YO I NEVER KNEW THAT WASN'T HALAAL!

The understaning that I had is that most sunni sources will say it is haram to eat gelatin that is not halal and most shia sources will say its ok to eat gelatin that is not halal. I believe that also goes for alcohol 2.

HALAAL GUIDELINES FOR A MUSLIM DIET: http://groups.msn.com/MessageofIslam/areyoureatinghalal.msnw

Haram list: http://eatinghalal.com/articles/haramlist.html

Here is another source on halal & haram foods: http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=67&CATE=90

Are Mono- And Diglycerides Halal? Mono and di-glycerides are fatty substances that are used as emulsifiers. Emulsifiers are compounds used to keep oils or fats and water dispersed in one phase (i.e., they prevent oil and water from separating). Mono and di-glycerides can be derived from animal or vegetable sources. When derived from vegetable sources, they are halal. When derived from animal sources, they are questionable. More information is required to determine if they are halal. Halal consumers should avoid products containing mono- and diglycerides unless they are labeled as 100% vegetable mono- and diglycerides. Mono- and diglycerides are used in a wide variety of products, including baked goods, peanut butter, margarine, shortening, and other products. And ALLAH, Subhanahu wa ta'ala, knows best. http://www.ifanca.org/faq/

Isn't All Cheese Halal? The production of cheese requires the use of enzymes to coagulate or curdle the milk and the addition of other ingredients for various functions. The enzymes can be derived from animal, vegetable, or microbial sources. The animal sources include pigs and cattle. The enzyme derived from pigs is called pepsin and is haram. Another enzyme derived from pigs or small cattle is lipase. (Lipase can also be made by microorganisms, which is halal.) One of the enzymes derived from the inner lining of the fourth stomach of calves is called rennet. It may come from Zabiha calves or non-Zabiha calves. The enzyme can also be produced by microbial methods. Microbial enzymes are not derived from meat and are halal. Rennet is a crude preparation containing dried, ground linings of the calf stomach. The active enzyme is called chymosin. Today, purified chymosin is also manufactured through genetic modifications of microorganisms when the chymosin gene from a calf is duplicated and inserted into microbial cells. Calf rennet is still used by specialty cheese manufacturers. Moreover, pig enzymes, such as lipase, are still used in high flavor, ripened cheeses, like romano. Today, most cheeses in the North American markets are questionable. However, IFANCA has certified some specialty cheeses. Most cheese products do not list the source of the enzyme, so one must ask the producer from where the enzyme comes. Of course, it is possible the source will change without notification. Finally, cheese products may contain many other ingredients, each of which must also be examined. And ALLAH, Subhanahu wa ta'ala, knows best. May We Eat Gelatin? Gelatin is a protein product obtained from the collagen of vertebrates, including pigs, cattle and fish. It is recovered by hydrolysis. The main raw materials used today are pigskins, cattle bones and cattle hide. Of these, the most common source is pigskins. Gelatin is used in the preparation of baked goods, ice cream, yogurt, jellies and gelatin Jell-OTM. It is also used in the medical and pharmaceutical industry. Gelatin has other non-food uses, such as photographic film and carbonless paper. If the word gelatin appears on a label without reference to its source, it is generally derived from pig skins and cattle bones, so it must be avoided. It is possible to produce halal gelatin by using the bones and hides of halal slaughtered cattle. In such a case, the gelatin would be certified halal and labeled as halal gelatin. IFANCA-certified halal gelatin made from fish bones or halal slaughtered cattle is now available for the food and pharmaceutical industry. And ALLAH, Subhanahu wa ta'ala, knows best. Are Kosher Products Halal? This is a question that comes up once in a while. Let us take the time to provide a thorough analysis. In Islam, halal means 'lawful' or 'permitted' and refers to all matters of life, not just food. So, Islamically, it is proper to refer to pure foods, marriage to a person whose bloodline is sufficiently far from one’s own bloodline, and having marital relations during the nights of Ramadan as being halal. In the same light, it is proper to refer to pork, marriage to your sister or brother, and marital acts performed between dawn and sunset - a.k.a., the fasting hours – during the month of Ramadan, as haram. In fact, any knowingly shameful deed is considered haram. When it comes to meat and poultry, Muslims also use the term zabiha (dhabiha) to refer to meat from a halal animal slaughtered by a Muslim in the prescribed Islamic way. (Meat from haram animals does not become halal, even if it is slaughtered in the prescribed Islamic way and a Muslim would never slaughter a haram animal.) Conversely, kosher is a term associated only with food. It has a similar meaning as halal does in the context of food, but there are also many differences. Some of the differences are listed below: Islam prohibits all intoxicants, including alcohols, liquors and wines, whereas Judaism regards alcohol and wines as kosher. Hence kosher foods may contain alcohol. If they do, they are considered haram in Islam. Gelatin is considered kosher by many Jews regardless of its source of origin. For Muslims, if gelatin is prepared from swine it is haram. Even if gelatin is prepared from cows that are not zabiha, many scholars consider it haram. Kosher practice does not require Jews to pronounce the name of God on the animals while slaughtering, but Muslims must pronounce the name of ALLAH on all animals while in the act of slaughtering. There are other differences between halal and kosher that make some kosher products haram or questionable with respect to Muslim consumption. These differences may seem minor to some. However, indulging in acts or cuisine that is haram is a very serious offense against ALLAH. Consuming alcohol or pork is a clear violation of ALLAH's commandments and should not be taken lightly. The pronouncement of the name of ALLAH at the time of slaughter is an act of worship and obedience in its own right. Not only is this pronouncement an act of worship of the most high unto itself, it also is the key to many blessings and bounties. Muslims and non-Muslims alike can taste the difference in meat slaughtered in a benign, humane manner and meat slaughtered while foregoing the rite's inherent compassion to the animal. And ALLAH, Subhanahu wa ta'ala, knows best. Is Lecithin Halal? Lecithin is an emulsifier. It is found in plants such as soybeans, in egg yolks and in other animal sources. As discussed below, emulsifiers are compounds used to keep oils or fats and water dispersed in one phase (i.e., they prevent oil and water from separating). If the lecithin is derived from plants, egg yolks or halal animals slaughtered according to Islamic law, it is Halal. Otherwise it is not. While most lecithin produced in the USA is currently derived from soybeans, it is still possible it might come from animal sources. Unless the ingredient label says soya lecithin or vegetable lecithin, you need to check with the producer to determine the source. And ALLAH, Subhanahu wa ta'ala, knows best. http://www.ifanca.org/faq/

Apparently some ppl only want to believe what they want to believe.

So what organization said all these foods were halal? Certainly not the Muslim Consumer Group.

Pork Pork and products made from pork are strictly forbidden from consumption and handling in Islam. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_dietary_laws#Gelatin

Zabihah: Islamic slaughter Main article: Zabihah Zabihah is the prescribed method of ritual slaughter of all animals excluding fish and most sea-life per Islamic law. For such a method the animal must be slaughtered by a Muslim or by the People of the Book (Christian or Jew), while mentioning the name of God (Allah in Arabic). According to some fatwas, the animal must be slaughtered only by a Muslim. However, some different fatwas dispute this, and rule from the Qur'anic position, according to verse 5:5 of the Qur'an, that an animal properly slaughtered by People of the Book (Jew or a Christian) is dhabiha. Thus, many observant Muslims will accept kosher meat if dhabiha options are not available. Other main references in Qur'an include 2:173, 5:3, 5:5, 5:90, 6:118, 6:145, 16:115. If there is doubt to anything being regarded as halāl or haram, Muslims are generally advised to refrain from consumption until clarification or permissiveness is given by another Muslim learned in Fiqh. Animals for food may not be killed by being boiled or electrocuted, and the carcass should be hung upside down for long enough to be blood-free. Different rules apply to fish; for instance, fish with scales are always halāl, while it has been debated whether shellfish and scaleless fishes, such as catfish, are halāl, haram or makruh (prohibitively disliked). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_dietary_laws#Gelatin