Is Glycine and L-leucine (E640, E641) Halal?
It depends on what the label says.
Halal if verified
High confidence About this ruling
About this ruling
- Condition
- Source disclosure is incomplete
- 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.
E640 glycine and E641 L-leucine are amino-acid flavour enhancers.
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 § 172.320 amino acids (includes glycine) 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.
- synthetic · Typical Halal Glycine is often made by chemical synthesis.
- animal Halal if verified Glycine can also be recovered from hydrolysed gelatin or other animal protein.
- undisclosed · Typical Halal if verified Flavour-enhancer labels rarely name the amino-acid route.
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Ustas~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 3.0
Why this ruling
Glycine and L-leucine show up in savoury flavour systems and some supplements. The amino acids themselves are not the problem—the factory route is. Synthesis and carbohydrate fermentation are Halal; recovery from hydrolysed gelatin is the mashbooh path, which is why unlabeled E640 stays Halal if verified.[2][4]
See L-cysteine for the better-known bakery amino acid.
Where you'll find it
- Savoury flavour systems
- Some supplements
How to verify
1) Match E640, E641, glycine, or leucine. 2) Prefer synthetic/fermentation or Halal-certified savoury flavours. 3) See L-cysteine for a related amino-acid dough conditioner.
- Amino acids can be synthetic or animal.
- Gelatin hydrolysis is the risk.
- Silence is mashbooh.
Conditions for Halal
- Synthetic / fermentation glycine or leucine → Halal
- Gelatin-hydrolysis glycine → Halal if verified (and haram if pork gelatin)
- Unspecified E640 → Halal if verified
Scholarly differences
This is a quieter cousin of E920: the molecule is fine, the feedstock may not be. Certifiers accept synthetic glycine; they query gelatin routes.
Frequently asked questions
Is glycine always from gelatin?
Is L-leucine 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 § 172.320 amino acids (includes glycine)
U.S. eCFR
U.S. identity / GRAS or colour-additive listing—not a Halal ruling.
Retrieved:
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Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives
European Union
Union-list identity—not a Halal certificate.
Retrieved:
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-
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U.S. Food and Drug Administration
US identity / labelling context—not a Halal ruling.
Retrieved:
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