Thickeners are one of the easier additive groups to work through, because the great majority are plant or seaweed derived and only one common member changes the answer. Knowing which one saves reading the rest.
The one to look for
Gelatin is animal derived. It is made by hydrolysing collagen from hides and bones, and the species and slaughter method determine its status. It appears as gelatin, gelatine, or E441, and it works as both a thickener and a gelling agent, so it turns up in desserts, confectionery, dairy, and capsule shells.
If you find gelatin in a list, that is the item to resolve. If you do not, the remaining thickeners are usually straightforward.
Scan for gelatin first. The other common thickeners rarely change an answer.
The rest of the group
- Agar (E406): red seaweed, and a common gelatin alternative.
- Carrageenan (E407): red seaweed.
- Locust bean gum (E410): carob seeds.
- Guar gum (E412): guar beans.
- Acacia gum (E414): acacia tree sap.
- Xanthan gum (E415): bacterial fermentation.
- Pectin (E440): citrus peel and apple.
- Modified starch (E1400 to E1450): maize, wheat, potato, or tapioca.
- Cellulose derivatives (E460 to E466): plant cellulose.
Where gelatin hides
The difficulty with gelatin is not identifying the word. It is that gelatin often appears in products where a thickener is not the headline. Yoghurts, mousses, marshmallows, gummy sweets, and some low fat dairy products use it for texture. It also forms most softgel and many hard capsule shells, which is a supplement question rather than a food one.
The halal gelatin checker works through the species and certification questions, and the halal dairy checker covers yoghurt and dairy desserts where it is common.
How to check it
- Scan the list for gelatin, gelatine, or E441 first.
- Treat gums, seaweed extracts, pectin, and starches as plant or fermentation derived.
- Where a product is gelatin free, check the rest of the label rather than stopping there.
- Use the E number checker for any thickener code you do not recognise.
Frequently asked questions
Are thickeners halal?
Most are. The common thickeners are plant gums, seaweed extracts, pectin, cellulose derivatives, and modified starches, all of which are plant or fermentation derived. Gelatin is the significant exception because it is animal derived.
Which thickener should I look for?
Gelatin, listed as gelatin, gelatine, or E441. It is the one thickener and gelling agent in common use that is animal derived, and it requires the species and halal controls to be verified.
Is xanthan gum halal?
Xanthan gum, E415, is produced by fermenting a carbohydrate with a bacterium. It is fermentation derived rather than animal derived.
Is carrageenan halal?
Carrageenan, E407, is extracted from red seaweed and is plant derived.
Is modified starch a concern?
Modified starch is starch that has been treated to change how it behaves. The starch comes from maize, wheat, potato, or tapioca, so it is plant derived.
What replaces gelatin as a thickener?
Pectin, agar, carrageenan, and gellan gum are the common plant and fermentation derived alternatives, and they appear widely in products formulated without gelatin.