Rely on What Is Written on Packaged Foods—for Example, 'halal Gelatin,' 'animal — Jurisprudential Answers — Miscellaneous Issues, Vol. 1

Ahmed al-Hasan Response:

One may rely on what is written if there are indications that give reassurance and confidence in the label. It is sufficient to be reassured that the producer has no particular interest or benefit in lying about the contents of the product. As for vague labels such as 'thickening agents' or 'preservatives,' one must inquire about them and determine what they are. Regarding animal products for which ritual slaughter is required in order to eat or use them in particular ways, they are not necessarily properly slaughtered and lawful merely because they were produced in a Muslim country, nor are they necessarily improperly slaughtered and unlawful merely because they were produced in a non-Muslim country. They are lawful if the animal was slaughtered in the correct religious manner, whether in a Muslim or non-Muslim country, and unlawful if it was not slaughtered correctly, whether in a Muslim or non-Muslim country. To give a real-world example: an animal slaughtered in Mecca by a person who shows hostility toward the family of Muhammad (a) is not considered properly slaughtered, while an animal slaughtered in France by a Muslim who does not show hostility toward the family of Muhammad (a) is considered properly slaughtered. A chicken whose neck is cut by machines in Iran is not considered properly slaughtered, while a chicken slaughtered in China by the hand of a Muslim who does not show hostility toward the family of Muhammad (a) is considered properly slaughtered.