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Is Lanolin (E913) Halal?

Yes — this one is Halal.

Halal
Medium confidence About this ruling

About this ruling

Evidence confidence
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Reviewed

Lanolin (E913, INS 913) is purified wool grease from sheep.

Next step Lanolin (wool wax, E913) on fruit coatings is treated as Halal here; avoiding wool-derived products is a personal preference. How to verify
Scan a label

Photo: Jeran Renz · CC BY-SA 4.0

Additive identity

E-number
E913
Codex INS
INS 913
Function
glazing agent
Family
waxes
EU Union list
not authorised
Names
Lanolin; Wool wax; Wool grease; Adeps lanae

Possible source pathways

The finished molecule can be identical across feedstocks. The Halal ruling follows the pathway, not the code alone.

E913 Possible source pathways

  • animal Halal Typical Purified wool grease from sheep. It is a secretion/grease of wool, not slaughtered flesh. Mainstream certifier practice treats food/cosmetic lanolin like other permissible animal secretions once purified.

E-number database Compare this family

What decides the answer

  • Food-grade lanolin / E913

    Halal on this site

  • Personal animal-secretion avoidance

    choose carnauba or unwaxed fruit

  • Not an authorised EU food additive today—identity is Codex/legacy

Why this ruling

Lanolin – wool wax or wool grease, E913, INS 913 – is the waxy substance that sheep secrete into their fleece to keep it waterproof. It is washed out of shorn wool and purified. It comes from a living animal and involves no slaughter and no meat, and on this site it is Halal.[3][5]

Why it is treated as Halal

Lanolin is a secretion taken from wool, which is itself taken from living sheep. It is not pork, not carrion and not part of a carcass. Certifier E-number lists treat it as permissible,[5] and it is not in the same category as the insect colour carmine, on which scholars differ. Some people avoid all animal-derived ingredients as a personal choice; that is a preference, not the ruling here.

Where you will actually meet it

E913 is not on the current EU list of permitted food additives,[2] so you will rarely see it on a European food label. Where it matters is elsewhere:

  • Vitamin D3. Most vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) in supplements and fortified foods, such as milk, cereals and spreads, is made from a substance extracted from lanolin. If a label says "vitamin D3" without "vegan", it is very likely from lanolin; vegan D3 is made from lichen, and vitamin D2 from yeast or mushrooms.
  • A few foods in the United States, where the rules allow a modified form, hydroxylated lanolin, as a food additive for limited uses.[1]
  • Lip balms, creams and nipple creams, which are not food but prompt the same question.

Not to be confused with

  • Carmine (E120), the red colour from insects, which is a scholarly difference; see carmine.
  • Shellac (E904), the lac insect resin used as a glaze; see shellac.
  • Beeswax (E901), another secretion used as a glaze; see beeswax.

People who prefer a plant alternative for glazes can look for carnauba wax, E903.

How to verify

  1. Match E913, INS 913, lanolin, or wool wax.
  2. Treat food-grade lanolin as Halal on this site.
  3. If you personally avoid all animal secretions, choose carnauba (E903) or unwaxed fruit.
  4. Carmine (E120) is a different insect-colour debate.

Quick checks

  • Lanolin is grease washed from sheep's wool, and this site treats it as Halal.
  • Most vitamin D3 in foods and supplements is made from lanolin.
  • People who avoid all animal-derived products should skip it; a capsule shell is a separate check.

Frequently asked questions

Is lanolin Halal?
Yes, under the mainstream reading used here: it is purified grease from sheep's wool, not forbidden flesh. People who avoid all animal secretions should skip it.
Does lanolin come from slaughtered sheep?
No. It is washed out of wool, which is usually shorn from living sheep.
Is vitamin D3 from lanolin Halal?
Most vitamin D3 is made from lanolin, so it follows the same ruling. Check the capsule and carrier oil separately.
Is E913 allowed in EU food?
It is not on the current EU additive list. Codex still lists INS 913, and the name appears on some supplements and older specifications.

Scholarly view

Lanolin is wool grease, not minced meat. Named certifier E-number literacy treats it as Halaal wool fat. This is not the carmine insect-colour dispute. A minority of consumers avoid all animal secretions; that is a preference, not this site’s default ruling.

Lanolin is not Haram simply because it comes from an animal; it is taken from wool, not from slaughter.

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

  1. SANHA — E-numbers

    SANHA Retrieved

    Certifier: SANHA

    Certifier E-number literacy; not a product certificate.

Regulatory / labelling

  1. 21 CFR § 172.814 hydroxylated lanolin

    U.S. eCFR Retrieved

    U.S. identity / GRAS or colour-additive listing—not a Halal ruling.

  2. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives

    European Union Retrieved

    Union-list identity—not a Halal certificate.

  3. Codex GSFA online

    FAO / WHO Codex Retrieved

    Codex INS / GSFA identity.

  4. European Commission — Food additives

    European Commission Retrieved

    EU additive literacy hub.

  5. U.S. FDA — Food additives

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration Retrieved

    US identity / labelling context—not a Halal ruling.

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