Vanilla beans are halal, but most vanilla extracts are not.
Halal is an Arabic word that is defined as “great” or “pleasant” and refers to a strict diet that is often followed by Muslims. The land or natural foods are essential for this type of diet. In general, all the ingredients come from fish, plants and vegetables. Some halal ingredients are meat, but the meat must be slaughtered according to specific rules.
Turmeric is halal only when it is emulsified with a plant, not an animal.
Traditional rules dictate that halal fat-based ingredients must be made exclusively from vegetable fats, such as mono- and diglycerides. Most of the time, “vegetable” is placed before the name of the fat. Vegetable fats that have been altered in the laboratory are not considered halal ingredients.
Halal ingredients used in flavourings, such as vanilla or turmeric, must also be processed in a specific way. Vanilla beans, along with vanillin, the aromatic compound in vanilla beans, are considered halal because no alcohol is used in their production. Other types of vanilla flavorings are not considered halal as they are processed with alcohol, which is strictly prohibited. When emulsifiers are added to turmeric, the seasoning is not used. It is only considered acceptable if the emulsifier comes from a plant but not from animals.
In a general sense, “halal” means “lawful” in Arabic and refers to what is permitted by the rules of Islam.
Many preservatives are halal, depending on their origin and manufacturing process. Preservatives like hydroxybenzoates are not, because they use alcoholic solvents for processing. Another preservative, calcium benzoate, can be consumed if the chemical is obtained from minerals rather than bones.
Various ingredients can be consumed as long as they are not a by-product of the wine. Many tartrates are obtained after the fermentation of grapes, which is prohibited for those who follow this diet. Tartaric acid, cream of tartar and sodium tartrates can only be considered halal if they are not the result of grape fermentation.
Islamic texts are used to define what ingredients are and are not halal.
Flavor enhancers can be problematic as the chemicals used can be grown in pig fat culture media. It is important to find out how the flavor enhancers monosodium glutamate, calcium glutamate and monopotassium glutamate are also produced. Manufacturers can usually provide this information.
Certain individuals, usually Muslims, choose to follow a halal diet. Not all food products are marked as halal, so the ingredients must be carefully analyzed. Food must be natural and come from plants, or from meat that has been humanely treated to receive this designation. Sometimes the source of the compound and the processing techniques help determine if a specific ingredient can be considered halal.