Which foods are halal?

Classifying a food as permissible (halal) or forbidden (haram) involves numerous factors (also read: What does halal mean?). The primary sources for this are the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (s). Geographical conditions and circumstances also play a role. Finally, food production is such a highly specialized field that it is divided into various disciplines (e.g., food chemistry or food technology). Processes and materials used change so rapidly that no general statements can be made about product categories. Instead, individual components and manufacturing processes are examined, analyzed by Islamic scholars of jurisprudence, and then classified as halal or non-halal.

Halal Classification by Certification Bodies

The classification is no longer carried out by individual scholars. Depending on requirements, schools of thought, and regions around the world, various certification bodies have become established for this purpose. On behalf of food manufacturers, restaurants, etc., they certify products as permissible (halal). To receive a seal from the relevant body, the organization or company seeking certification must comply with all criteria and requirements. A well-known point of contact in Europe, and especially in Germany, is the European Halal Certification Institute (EHZ) in Hamburg. 

Criteria for Halal Certification

The EHZ provides an easy-to-understand overview [1] of the criteria required for halal certification. Certification bodies examine the Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (s), and legal opinions from various scholars, and assess products, food, and especially manufacturing processes against the standards established in advance. The following is intended as an introduction to the topic and a paraphrase of these standards. Halal food must therefore

be made from halal ingredients

•  come from permitted animals that have been slaughtered in accordance with Islamic requirements.
•  be produced “purely.” This means, for example, without blood, excrement, etc.
• be produced completely alcohol-free.

Alcohol must not be used in processing either; in this context, alcohol means ethanol. More broadly, all intoxicating substances are prohibited (haram). Furthermore, sea creatures are generally permitted. As cold-blooded animals, they do not require slaughter.

These criteria can be broken down further below. Since the category of meat is a broad and sometimes complex area of this topic, the focus will initially be on products and food. Topics such as halal slaughter and the criteria for food production processes (keyword: cross-contamination) will be covered in separate articles.

Halal ingredients for food production are

• plant-based ingredients that have not undergone fermentation (e.g. unfermented fruit juices)
• animal-derived ingredients from permitted animals that have been slaughtered according to halal requirements (e.g. gelatin from a halal-slaughtered cow). 

Haram ingredients are

• Blood
• Pork
• Meat from animals that died of natural causes
• Meat from predators with fangs, and birds of prey with talons
• Alcohol as an intoxicant, regardless of its form or concentration

What does this mean in practice?

All of the criteria listed seem rather abstract. Two specific examples will help illustrate them.

Some food manufacturers, for example, have switched from pork gelatin to beef gelatin for fruit gummies. Beef and other products are generally permitted (halal). However, if the animal was not slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, the gelatin obtained from it may not be consumed either. A similar issue arises with calf rennet. Rennet is a mixture of various enzymes obtained from the stomach of a slaughtered calf and is necessary for cheese production.² For a product made with rennet to be classified as halal, the calf in question must have been slaughtered according to halal guidelines. Otherwise, according to many scholars, the entire product (e.g. cheese) is not considered halal. Other ingredients often found in halal sweets include mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids. Glycerides are essentially the product of glycerol (a non-intoxicating alcohol) and acids. In this case, attention should be paid to the fatty acids. Under EU regulations, their origin does not have to be explicitly stated. They may be of plant or animal origin. Although the name became established historically, today it no longer accurately reflects modern manufacturing processes. In fact, these acids may come from animal fats. However, by today's standards, they are often obtained from soy (plant origin) or milk (animal origin). Milk, however, is considered “pure” according to Islamic standards.

As mentioned earlier, there are very subtle nuances in food production that, when considered by certifiers and scholars, can lead to minor variations in dietary requirements due to different regional conditions and other circumstances. Simple examples were chosen for clarity. Applying these to complex production processes requires much more complex and in-depth consideration. 

Now that “meat” has been discussed several times, the next article covers the correct Islamic slaughter of animals and variations established through modern technologies: Article: Halal meat. How is Islamic slaughter performed?