What it is and where it comes from
Insect products such as cricket flour, mealworms and grasshoppers are now sold as food in Europe. Locusts are halal by a clear hadith. For all other insects the schools disagree.
What scholars say
- Locusts: halal in all schools. A hadith in Bukhari and Muslim says the Companions ate locusts with the Prophet.
- Hanafi school: all other insects are not permitted.
- Shafi'i and Hanbali schools: most other insects count as repulsive things (khaba'ith) and are not permitted.
- Maliki school: insects may be eaten when they are killed with the intention of eating and are not harmful.
Where you find it
Insect flour in protein bars, pasta, crackers and bread, snack insects, and carmine colour (E120).
What to look for on the label
In the EU, insect ingredients must be named, for example "partially defatted house cricket powder" or "mealworm".
This is a guide, not a fatwa. Recipes change, so check the label, look for halal certification, and ask your local imam where scholars differ.