Food Additives With E Numbers Halal or Haram

I am a Food Technologist by profession. Most of my friend and family member and other peoples are asking me verbally, by e mail or through friends that we have purchased a product with E number mentioned on label. Is it Haram or Halal.  Even I noticed in some newspapers in past that the products with E numbers mentioned on label are Haram. I wants to explains some points here.

What are Food Additives.

• Chemicals are  often added to foods as preservatives, to add colour, to help different food substances combine in processed food (e.g. cakes and biscuits). and to enhance the taste and texture of food. These chemicals are known as additives.Most additives included in a product must be listed on the packaging label.

• Additives which have been approved usually have numbers. Those with E numbers have been approved by European Union .
• Therefore all the food additives with E numbers are not Haram, however some food additives with E numbers are Haram. Mainly those  food additives derived from animal source which are Haram themself. No mineral sourced  colour or food additives is Haram. Only animal sourced animal derived from Haram Animals are Haram.

• For detailed list of Haram items ( food and  non food) kindly visit the following website
• www.muslimconsumergroup.com

As E numbers are approved from European Union, American products are normally approved by FDA, and mentioned as FD&C numbers.  If Muslims countries jointly decided to have food additives safe for Muslim consumers they can use  M or I or H before an approved Muslim or Islamic or Halal Food Additives and Non Food additives (used in drugs/cosmetics/and household items)

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