Halal barcode scanner

Scan a barcode

1. Open the app and point the camera at the barcode. If the camera cannot read it, type the number instead.
2. The app finds the product in Open Food Facts, an open database of food products and their ingredients, and checks the ingredient list.
3. The result is Halal, Suspect, Not Halal or Unknown, with the ingredients that decided it listed underneath.

Photograph the ingredient list

Use a photo when the product has no barcode, when it is not in the database, or when the data there looks out of date. Photograph the whole ingredient list, flat and in good light, so every word is readable. The app reads the text with AI, and the same rules then check it.

What the scanner checks

The rules look for pork, alcohol, gelatin, carmine (E120), animal-derived additives, enzymes and emulsifiers whose source is not stated, and meat with no halal label. Additives are checked against a table of 316 E-numbers. When the ingredient list is missing or only partly readable, the result is Unknown or Suspect rather than Halal. How the app decides explains the method.

What it cannot tell you

An ingredient check cannot see how meat was slaughtered, which processing aids were used, or whether a factory shares its lines with non-halal products. Recipes change and the same product can differ between countries, so the pack in your hand may not match the database. A Suspect result usually means the source of an ingredient is not stated. When it matters, look for a halal certification mark on the pack or ask the manufacturer.