E153 Vegetable carbon: Halal or Haram?
Halal
A dense black colour made by charring plant material. E153 (Vegetable carbon) is Halal. On German labels: Pflanzenkohle.
Why it is Halal
The plant origin is the point: bone char is a different material from animals, and this is not it.
Where you meet it
Black sweets, novelty bakery, cheese rinds.
What to do in the shop
Nothing special to do for E153 itself. Read the rest of the list: a product is only as clear as its least clear ingredient.
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 E153 Halal?
Yes. E153 (Vegetable carbon) is Halal: it raises no animal-source question. The rest of the ingredient list still decides the product.
What is E153 made from?
The plant origin is the point: bone char is a different material from animals, and this is not it.
Products we checked that contain E153
- Piasten Big Ben Dragierte Erdnüsse · Confirmed by the manufacturer
- Sallos Bonbons 150 g · Mushbooh
Related additives
- E160b Annatto (bixin, norbixin) · Halal
- E161b Lutein · Halal
- E162 Beetroot red (betanin) · Halal
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 These statuses combine published scholarly positions with ingredient analysis, and they can be incomplete or out of date.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.