Halal sausage casings are casings made from a permissible source: sheep or beef intestines from Halal-slaughtered animals, collagen from Halal-certified bovine hides or fish, or plant-based materials. Hog casings and pork collagen are not Halal. Because U.S. labels must say “collagen” but not which animal it came from, a halal certificate is the surest check.
This article was first published in June 2022. It has been updated with a casing-type comparison table, U.S. federal labeling rules for casings, International Islamic Fiqh Academy and SMIIC references, and supplier checklists.
Reviewed by Hafiz Maqsood Ahmed.
The question is a common one. In a June 16, 2022, blog post, the certifier Islamic Services of America (ISA) said it had received an inquiry from a halal consumer. The consumer wrote, “I want to make my own sausage but I have no idea where to find Halal casings.”
The casing is where many halal sausages fail. A product can be filled with halal chicken or beef and still be wrapped in pork intestine or pork-derived collagen, which is why shoppers who rely on halal meat standards also need to check what holds the meat together.
The market behind the question is large. Muslims spent $1.53 trillion on food and beverages in 2024, a figure projected to reach $2.06 trillion by 2029, according to DinarStandard’s State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2025/26. For sausage makers selling into that market, the casing is a sourcing decision with a certification cost attached.
Sausage casing types compared
Sausage casings fall into three families: natural casings made from animal intestines, manufactured collagen casings made from animal hides or fish skin, and non-animal casings made from cellulose or plant materials. The table shows how each one affects halal status.
| Casing type | Source | Typical products | Halal status considerations | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural hog casing | Pig intestines | Bratwurst, Italian sausage, many fresh sausages | Not halal | Label must name the casing if it differs from the meat inside (U.S.) |
| Natural sheep casing | Sheep intestines | Breakfast links, hot dogs, chipolatas, merguez | Halal only if the sheep were slaughtered according to Islamic rules | Halal certificate covering slaughter and casing processing |
| Natural beef casing | Cattle intestines | Larger sausages, bologna, salami-style products | Halal only if the cattle were halal-slaughtered | Halal certificate; slaughter documentation |
| Collagen casing, bovine | Cattle hide collagen | Most mass-market fresh and cooked sausages | Depends on whether hides came from halal-slaughtered cattle | Supplier’s halal certificate naming the casing line |
| Collagen casing, porcine | Pig skin collagen | Some fresh and cooked sausages | Not halal | U.S. label says only “collagen casing,” so ask the maker |
| Collagen casing, fish | Fish skin collagen | Specialty and halal-market sausages | Fish-derived; accepted by certifiers that approve fish collagen | Certificate; confirm no porcine blend |
| Cellulose casing | Plant cellulose | Skinless hot dogs and franks (casing is peeled off) | Plant-based; removed before sale | Additives and processing aids |
| Alginate and plant casing | Seaweed alginate, starches, plant gums | Co-extruded sausages, vegetarian sausages | Plant-based, but check glycerin and other additives | Source of glycerin and gelling agents |
What U.S. law requires on the label
U.S. federal rules require two disclosures. If a sausage is stuffed into a natural casing from a different species than the meat inside, the label must say so, and if it is stuffed into regenerated collagen, the label must say that too.
The rules sit in 9 CFR 317.8(b)(37) and (b)(38) for meat and in 9 CFR 381.117(f) and (g) for poultry. “The labels of sausages encased in regenerated collagen casings shall disclose this fact on the product label,” 9 CFR 317.8(b)(38) says.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture adopted the rules in a final rule published Aug. 6, 2001, effective Sept. 5, 2001. The disclosure may appear on the front of the package or in the ingredient statement, and plants using natural casings must keep records of their source.
Religious groups supported the rule, and commenters cited “specific religious dietary concerns,” the FSIS rule said. Industry commenters argued that such consumers could rely on “Kosher or Halal certification,” and FSIS replied that the disclosure was “a material fact about the nature of the product” for all consumers.
The gap for halal shoppers is collagen. The rule requires the word “collagen” but does not require the label to say whether that collagen came from cattle, pigs or fish, so a sausage labeled “chicken sausage in collagen casing” can still contain pork-derived collagen.
Natural casings are also regulated as a trade product. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service defines animal casings as intestines, stomachs, esophagi and urinary bladders from cattle, sheep, swine or goats, and it restricts imports of swine casings from regions affected by African swine fever, under 9 CFR Part 96.
These casing-label requirements are U.S. federal rules. Shoppers in other countries should not assume the same disclosures appear on local labels.
How Islamic rules and certifiers treat casings
Certifiers treat a casing as an ingredient with its own halal status. Pork in any form is excluded, and a casing from a permissible animal is acceptable only if that animal was slaughtered according to Islamic rules.
The prohibition of pork rests on Surah Al-Baqarah (2), Verse 173, which The Halal Times discusses in its guide to what the Quran and hadith say about halal food.
إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةَ وَٱلدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ بِهِۦ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَلَآ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
“He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allāh. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.” (Surah Al-Baqarah (2), Verse 173)
Processing does not automatically make pork collagen acceptable. The International Islamic Fiqh Academy, in Resolution No. 198 (4/21) of 2013, defined transformation, or istihala, as a real change into another material and said a partial chemical change does not count. The academy has not issued a final ruling on gelatin, a close cousin of collagen, and in Resolution No. 210 (6/22) of 2015 it sent the question back for further study.
The academy has also urged producers to use “skins and bones of slaughtered animals” for gelatin in food and medicine, according to Resolution No. 198. Readers should consult a qualified scholar on their own practice; The Halal Times does not issue fatwas.
International standards cover the inputs. The Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC) publishes OIC/SMIIC 1:2019, its general requirements for halal food, and OIC/SMIIC 37:2022, guidelines on using animal bone, skin and hair in halal products. A broader look at where pig-derived materials turn up is in our report on pork derivatives in everyday products.
Certification is the practical answer for packaged sausage. A certifier audits the casing supplier as well as the meat, which is what being halal certified means in practice. ISA wrote in the original 2022 version of this article that it analyzes sausage products and inspects facilities.
Who makes casings, and why it matters for halal supply
Manufactured casings come from industrial suppliers, so a halal sausage maker’s options depend on which of their lines are certified. Devro, owned by the German company SARIA, describes itself as a major supplier of collagen casings. Devro says it runs six manufacturing sites, in Australia, China, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, the United States and Britain, with more than 2,000 employees, according to its company profile.
The raw-material supply explains why collagen is a concern. About 80 percent of the edible gelatin produced in Europe comes from pork skins, according to Gelatine Manufacturers of Europe, so the default animal collagen supply in Western markets is porcine unless a buyer specifies otherwise.
Halal sausage makers have built businesses around these choices. The Halal Times profiled one in its story on Meka Halal Foods’ sausages.
What manufacturers should ask casing suppliers
Manufacturers should get the casing’s source, species and halal status in writing before production. These questions cover the main risks.
- Species and raw material: Is the casing natural, bovine collagen, porcine collagen, fish collagen, cellulose or alginate?
- Certificate: Does a current halal certificate name this specific casing line, and which body issued it?
- Slaughter: For natural and bovine casings, were the animals slaughtered according to Islamic rules, and does the certificate cover that?
- Additives: Are glycerin, colors or processing aids from plant or animal sources?
- Shared lines: Does the plant also make porcine casings on the same equipment, and how is segregation handled?
- Records: Can the supplier provide the documentation U.S. plants need for natural casings under 9 CFR 317.8(b)(37)?
What home cooks need to know
Home cooks have more halal options than they once did. Sheep casings from halal-slaughtered animals are the traditional choice for small sausages, while halal-certified collagen, fish collagen and plant-based casings are also sold to consumers.
Buyers should look for a named certifier on the package or the seller’s listing, not just the word “halal,” and ask the seller for the certificate if it is not shown. Natural casings are usually sold salted and need soaking and rinsing before use; ISA’s original article recommended soaking them in water and vinegar and filling them with a sausage stuffer.
Not every sausage needs a casing. ISA noted that some sausages, including Middle Eastern awarma and certain Italian styles, are cooked loose, and that ground meat can also be shaped into small patties.
Frequently asked questions
Are collagen casings halal?
Only if the collagen comes from a halal source, such as halal-slaughtered cattle or fish, and the casing is certified. U.S. labels must say “collagen casing” but not the animal, so check the certificate or ask the maker.
Are cellulose casings halal?
Cellulose casings are plant-based and are peeled off before skinless hot dogs are packed, so the casing itself is not the halal concern. The meat and any additives still need to be halal.
Is a chicken sausage ever sold in a pork casing?
It can be. U.S. rules allow it as long as the label discloses the casing’s species, so read the ingredient statement on any sausage that is not halal-certified.
