What Are the 10 Haram Foods That Muslims Think Are Halal?

We have been talking about Halal foods as well as Haram foods on these pages for a long time now. We have even touched upon the topic of fake Halal food extensively. But, what are the haram or forbidden foods for Muslims? Why should we not eat them?

The following list of haram foods is about the foods which are generally considered Halal by many Muslims but are haram. How can you avoid eating these haram foods? The only way to do so will be to confirm the ingredients of everything you eat.  You may also want to verify whether these foods are Halal by confirming the Halal-certified label on their packings if available.

This article may especially be helpful to those living in non-Muslim countries as it becomes an everyday question for them to verify the ingredients of the foods they want to consume.

We have tried to take a cautionary approach while preparing the following list. We would welcome your thoughts on this important topic for us all. Please feel free to comment on this if you believe that some of the information given below is wrong.

Some of the foods mentioned below might be Halal in certain places. But, generally speaking, they are not Halal. So, we need to confirm whether they were prepared according to traditional Islamic regulations.

Related: Is KFC Halal?

10 Haram Foods Generally Considered Halal by Muslims

So, let us list the foods which are generally haram but many Muslims believe them to be Halal.

1. Chocolates with Alcohol: Certain kinds of chocolates can contain alcohol. The ingredients of these chocolates should be carefully checked before consumption. If they contain alcohol then, obviously, they are haram without any question.
2. Jell-O: It’s a typical dessert containing gelatin, a protein derived from collagen which is found in pigs’ bones and skin. Can we find Halal Jell-O? Maybe not. Let us be on the safe side and avoid it as it is not suitable for a Halal diet. Most gelatin is derived from pork skins, pork, cattle bones, or split cattle hides.
3. Red Candy: Anything red that tastes extremely sweet in the candy category which is often dyed with the food coloring of carmine is made from dead crushed beetles. It is produced by insects that are boiled with sodium carbonate to get the red dye. There is a difference of opinion among the four Sunni schools of thought. The Hanafi school considers all types of insects and bugs completely forbidden. Malikis allow them to eat. However, both Shafi and Hanbali schools of thought allow eating some bugs but not others. So, you may want to decide which school of thought you follow in terms of eating bugs.
4. Instant Fried Tofu: It is often used as a meat substitute for vegans. Sometimes, it is fried in pork fat to maintain its crispiness. We recommend all Muslims check the ingredients before using tofu. Unfortunately, a lot of Muslims tend to think that all types of tofu are Halal. Of course, it is not true. So, do your due diligence before consuming it.
5. Cheese Fondue: It is prepared in wine or alcohol so it should be avoided. But, if alcohol is not used in preparing it you may use it. However, in most cases, it is prepared in wine. So, the answer is obvious.
6. Japanese foods: In most cases, the Japanese use soy sauce which is generally made of wine. They also use mirin to prepare their dishes. Mirin is made from rice wine, somewhat similar to sake. Sake is, of course, haram no matter what brand it may be.
7. Marshmallows: They also contain gelatin so they are haram. However, there are also vegan types that are considered Halal. You could use the vegan marshmallows, of course, without any question.
8. Cheesecake: Most cheesecakes contain gelatin to set the cheese as fermenting agents So be sure about the ingredients before you eat the cheesecake.
9. Salad dressing: While eating salad if you find it of a different taste please make sure that you don’t have baked fat topping sauce. You should be careful or use olive seeds instead. In Japan, haram sauce is very common. So, we do not use any dressing on the salad when we have to visit any regular Japanese restaurant. Recently, some manufacturers have started making vegan dressing as well. That is OK to consume, of course.
10. Cake mix: Sometimes it is made with pork fat so avoid eating it no matter how tasty it may be.

Related: Is Fake Meat Halal?

As mentioned earlier the best way to avoid eating haram food is to confirm the ingredients of these foods and how they were processed. The above guidelines may be most useful; for Muslims in countries where they are in a minority.