Free halal food scanner
Scan any barcode to see if it's halal, and exactly why: the certificate we checked, or the ingredient and reviewed rule behind the answer.
- No app to install
- No sign-up
- No scan limits
- No ads
Your result appears here
Scan or type a barcode. You will see the answer, the reason for it, and its source: the certificate we checked, or the exact ingredient and rule.
What it can check today
As of October 2026, and growing
- barcodes recognised worldwide
- ~5 million
- products checked ingredient by ingredient
- 1.4 million+
- ingredient names and E-numbers recognised
- 3,900+
- reviewed halal rules behind every answer
- 90+
- label languages read
- 10
No barcode, or a product we have never seen? Photograph the ingredient list and it is checked against the same rules.
How it works
From barcode to a clear answer, with its reason
- 1
Scan or type the barcode
Use your phone camera, type the number, search by name, or photograph the ingredient list when there is no barcode.
- 2
We check the certificate, then every ingredient
A valid halal certificate for this exact product comes first. Without one, each listed ingredient is checked against reviewed rules.
- 3
See the reason and its source
The result names the certificate we checked, or the exact ingredient, the rule that decided it, and where that rule comes from.
Missing information is shown as Unknown, never guessed. Read the full method →
Results
What each result means
Five answers, kept strictly apart. A product with no concerning ingredients is never presented as certified.
- Certified
- A valid certificate from a certifier whose standards fit your settings, linked to this product by us. It says nothing beyond what the certifier attests.
- Clean
- Every ingredient is covered by our reviewed halal rules, and the product data has been checked against the label. No certification is claimed: this is not the same as certified halal.
- Doubtful
- Something is unresolved: an ingredient whose source decides it, an ingredient we have no reviewed rule for yet, unreviewed data, or a high-risk product without a valid certificate.
- Haram
- A reviewed rule identifies a prohibited ingredient in the listed ingredients.
- Unknown
- There is not enough reliable information to evaluate this product.
What it catches
Haram and doubtful ingredients hiding in plain sight
These look harmless on a label. The scanner recognises them under their common names, E-numbers and foreign spellings, and each links to our sourced guide.
- GelatinIt dependsMade from pork, beef or fish skin and bones. The source decides.
- Mono- and diglycerides (E471)It dependsEmulsifiers from plant oil or animal fat. Labels rarely say which.
- Carmine (E120)It dependsA red dye made from insects. Scholars differ on it.
- RennetIt dependsSets cheese. Animal rennet depends on how the animal was slaughtered.
- Natural flavorsIt dependsCan carry alcohol or animal-derived ingredients without naming them.
- L-cysteineIt dependsA dough improver that can come from feathers or hair, or from fermentation.
- Shellac (E904)It dependsA shiny coating made from insect resin, used on candy and fruit.
- PepsinIt dependsA digestive enzyme usually taken from pigs.
- WheyIt dependsLeft over from cheese making, so it depends on the rennet used.
- Vanilla extractIt dependsMade with alcohol. Scholars differ on what remains in food.
- LardNot halalPork fat, found in some baked goods, tortillas and refried beans.
- Cooking wineNot halalWine in sauces and marinades, sometimes listed only as "wine".
It also flags alcohol in drinks and cooking wines, and pork in cured meats, even when the ingredient list does not name them.
Your standard
Results that follow your madhab and your meat standard
Scholars differ on a few ingredients. Carmine, a red dye made from insects, is permitted in the Maliki school and avoided by most others, and Hanafi scholars differ on shrimp. Choose your school and the scanner follows it. Choose "not sure" and it shows the difference of opinion instead of picking one for you.
For meat and poultry, a certificate only counts when the certifier's slaughter standard matches yours: hand slaughter without stunning, hand slaughter with reversible stunning, or supervised machine slaughter.
Compare
How it compares with typical halal scanner apps
Grouped by how other apps work, based on their public app-store listings and websites in October 2026. Individual apps vary.
| Feature | HalalVouch | AI scanner apps | Certificate-lookup apps | Community-database apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works in your browser, nothing to install | Yes, and it can be added to your home screen | No: App install | No: App install | Partly: Mostly an app |
| Free with no scan limit | Yes, with no ads and no account | No: Often 1–2 free scans, then a subscription | Yes: Usually free | Partly: Often free with ads |
| How the answer is decided | Published, versioned rules reviewed by a person | Partly: An AI model's reading of the label | Yes: Certificate records only | Partly: Entries added by users |
| Shows the rule and source behind the answer | On every result | No: Not usually shown | Partly: The certificate only | No: Not usually shown |
| Follows your madhab | All four schools, or "not sure" | Partly: Some apps | No: No | No: No |
| Asks your meat-slaughter standard | Hand, stunning or machine slaughter | No: No | No: No | Partly: Some have a "zabiha only" filter |
| Products without a certificate | Checked ingredient by ingredient, never shown as certified | Partly: Checked, often with no source | No: Not covered | Partly: Depends on who entered it |
Where other apps are stronger today: some claim more products with a ruling, and some cover cosmetics. We are closing that gap every month, without giving up the reason behind each answer.
Our goal
To become the largest and most precise halal scanner
The scanner grows every month, and precision comes first: a product, rule or certificate is added only once it can be shown with its source. Every result shows the rulebook version it used, so you can see what changed.
More products
The product catalog is rebuilt every month from Open Food Facts and USDA, and products scanned for the first time are added as they come in.
More ingredients
New rules and spellings are researched, sourced and reviewed in batches. Each batch is tested on real labels before it is published.
More certificates
Halal certificates are checked at their source and linked to the exact products they cover, then rechecked before they expire.
Popular checks
Is it halal? Popular brands, with sources
Some brands make the same product differently by flavor or country. These guides explain what to look for.
- OreoIs it halal?It depends
- DoritosIs it halal?It depends
- TakisIs it halal?It depends
- SkittlesIs it halal?It depends
- HariboIs it halal?It depends
- NutellaIs it halal?Halal
- Kit KatIs it halal?It depends
- Hershey'sIs it halal?Halal
- CheetosIs it halal?It depends
- PringlesIs it halal?It depends
- Pop-TartsIs it halal?It depends
- Reese'sIs it halal?It depends
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- Is the halal scanner free?
- Yes. Scanning is free, with no sign-up, no ads and no limit on how many products you check. Payment never affects a result or the order of alternatives.
- How many products can the scanner check?
- As of October 2026, it recognises about 5 million barcodes worldwide and checks more than 1.4 million products ingredient by ingredient, using over 90 reviewed rules that cover more than 3,900 ingredient names and E-numbers. Products without a barcode can be checked from a photo of the ingredient list. These numbers grow every month.
- Do I need to download an app?
- No. The scanner works in your phone browser and uses your camera directly. If you want it on your home screen, use Install on Android or Add to Home Screen from the Share menu on iPhone. It then opens full screen like an app.
- How do I check if a product is halal without a barcode?
- Search by product name, or take a photo of the ingredient list. A photo is read on your phone, you can correct the text, and the result is marked as not reviewed, so it is never shown as Clean.
- What is the difference between Certified and Clean?
- Certified means a valid halal certificate, checked by us at its source, covers this exact product. Clean means every listed ingredient passed our reviewed rules and the product data was checked against the label, but no certification is claimed. Clean is not the same as certified halal.
- What does "No concerns found" mean?
- No ingredient raised a concern, but we have not yet checked that product against its label, so we cannot mark it Clean. Recipes change, so glance at the label too.
- Why do so many products show Doubtful?
- Doubtful means something is unresolved: an ingredient whose source decides whether it is halal (such as gelatin or natural flavors), an ingredient we have no reviewed rule for yet, data we have not checked against the label, or meat without a valid certificate. We show the specific reason instead of guessing.
- Does the scanner use AI to decide if a product is halal?
- No. Results come from fixed rules that are written, sourced and reviewed before they are used. The rulebook is versioned, and every result shows the version it used.
- Who reviews the rules?
- HalalVouch's editor reviews and approves every rule, certificate and label check before it is used. HalalVouch is not a religious authority: we present evidence, and for a ruling on your own case you should ask a scholar from your school.
- Why does my madhab setting change some results?
- Scholars differ on a few ingredients, such as carmine, shellac and shrimp. The scanner follows the madhab you choose. If you choose not sure, it shows the difference of opinion instead of picking a ruling for you.
- Does it work in other languages and for imported products?
- The scanner screens are in English, Spanish, Arabic and Urdu. It also reads ingredient lists written in ten languages, including French, Turkish, Arabic and Polish, so many imported products can be checked.
- Can I scan cosmetics or medicines?
- Not yet. The scanner checks packaged food and drinks only.
- What if the scanner does not know a product?
- You can send photos of the ingredient list, the front of the pack and any halal symbol. We check them before the product is added. Until then the result stays Unknown.
Check your next product before it goes in the cart
Free, in your browser, with the reason behind every answer.
Scan a productSome product data comes from Open Food Facts under the Open Database License. HalalVouch presents evidence and does not issue religious rulings; for a ruling on your own case, ask a scholar from your school. Recipes change, so check the label too.