could be soy or animal-derived), "natural flavours" without source disclosure, E471 (mono- and diglycerides) without stated origin.
Our recommendation: treat Mushbooh items as doubtful and seek clarification from the manufacturer or a recognised certification body.
Forbidden according to Islamic dietary law. The ingredient is confirmed to be derived from a prohibited source or is intrinsically impermissible. Examples: pork gelatin (E441 from porcine sources), carmine / cochineal (E120, derived from insects), alcohol-based additives where ethanol is the functional component, lard (E422 variants from porcine fat).
A small number of entries carry an Unknown status where there is genuinely insufficient information to classify. These are flagged and kept under review.
How Verdicts Are Determined
Our verdict engine works in layers. For straightforward ingredients, the ruling is direct. For ambiguous source-dependent ingredients, we apply additional evidence resolution.
Database ruling
Each E-code and ingredient in our database has a base ruling established by cross-referencing recognised certification bodies and scholarly sources. Where the ruling is clear and source-independent, this is the final verdict.
Source-dependent resolution
For high-risk ingredients whose ruling depends on their source — gelatin, lecithin, glycerin, mono- and diglycerides, whey, rennet, and enzymes — we apply an evidence layer:
- → Local qualifiers: words adjacent to the ingredient on the label (e.g. "soy lecithin", "fish gelatin", "porcine gelatin") that identify the source.
- → Label-level evidence: recognised certification marks (HMC, HFA, JAKIM, MUI) or pack-wide markers ("suitable for vegetarians", "vegan") that can help resolve multiple ambiguous ingredients.
- → Negation handling: "gelatin-free", "no pork", and "may contain traces of" are treated distinctly — trace context does not override a confirmed ingredient presence.
Worst-wins merge
When a product contains multiple ingredients, the final verdict follows a worst-wins principle: Haram overrides Mushbooh, which overrides Unknown, which overrides Halal. A single Haram ingredient makes the overall verdict Haram, regardless of the other ingredients.
Explanation layer
Where available, results pages show which ingredient drove the verdict, what evidence was found, and — for Mushbooh cases — what evidence was missing that would have produced a more definitive ruling.
Sources We Use
Verdicts are cross-referenced against recognised certification bodies and mainstream Sunni scholarly sources.
Certification Bodies
- HMC — Halal Monitoring Committee (UK)
- HFA — Halal Food Authority (UK)
- JAKIM — Department of Islamic Development Malaysia
- MUI — Majelis Ulama Indonesia
- IFANCA — Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America
Scholarly Basis
- Mainstream Sunni fiqh, primarily following the Hanafi school where juristic positions differ
- Established fatawa on food additives from recognised Islamic scholarly bodies
- Manufacturer-disclosed ingredient sourcing where directly available
A note on certification marks
A recognised certification body logo on a product label is treated as strong evidence that can resolve source-dependent ingredients to Halal. A bare "Halal" claim without a named certifier is treated as supporting evidence only — it does not, on its own, produce a confident Halal verdict for ambiguous ingredients.
Scope & Limitations
We aim to be transparent about what HalalCodeCheck is, and is not.
What we cover
- ✓ 360+ food additives and E-codes
- ✓ Common ingredient names (EU, US, Canada, UK labelling)
- ✓ Source-dependent additives with evidence resolution
- ✓ Brand-level halal status where publicly verified
- ✓ OCR-based label scanning with ingredient extraction
What we are not
- — A fatwa-issuing body or religious authority
- — A replacement for your own judgement or a local scholar
- — A real-time product database (formulas change; always check the label)
- — A halal certification service for businesses
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