Is Plant gums (arabic, locust bean, tragacanth, gellan, konjac, tara, cassia) Halal?
Yes — this one is Halal.
Halal
High confidence About this ruling
About this ruling
- Evidence confidence
- High means this page cites a primary regulator listing and a named Halal certifier listing, retrieved 16 August 2026. That describes the quality of the sources on this page—not a Halal certificate for the pack or outlet in your hand.
These hydrocolloids are tree exudates, seed galactomannans, bacterial gellan, or konjac tuber.
Evidence at a glance
Named sources used for this page. Open the full Sources block for notes and citation numbers.
| Source | Type | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|
| 21 CFR § 184.1330 acacia (gum arabic) U.S. eCFR | Regulatory / labelling | |
| 21 CFR § 184.1343 locust (carob) bean gum U.S. eCFR | Regulatory / labelling | |
| Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives European Union | Regulatory / labelling | |
| European Commission — Food additives European Commission | Regulatory / labelling | |
| Codex GSFA online FAO / WHO Codex | Regulatory / labelling | |
| SANHA — E-numbers SANHA | Certifier / jurisdiction | |
| U.S. FDA — Food additives U.S. Food and Drug Administration | Regulatory / labelling |
Additive identity
Possible source pathways
The finished molecule can be identical across feedstocks. The Halal ruling follows the pathway, not the code alone.
- plant · Typical Halal Botanical identity. No animal tissue is required for standard food grade.
Why this ruling
Locust bean gum (E410), tragacanth (E413), gum arabic (E414), karaya, tara, gellan, konjac, soybean hemicellulose, and cassia gum are Halal plant thickeners.[3][5]
Guar, xanthan, agar, carrageenan, and pectin already have canonical pages.
Where you'll find it
- Soft-drink clouding (gum arabic)
- Ice cream and gluten-free baking
How to verify
1) Match E410, E413, E414, E416–E418, E425–E427, gum arabic, or locust bean gum. 2) Halal. 3) Guar is E412, xanthan E415, agar E406, carrageenan E407, pectin E440.
- These gums → Halal plant.
- Not shellac.
- Guar/xanthan/agar have own pages.
Conditions for Halal
- These gum codes → Halal plant thickeners
- Shellac E904 is a different insect glaze
- Finished sweets: still check gelatin
Scholarly differences
Gum arabic is a tree exudate, not an insect glaze. Shellac (E904) is the insect glaze with its own page.
Frequently asked questions
Is gum arabic Halal?
Is konjac Halal?
Sources
Named Islamic, certifier, manufacturer, and regulatory sources used on this page. Inline markers like [1] jump here. Retrieval dates show when we last checked the live URL. Editorial methodology.
Certifier / jurisdiction
Regulatory / labelling
-
21 CFR § 184.1330 acacia (gum arabic)
U.S. eCFR
U.S. identity / GRAS or colour-additive listing—not a Halal ruling.
Retrieved:
-
21 CFR § 184.1343 locust (carob) bean gum
U.S. eCFR
U.S. identity / GRAS or colour-additive listing—not a Halal ruling.
Retrieved:
-
Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives
European Union
Union-list identity—not a Halal certificate.
Retrieved:
-
-
-
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
US identity / labelling context—not a Halal ruling.
Retrieved:
People also check
Related ingredients and products for this item.
Browse this topic
Open the parent category hub for more foods in the same group.