A wax from sheep's wool. E913 (Lanolin) is doubtful.
Sheep's wool, the source of lanolin
Why it is doubtful
It is animal-derived, and how it was obtained and processed is not declared.
Halal or not depends on what it is made from
E913 is Mushbooh: Halal when it is grease from the wool of living sheep, which most scholars accept, but the label does not say how it was obtained.
Made from
Verdict
Why
Grease from the wool of living sheep
✅Halal
Wool needs no slaughter; most scholars accept it
Halal-certified product
✅Halal
A certifier checked the source
Source not stated on the label
⚠️Mushbooh
How it was obtained is not declared
Scholarly view
Schools of law
Hanafi · Maliki · Shafi'i · HanbaliWool and the grease in it, taken from a living permissible animal such as a sheep, are pure and need no slaughter, so E913 leans permissible in every school. The one difference is wool taken from a dead animal that was not slaughtered the Islamic way (zabiha): Hanafi, Maliki and Hanbali still hold it pure, while Shafi'i hold it impure; lanolin normally comes from shorn wool, so this rarely applies.
Leans permissible
Certification bodies
Dept. of Islamic Development Malaysia / Halal Food Authority, UKLanolin is wool grease that needs no slaughter, so it is accepted; only the processing aids used to refine it need checking.JAKIM — Halal Malaysia Portal ↗HFA FAQ ↗
Permissible
SANHALists E913 (sheep wool grease, wool fat) as Halal; its source is a secretion of the sheep found on the wool.SANHA — E913 ↗
Permissible
Fatwa councils, scholars and other sources
IslamQA (Sh. al-Munajjid)There is nothing wrong with eating food that contains lanolin taken from sheep's wool. Even if the wool was taken from a living sheep, or from one not slaughtered the Islamic way, the hair of all animals is pure, quoting Ibn Taymiyyah. Lanolin is also extracted and changed into a different substance (istihala, chemically changed into a new substance), so it is pure and Halal on that ground too.IslamQA 257648 ↗
Permissible
Mufti Ismail Moosa (Fatwaa.com)Because lanolin (E913) comes from sheep's wool, it is Halal whether or not the sheep was slaughtered the Islamic way.IslamQA — Fatwaa.com lanolin ↗
Permissible
Only views with a published source are listed.
Where you meet it
Chewing gum base, some vitamin D3, cosmetics.
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 E913 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 E913 Halal?
E913 (Lanolin) is doubtful. It is animal-derived, and how it was obtained and processed is not declared.
How do I know if the E913 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.
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.
