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Ingredients
Pepsin (E1101) is mashbooh — doubtful and likely haram without halal certification. It is predominantly sourced from pig stomachs (porcine pepsin). Bovine pepsin from halal-slaughtered cattle is permissible but requires documentation. JAKIM, MUI, and IFANCA require source confirmation before certifying products containing pepsin.
Ingredients
Many popular vitamins and supplements contain hidden haram ingredients — from porcine gelatin capsules to carmine colouring and lanolin-derived D3. This guide breaks down exactly what to look for on the label, which certifications to trust, and which halal-certified brands are worth buying in 2026.
Ingredients
Editorial note: Market figures cited in this article are estimates based on publicly available industry reports and may vary by source. HalalExpo.com aims to present the most current data available but readers should verify figures for business decisions. Sources include the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report, DinarStandard, and national halal authority publications.
Rennet's halal status depends entirely on its source. Porcine (pig-derived) rennet is haram. Animal rennet from non-zabihah-slaughtered calves is a point of scholarly debate. Fermentation-produced chymosin (FPC) and microbial rennet are halal by consensus among JAKIM, MUI, HFA, and IFANCA. The majority of industrial cheese production now uses FPC — the safest choice for Muslim consumers is cheese carrying halal certification or explicitly labelled "microbial rennet" or "FPC."
Rennet is a complex of enzymes — primarily chymosin (rennin), pepsin, and lipase — that causes milk to coagulate (curdle), separating it into solid curds and liquid whey. It is the essential coagulant in cheese production. Without rennet, cheese cannot form.
Rennet is used in almost all natural cheeses:
Global cheese production exceeds 22 million tonnes per year, making rennet one of the most widely used enzyme preparations in the food industry.
There are four principal sources of rennet used commercially:
Traditional rennet extracted from the stomach lining (abomasum) of suckling calves, lambs, or kids. The stomach is dried and the enzymes extracted.
Chymosin — the primary active enzyme in calf rennet — is produced by inserting the calf chymosin gene into a microorganism (typically Aspergillus niger, Kluyveromyces marxianus, or Rhizomucor miehei) and fermenting it on plant-based media. The resulting chymosin is chemically identical to calf chymosin but is produced without slaughtering any animal.
Rennet-like proteases derived from moulds such as Rhizomucor miehei, Cryphonectria parasitica, or Rhizomucor pusillus. Produced by fermentation on plant-based media.
Coagulating enzymes from plant sources: fig sap, nettles (Urtica dioica), cardoon thistle (Cynara cardunculus). Used in traditional cheeses from Portugal (Queijo Serra da Estrela), parts of Italy, and artisan producers.
Porcine rennet — derived from pig stomachs — was widely used in cheese production throughout the 20th century due to availability and low cost. Its use has declined significantly as FPC has taken over, but it is not extinct.
Porcine rennet is used in:
The halal risk is that cheese labels in non-Muslim-majority markets rarely specify rennet source. "Contains: milk" is the only allergen declaration required. A cheese label that says nothing about rennet could be using porcine, non-zabihah animal, FPC, or microbial rennet — there is no way to determine this without certification or manufacturer confirmation.
JAKIM requires halal-certified rennet or documented FPC/microbial source for any cheese seeking Malaysian halal certification. Animal rennet from non-zabihah sources is not accepted. JAKIM-certified cheeses from international producers (several Dutch and New Zealand dairies) use either FPC or microbial rennet confirmed via supplier documentation.
MUI's position mirrors JAKIM: FPC and microbial rennet are halal; animal rennet requires halal slaughter documentation; porcine rennet is haram. Indonesia's mandatory halal certification law means imported cheese sold in Indonesia with halal labelling must carry certified-halal rennet documentation.
UK halal certifiers classify FPC and microbial rennet as halal. They require that animal rennet in cheese be from halal-slaughtered animals with documented supply chains. The HFA specifically notes that most UK supermarket cheese uses FPC, making it generally halal from a rennet perspective — though other ingredients (flavourings, colourings) require separate assessment.
IFANCA halal-certifies FPC and microbial rennet as halal. Their consumer guidance notes that most US-produced cheese uses FPC due to cost efficiency and availability, making US-produced cheese generally acceptable from a rennet standpoint when other ingredients are halal-confirmed.
Istihalah is the Islamic jurisprudence principle that a complete transformation in the nature of a substance can render what was previously haram into halal. The argument applied to rennet is: the rennet enzymes extracted from a pig's stomach are so chemically transformed from pig flesh that they no longer bear a legal relationship to the original haram substance.
This position is held by some scholars, including those associated with certain Hanafi positions that have historically been more permissive on processed derivatives. However, the mainstream position of contemporary halal certification bodies — including JAKIM, MUI, ESMA, and IFANCA — does not accept the istihalah argument for porcine rennet. Their position is that the origin remains determinative for processed derivatives, and porcine rennet should be avoided.
Rennet is not limited to cheese. It appears as a processing aid in:
The same halal analysis applies: source of rennet determines status.
No. Most industrial cheese today uses fermentation-produced chymosin (FPC) or microbial rennet — both halal. Traditional animal rennet accounts for a small and declining fraction of global cheese production.
Not necessarily. Cheese made with rennet from a halal-slaughtered calf, lamb, or kid is halal. The concern is porcine rennet (always haram) and non-zabihah animal rennet (mashbooh to haram depending on scholarly position). Without documentation, assume it is not confirmed halal.
Traditional Parmigiano Reggiano DOP is made with calf rennet from Italian dairy calves — non-zabihah by definition. It is not halal by JAKIM or MUI standards. FPC-based Parmesan-style cheeses (not carrying the DOP designation) may use FPC and can be halal if certified.
FPC produces the same enzyme — chymosin — as calf rennet. The molecule is chemically identical. However, no animal is killed in FPC production. All major halal bodies accept FPC as halal regardless of the source gene used to program the fermentation organism.
Yes for rennet specifically — vegetarian cheese cannot use animal rennet. However, "suitable for vegetarians" does not address other halal concerns (e.g., wine in the aging process, non-halal flavourings). Use halal certification as the comprehensive standard.
For more on halal dairy and food additives, see our Halal Certification for Food Ingredients & Additives guide. To find halal-certified dairy suppliers, browse the HalalExpo Business Directory.
E492 (Sorbitan Tristearate / Span 65) is mashbooh — its halal status depends on the source of the stearic acid used in production. Sorbitol (the other key ingredient) is always plant-derived and halal. E492 is used mainly in chocolate coatings to prevent fat bloom. Halal-certified confectionery uses plant-sourced E492.