Plant-based meat alternatives: halal status

Plant-based meat alternatives, such as veggie burgers, meatless sausages and plant-based nuggets, are made from soy, peas, wheat or other plant proteins. Because no animal is used, the slaughter question does not apply, which makes this one of the easier categories for halal shoppers. There are still a few things to check on the label. Many products use "natural flavors" to taste like meat, and US labels do not have to say what those are made from, so the scanner marks them Doubtful. A few products contain egg, cheese or whey, and cheese and whey carry the rennet question. Some use methylcellulose or other plant-based binders, which are halal. Vegetarian products are not always vegan, so read the list rather than the front of the pack. Because these concerns appear on the ingredient list, the scanner checks each ingredient against its reviewed rules instead of treating the whole category as high-risk. A product whose every ingredient is covered by reviewed halal rules shows "No concerns found" at first, and Clean once our team has checked its label. Clean means no certificate is claimed; it tells you the ingredients raised no concern.