What it is and where it comes from
Pork gelatin is made by boiling pig skin and bones in acid and water until the collagen turns into gelatin. It is the cheapest and most common gelatin in Europe, so a plain "gelatin" on a label there is very often pork.
What scholars say
- The four Sunni schools forbid the pig and what is made from it (Quran 2:173), and the great majority of scholars hold that gelatin is still pig, because it is the same protein that was in the skin.
- A minority, including some Hanafi scholars and a 1995 seminar of the Islamic Organization for Medical Sciences, hold that the process is a full transformation (istihalah), so the gelatin is pure. If you meet this view, know that halal certifiers do not follow it.
- In medicine with no alternative, many scholars allow a gelatin capsule out of need. Ask your pharmacist for a plant capsule first.
Where you find it
Gummy bears and jelly sweets, marshmallows, jelly, desserts, cake glazes, capsules and some medicines.
What to look for on the label
Labels rarely say "pork". Treat plain "gelatin" or "E441" as possibly pork unless the label says fish or halal beef, or carries a halal logo.
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.