How to read a pack
When the label refuses to name the source
These words are legal classes, not chemicals. Muttoo does not treat them as verified-halal. Each one points at the rows you actually need.
- Natural flavour / flavouring
- A legal class. The aroma can be plant; the carrier is often ethanol or glycerin. See natural flavours and alcohol in food.
- Artificial flavour
- Still a class. Synthetic notes plus undeclared solvents. See artificial flavouring.
- Enzymes
- Microbial, plant or animal. The pack rarely says which. See enzymes & rennet.
- Emulsifier
- Often E471 or a lecithin. The E-number never names the fat. See E471.
- Colour / color added
- Could be plant (carotene), insect (carmine) or caramel. Match the E-number. See E120.
- Glazing agent
- Shellac (insect), beeswax (animal) or carnauba (plant). See E904.
- Softgel / soft gel
- Almost always gelatin plus glycerin. Fish oil inside a porcine shell is two different questions. See gelatin capsules.
- Other ingredients (supplements)
- The capsule, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide, flavour. Check those rows, not only the active.
- Processing aid
- May be omitted from the ingredients list. See processing aids.
- Gelatinized (maca, starch)
- A heat process. It is not gelatin. Still check the capsule on the same pack.
- Mass gainer / weight gainer
- A blend. Protein, carb powder and flavour are three checks. See mass gainer.
- Fragrance allergens (linalool, limonene, citronellol)
- An allergen declaration, not a source statement. See linalool and what to ask.
- Stock cube / Bovril / dripping
- The animal is sometimes named. Slaughter is not. See Bovril, Oxo, beef dripping.
- Barcode
- Identifies a retail pack. It does not certify the factory. Muttoo will not treat a scan as verified-halal.
A decoder, not a fatwa. See the methodology.