E-Numbers & Halal Status
An E-number is only a function code — it says what an additive does, not what it is made from. The same code can be plant-, microbial-, synthetic-, or animal-derived, which is why so many entries below read 'depends on source.'
Status is about source, not the number.
This is general reference, written by HCC in plain language — not a certification ruling for any specific product. For a definitive answer, the actual supplier source has to be documented and reviewed, which is exactly what an HCC audit does before a certificate is issued.
- Halal
Generally acceptable — typically mineral, plant, microbial, or synthetic in origin.
- Depends on source
Can be made from plant or animal feedstock; the supplier's source is decisive.
- Mushbooh
Doubtful or debated — usually because of an animal or insect origin that needs confirming.
- Haram
Not acceptable as listed. None of the common additives below fall here outright.
A yellow colour extracted from the turmeric root. Plant-derived and generally accepted.
A yellow-orange colour and vitamin. Usually produced by fermentation; the growth medium and any carrier should be reviewed.
A synthetic yellow azo dye made from petrochemical feedstock, with no animal input.
A synthetic yellow colour. Manufactured chemically with no animal-derived components.
A synthetic orange-yellow azo dye produced from chemical feedstock.
A red colour extracted from the dried cochineal insect. Acceptability of insect-derived colour varies between scholars and certifiers, so the source and ruling must be confirmed.
A synthetic red azo dye made chemically, with no animal input.
A synthetic red azo colour produced from chemical feedstock.
A synthetic cherry-pink colour made chemically.
A synthetic red azo dye with no animal-derived components.
A synthetic blue triphenylmethane dye made from chemical feedstock, with no animal input. Also listed as INS 131.
A synthetic blue colour produced from chemical feedstock.
A synthetic blue colour made chemically, with no animal input.
A green colour extracted from plants. Generally accepted; any solvent used in extraction may be reviewed.
A stabilised green colour based on plant chlorophyll combined with copper.
An umbrella code for the four caramel classes (E150a–E150d), all made by heating carbohydrates. Generally accepted; see the class entries below and confirm no alcohol-based carrier is used in liquid preparations.
A brown colour from heated carbohydrates. Plain caramel uses no ammonia or sulphite; sources should still be confirmed.
A caramel colour common in colas. Confirm that no alcohol-based carrier is used and review processing inputs.
A black colour from charred plant material. Generally plant-based, but the carbon source should be confirmed as non-animal.
An orange colour and pro-vitamin A. Plant or synthetic forms are straightforward; any gelatin-based encapsulation in the formulation must be reviewed.
An orange-red colour from the seeds of the achiote tree. Plant-derived.
A red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers. Plant-derived.
An orange carotenoid colour, normally produced synthetically. The molecule itself is unproblematic, but commercial preparations often come as beadlets that can use gelatin as the carrier, so the audit checks the formulation, not just the dye. Also listed as INS 160e.
A yellow carotenoid colour usually obtained from marigold flowers.
A red-purple colour extracted from beetroot. Plant-derived.
Red, purple, and blue colours extracted from fruits and vegetables such as grape skins.
A mineral white colour and acidity regulator. Mineral origin.
A mineral white colour. No animal input; note that some jurisdictions now restrict its use in food.
Mineral red, yellow, and black colours. No animal-derived components.
A preservative against mould and yeast, produced synthetically.
The potassium salt of sorbic acid, made chemically.
A common preservative in soft drinks and sauces, produced synthetically.
A preservative gas used on dried fruit and in beverages, produced from mineral sulphur. No animal input. Also listed as INS 220.
A sulphite preservative made chemically; no animal input.
A sulphite preservative made chemically, like its sodium counterpart E223. No animal input. Also listed as INS 224.
A curing salt used in meat preservation. The additive is mineral; the meat it is applied to is the actual Halal concern.
A curing salt of mineral origin, used with E250 in cured meats. The salt itself is not the issue — the audit focuses on the Halal status of the meat it cures. Also listed as INS 251.
A curing salt of mineral origin used in some cured products.
The acid in vinegar. Vinegar itself is widely regarded as Halal, but if produced via an alcohol route the process should be reviewed.
Sodium acetate and sodium diacetate (E262i and E262ii), salts of acetic acid used in salt-and-vinegar snacks and bread. The acetic acid is almost always synthetic; the audit reviews the acid route if a vinegar-derived source is declared. Also listed as INS 262.
Now almost always produced by carbohydrate fermentation. Confirm the substrate and that no problematic processing aid is used.
A preservative against mould in bread, generally produced synthetically.
The sodium salt of propionic acid (E280), used against mould in baked goods. Produced synthetically. Also listed as INS 281.
The calcium salt of propionic acid (E280), the standard mould inhibitor in packaged bread. Produced synthetically, with no animal input. Also listed as INS 282.
A fruit acid that sharpens drinks and confectionery. Commercial malic acid is made synthetically from petrochemical feedstock, with no animal input at any step. Also listed as INS 296.
Usually produced by fermentation of glucose; widely accepted.
A fat-soluble form of vitamin C made by joining ascorbic acid to palmitic acid. The palmitic acid can come from palm oil or from animal fat, so the source must be confirmed. Also listed as INS 304.
An antioxidant usually from vegetable oils, but any carrier or animal-derived diluent should be checked.
An antioxidant that is usually synthetic or refined from vegetable oil. Generally accepted; if supplied on a carrier or in encapsulated form, the carrier should be reviewed. Also listed as INS 307.
A synthetic antioxidant that keeps fats from going rancid. The compound itself is chemical in origin, but commercial BHA is supplied dissolved in a fat or oil carrier — a vegetable-oil carrier is accepted; an animal-derived one is not, so the carrier source must be confirmed. Also listed as INS 320.
A synthetic antioxidant closely related to BHA (E320). Chemical in origin, but like BHA it is supplied in a fat or oil carrier, so the carrier source must be confirmed as vegetable-derived. Also listed as INS 321.
An emulsifier most often from soy or sunflower (Halal), but egg-derived lecithin exists. Confirm the source.
A salt of lactic acid; status follows that of the lactic acid used (see E270).
A calcium salt of lactic acid; status follows that of the lactic acid used (see E270). Also listed as INS 327.
Produced by fermentation of carbohydrate feedstock; one of the most common food acids and widely accepted.
A salt of citric acid, made from the fermentation-derived acid.
Potassium salts of citric acid, made from the fermentation-derived acid (see E330). Also listed as INS 332.
Calcium salts of citric acid, made from the fermentation-derived acid (see E330). Also listed as INS 333.
Often a by-product of winemaking. The source must be confirmed, as wine-derived material is a concern.
Potassium salts of tartaric acid, often recovered as a by-product of winemaking. Status follows the tartaric acid used (see E334). Also listed as INS 336.
A mineral acid used in colas and as an acidulant. No animal input.
Salts made by neutralising mineral phosphoric acid (E338) with sodium, used in processed cheese and cured meats. The audit confirms the phosphate is mineral, not bone-derived — bone phosphate is a separate additive (E542). Also listed as INS 339.
The potassium counterparts of E339, used in dairy powders and sports drinks. Mineral in origin; the audit confirms no bone-derived phosphate is substituted. Also listed as INS 340.
Phosphate salts that can be of mineral origin or derived from bone. Confirm the source.
A B-vitamin produced synthetically.
A sequestrant that locks up trace metals to keep dressings, mayonnaise, and canned goods from discolouring. Fully synthetic, with no animal input. Also listed as INS 385.
A thickener extracted from brown seaweed.
The sodium salt of alginic acid (E400), extracted from brown seaweed and used in ice cream, sauces, and restructured foods. Plant-derived and generally accepted. Also listed as INS 401.
A gelling agent from seaweed; a common plant-based alternative to gelatin.
A thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed.
A thickener from the seeds of the carob tree. Plant-derived.
A thickener from guar beans. Plant-derived.
A stabiliser and glazing agent from the acacia tree. Plant-derived.
A thickener made by fermentation. Generally accepted; confirm the fermentation substrate.
A thickener made by microbial fermentation; commonly accepted.
A sugar alcohol produced from glucose. No animal input.
A sugar alcohol produced from plant sugars by hydrogenation or fermentation. No animal input. Also listed as INS 421.
Glycerine can be plant-, synthetic-, or animal-fat-derived. The source is decisive and must be confirmed.
An emulsifier built from sorbitol and stearic acid. The stearic acid can be plant- or animal-derived, so the source must be confirmed. Also listed as INS 435.
A gelling agent from fruit (often citrus or apple); a common plant-based alternative to gelatin.
Gelatin is made from animal skin and bone. It is Halal only when from a Halal-slaughtered, documented source (or from fish); porcine gelatin is not acceptable.
An emulsifier used mainly in chocolate, produced from glycerol and food acids of plant origin.
Phosphate salts that may be mineral or bone-derived. Confirm the source.
Longer-chain phosphates that bind moisture in processed meat, seafood, and cheese. Mineral in origin; in meat and seafood products the audit also covers the Halal status of the product itself. Also listed as INS 452.
A bulking agent from plant fibre.
A cellulose derivative of plant origin, used as a thickener and binder — including in many plant-based meat alternatives. No animal input. Also listed as INS 461.
A plant-based cellulose derivative, widely used for vegetarian capsule shells.
A cellulose-based thickener of plant origin.
E470a covers the sodium, potassium, and calcium salts of fatty acids; E470b covers the magnesium salts, common as anti-caking agents in dry mixes. The fatty acids can come from plant oils or from animal fat such as tallow, so the audit traces the fat source at the supplier. Also listed as INS 470.
A very common emulsifier. The fatty acids can be plant- or animal-derived, so the source must be confirmed for each supplier.
An umbrella code for the E472a–E472f emulsifier family, all built on mono-/diglycerides of fatty acids. Status follows the fatty-acid source (plant vs animal); see E472a and E472e for the specific codes. Also listed as INS 472(a–f).
An ester of E471; status follows the source of the underlying glycerides (plant vs animal).
A dough-strengthening emulsifier based on mono-/diglycerides; confirm whether the fat source is plant or animal.
Emulsifiers from sugar and fatty acids; the fatty-acid source must be confirmed.
An emulsifier in cakes, whipped toppings, and coatings. Both the glycerol and the fatty acids can be plant- or animal-derived, so the audit verifies the fat source for each supplier. Also listed as INS 475.
An emulsifier used in chocolate, made from castor oil and glycerol of plant origin.
An aerating emulsifier in cake mixes and whipped toppings. The propylene glycol is synthetic, but the fatty acids can be plant- or animal-derived — the audit confirms which. Also listed as INS 477.
A dough emulsifier from stearic acid and lactic acid. The stearic acid may be plant- or animal-derived; confirm the source.
An emulsifier from sorbitol and stearic acid; the stearic acid source must be confirmed.
Baking soda and related salts of mineral origin.
A raising agent of mineral/synthetic origin.
A mineral acid used as a processing aid.
A mineral firming agent used in cheese and canned vegetables.
A mineral firming and bulking agent.
A mineral processing aid used to adjust pH.
A mineral anti-caking agent used in salt.
Derived from animal bone, so it is questionable unless the bone source is confirmed as Halal.
A mineral anti-caking agent.
A mineral anti-caking and release agent.
A fatty acid that may be plant- or animal-derived; the source must be confirmed.
An acidifier made from glucose; commonly used in tofu and cured meats of confirmed source.
A flavour enhancer usually made by fermentation; confirm the substrate and any processing aid.
Almost always produced by fermentation of carbohydrate. Generally accepted, but the fermentation medium should be reviewed.
A flavour enhancer that can be produced from yeast or from animal/fish material; the source must be confirmed.
A flavour enhancer that is sometimes derived from meat or fish, so the source must be confirmed.
A blend of E627 and E631; status follows the source of those components.
An amino acid that may be synthetic or animal-derived; confirm the source.
A glazing agent from bee honeycomb; generally accepted.
A glazing agent from the carnauba palm. Plant-derived.
A glaze from a resin secreted by the lac insect. Insect-derived, so acceptability is debated; the source and processing should be confirmed.
A dough conditioner that can be from microbial fermentation, feathers, or (unacceptably) human hair. The source is decisive and must be confirmed.
An inert packaging gas; no animal input.
A packaging gas; no animal input.
A synthetic high-intensity sweetener.
A synthetic sweetener built from two amino acids; generally accepted, though the amino-acid source can be reviewed.
A synthetic high-intensity sweetener with no animal input.
A synthetic sweetener made from sugar; no animal input.
A sweetener extracted from the stevia plant.
A sugar alcohol from starch; no animal input.
A sugar alcohol from plant material; no animal input.
A starch-digesting enzyme that may be microbial, plant, or animal in origin; the source must be confirmed.
An enzyme usually obtained from egg white; the source and any carrier should be confirmed.
A modified starch of plant origin.
A modified plant starch; no animal input.
A modified plant starch used as a thickener.
A modified plant starch used as a stabiliser and thickener.
A modified plant starch widely used in sauces and dairy desserts.
A modified plant starch used to emulsify flavours and beverages.
A carrier and foam stabiliser made from citric acid and ethanol esterification; no animal input.
Used as a carrier and solvent for flavours and colours. Acceptability turns on the source, function, and residual level; intoxicating beverage alcohol (khamr) is not acceptable.
A carrier made from glycerol and acetic acid; status follows the source of the glycerol (see E422).
A synthetic carrier and humectant; no animal input.
Looking for a deeper read on a recurring theme? Ethanol & alcohol in Halal and the Halal encyclopedia cover the concepts these statuses rest on.
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