E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids: Halal or Haram?

Doubtful

The most common emulsifier in packaged food: it keeps fat and water from separating. E471 (Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids) is doubtful. Also called monoglycerides and diglycerides. Also written mono and diglycerides. On German labels: Mono- und Diglyceride von Speisefettsäuren.

Plant oil or animal fat: the label does not say which

Why it is doubtful

It is made from plant oils or from animal fat, and European labels are not required to say which. This is why so much bread and ice cream ends up doubtful rather than clean.

Halal or not depends on what it is made from

E471 is Mushbooh: Halal when it comes from plants or a Halal source, not when it comes from pork.

Made from	Verdict	Why
Plant oils (soy, palm, sunflower, rapeseed)	Halal	No animal involved
Made synthetically	Halal	No animal involved
Fat from a Halal-slaughtered animal	Halal	Lawful animal, slaughtered correctly
Fat from an animal not slaughtered the Islamic way	Haram	Not slaughtered correctly (see the scholarly view: some schools accept it after chemical change)
Pork fat	Haram	Pork
Halal-certified product	Halal	A certifier checked the source
Source not stated on the label	Mushbooh	European labels do not have to say which

Scholarly view

Schools of law

Hanafi & MalikiFrom pork, or from an animal not slaughtered the Islamic way (zabiha), it is haram. From plants, from synthesis, or from a properly slaughtered animal, it is Halal. Where a forbidden source has been chemically changed into a new substance (istihala), these two schools accept it.

Depends on source

Shafi'i & HanbaliThey apply the same rule about the source — fat from pork or from an improperly slaughtered animal is haram and treated as impure — but they do not accept that chemical processing makes a forbidden origin acceptable again, so it stays impermissible even after processing.

Depends on source

Certification bodies

AHF (American Halal Foundation)Halal if plant/synthetic or Halal-certified; avoid otherwise.Halal Foundation ↗

Doubtful

Dept. of Islamic Development Malaysia / Halal Food Authority, UKPlant/synthetic E471 is certified Halal; an animal source must be Halal-certified. JAKIM's e-code guidance treats E471 as source-dependent until confirmed.JAKIM — Halal Malaysia Portal ↗HFA FAQ ↗

Verify source

Fatwa councils, scholars and other sources

Mustakshif Shariah BoardDoubtful, because the glycerin/fatty-acid source is rarely declared on the label.Mustakshif ↗

Doubtful

Darul Iftaa (Trinidad)Permissible if plant-derived; avoid when the source is animal/unknown.Fatwa-TT ↗

Doubtful

Yasir QadhiE471 emulsifiers are used in tiny amounts and not for taste. The usual source is soybean, which is Halal, though some is animal fat — and the extraction may change it into a new substance. "We should not make the religion so difficult that we consider a final product to be Haram because of… a few molecules of dubious things added for secondary purposes" — unlike bacon bits or added vodka, which are there for taste and are clearly haram.YouTube ↗transcript ↗

Leans permissible

European Council for Fatwa & ResearchIts general E-number ruling: additives of animal origin do not stay in their animal state — a chemical transformation (istihala) turns them into a new pure substance, so they do not affect a food's permissibility; alcohol-dissolved colours are a pardoned trace (istihlak). "Our religion is ease."ECFR Fatwa 39 ↗

Permissible

Only views with a published source are listed. Our app shows E471 as Mushbooh unless the label or the maker settles the source.

Where you meet it

Sliced bread, margarine, ice cream, biscuits, cake.

What to do in the shop

Look for a product that names the source, says plant-based or vegan, or carries a Halal certificate. If nothing on the packet settles it, the manufacturer can tell you, and their answer is the only thing that turns E471 from a question into an answer.

A status here describes the additive in general, and a specific product can be different. The same number can be made from plant or animal material depending on the manufacturer, and the label does not say which.

Questions people ask

Is E471 Halal?

E471 (Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids) is doubtful. It is made from plant oils or from animal fat, and European labels are not required to say which. This is why so much bread and ice cream ends up doubtful rather than clean.

How do I know if the E471 in a product is Halal?

Only the manufacturer can tell you which source they used, unless the packet says plant-based, vegan, or carries a Halal certificate.

Products we checked that contain E471

HARIBO Pasta Frutta · Confirmed by the manufacturer
HARIBO Rainbow Fizz Vegan · Confirmed by the manufacturer
Ahoj-Brause Brause Bonbons 125 g · Mushbooh
Ahoj-Brause Brause Bonbons 23 g · Mushbooh
Ahoj-Brause Brause Bonbons Zitrone 23 g · Mushbooh
Ahoj-Brause Brause Brocken 80 g · Mushbooh
Ahoj-Brause Super Bär 125 g · Mushbooh
Dilek Helva mit Pistaziengeschmack · Mushbooh
Dilek Helva mit Vanillegeschmack · Mushbooh
Frigeo Traubenzucker Lollys Kirsche 60 g · Mushbooh
HARIBO Balla Stixx Limo Mixx sauer · Mushbooh
HARIBO Balla-Balla · Mushbooh

…and 15 more in our list of checked products.

Related additives

E470a Fatty acid salts (sodium, potassium, calcium) · Doubtful
E470b Magnesium salts of fatty acids · Doubtful
E472 Esters of mono- and diglycerides · Doubtful

See all E-numbers →

Read this in Turkish: E471 helal mi? →

Products we asked the manufacturer about →

Check a product, not just a number

An additive's status describes the additive in general. What matters is the whole ingredient list on the packet in your hand.

This is information, not a fatwa. These statuses combine published scholarly positions with ingredient analysis, and they can be incomplete or out of date. For anything that matters, confirm with the manufacturer and with a qualified authority.