Tayyib › Guides › Is E120 halal? Carmine, cochineal and the red colouring
Is E120 halal? Carmine, cochineal and the red colouring
The red colouring comes from scale insects. Most scholars avoid it for that reason, but the recognised certifiers disagree, and that is why it is doubtful rather than clearly forbidden.
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Most E-numbers are a case of "it depends on what it is made from". E120 is different, though not in the way you might expect: the source is always the same, namely the insect, and the ruling is still not clear-cut. What is disputed here is not the origin but the assessment of it.
What is E120?
E120 is a red to pink food colouring. It is obtained from dried female cochineal scale insects. Carminic acid is extracted from the insects, and that gives the characteristic red tone.
On packaging you will meet the same substance under many names:
- E120
- Carmine
- Carminic acid
- Cochineal
- Natural red 4
- C.I. 75470
Why the majority avoids E120
The reason is the source: insects. The Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools hold land insects to be inedible, with the locust as an explicit exception, and a colouring obtained from them shares that classification. Because E120 is made exclusively from scale insects there is, unlike with E471 or glycerine, no plant variant to fall back on.
Why the answer is still not clear-cut
The Maliki school takes the opposite route: whatever is not explicitly forbidden counts as permitted, so non-poisonous insects are not ruled out from the start. On that basis several recognised bodies have allowed carmine:
| Holds carmine permissible | Rejects carmine |
|---|---|
| MUI (Indonesia), Fatwa 33/2011 | SMIIC, the OIC standards body |
| Malaysia's National Fatwa Committee (2012), JAKIM certifies E120 | GIMDES (Turkey) |
| Jordan's General Iftaa Department, via istihala | Iran, Islamweb, Darul Uloom Trinidad |
The permitting side rests on two arguments. The cochineal lives on cacti and feeds purely on plants, so it does not fit the classical description of the repugnant. And producing carmine from carminic acid is a chemical transformation (istihala), which on the classical understanding can purify.
Our classification: doubtful, not forbidden. The majority avoids carmine, and anyone following it does the same. But when MUI and JAKIM certify products containing E120, "clearly haram" would be a claim the evidence does not support. We name both sides and leave the decision to you.
Careful: E124 is NOT the same
One name causes confusion regularly: E124 is called "Ponceau 4R" or "cochineal red A", but it contains no insects. E124 is a fully synthetic azo dye. The name is historical, because the shade resembles carmine.
| E-number | Name | Source | Halal classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| E120 | Carmine / cochineal | scale insects | Doubtful, the majority avoids it |
| E124 | Cochineal red A / Ponceau 4R | synthetic | no animal source |
Where E120 typically turns up
- Fruit yoghurt & desserts, especially strawberry, raspberry, cherry
- Confectionery, red dragees, sweets, icings
- Drinks, red lemonades and syrups
- Sausages & ready-made sauces, to refresh the colour
- Cosmetics, lipstick, blusher (usually as CI 75470 there)
Unproblematic red alternatives
Red does not automatically mean carmine. These colourings are plant based and unproblematic:
- E162, betanin (beetroot)
- E163, anthocyanins (grapes, berries)
- E160c, paprika extract
- E160d, lycopene (tomato)
A vegan label is a reliable pointer here too: carmine is animal derived, so a product marked vegan does not contain it.
Common questions
Is E120 halal?
The scholars are divided. Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali hold insects to be inedible and avoid it, while the Maliki school permits them. MUI and JAKIM certify carmine, SMIIC and GIMDES reject it. The honest classification is therefore doubtful. There is no plant variant, so the source changes nothing.
What is E120 made from?
From dried female cochineal scale insects, from which carminic acid is extracted.
Is E124 the same as E120?
No. Despite the name, E124 (cochineal red A) is a fully synthetic azo dye and contains no insects.
Which products contain E120?
Above all red and pink foods: fruit yoghurt, red confectionery, drinks, some sausages, and cosmetics such as lipstick.
What alternatives to E120 are there?
Plant based red colourings such as E162 (beetroot), E163 (anthocyanins), E160c (paprika) and E160d (lycopene).
To the full E-numbers list → · Which E-numbers are haram? →
Note: this article is not a fatwa and not a certification. It explains where the substances named here typically come from and why the origin decides it. In case of doubt, the manufacturer statement or a recognised halal certification applies.
Something red on the shelf? Scan the barcode with Tayyib and see straight away whether E120 is flagged, with a sourced explanation.