E640 Glycine and its sodium salt: Halal or Haram?

Doubtful

An amino acid used as a flavour modifier. E640 (Glycine and its sodium salt) is doubtful. On German labels: Glycin.

Often made in a laboratory; animal sources also exist

Why it is doubtful

It can be produced synthetically or from animal material.

Halal or not depends on what it is made from

E640 is Mushbooh: Halal when it is made synthetically or from a Halal source, not when it comes from pork gelatine.

Made from	Verdict	Why
Made synthetically (the usual route)	Halal	No animal involved
Gelatine from a Halal-slaughtered animal	Halal	Lawful animal, slaughtered correctly
Gelatine from an animal not slaughtered the Islamic way	Haram	Not slaughtered correctly (see the scholarly view: some schools accept it after chemical change)
Pork gelatine	Haram	Pork
Marked vegan or vegetarian	Halal	Rules out an animal source
Halal-certified product	Halal	A certifier checked the source
Source not stated on the label	Mushbooh	The label does not say which

Scholarly view

Schools of law

Hanafi · Maliki · Shafi'i · HanbaliGlycine made synthetically or from plants is Halal in every school. Glycine made from gelatin carries the gelatin ruling: a pork origin is haram by agreement, and where a forbidden origin has been chemically changed into a new substance (istihala), Hanafi and Maliki are more lenient than Shafi'i and Hanbali.

Depends on source

Certification bodies

SANHA / certifiersGlycine can be synthetic/plant (Halal) or from gelatine / animal protein (doubtful).SANHA — E640 ↗

Depends on source

Dept. of Islamic Development Malaysia / Halal Food Authority, UKSynthetic glycine is cleared; a gelatin / animal-protein source must be verified (a pork origin is rejected).JAKIM — Halal Malaysia Portal ↗HFA FAQ ↗

Verify source

Fatwa councils, scholars and other sources

Synthetic routeIn industry glycine is usually made chemically, which is Halal.

Permissible

From gelatine / animal proteinIf it comes from gelatine — especially pork gelatine — or from animal protein not slaughtered the Islamic way, it is doubtful or haram.

Leans impermissible

Vegan / Vegetarian declarationConfirms plant/synthetic origin.

Permissible

Only views with a published source are listed. Our app shows E640 as Mushbooh unless the label or the maker settles the source.

Where you meet it

Seasonings, some processed meat.

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 E640 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 E640 Halal?

E640 (Glycine and its sodium salt) is doubtful. It can be produced synthetically or from animal material.

How do I know if the E640 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.

Related additives

E635 Disodium ribonucleotides · Doubtful
E631 Disodium inosinate · Doubtful
E627 Disodium guanylate · Doubtful

See all E-numbers →

Read this in Turkish: E640 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.