Is E133 halal?
E133 is generally considered halal. E133 — Brilliant Blue FCF (FD&C Blue 1) — is used in food as colour. The assessment is straightforward here: E133 is produced from plant or mineral raw materials, a category Islamic dietary law accepts in food. That holds regardless of brand, so a product is not made doubtful by containing E133 alone.
Automated classification, not a religious ruling. No scholar or certification body has reviewed this assessment — always check the product's own halal certification.
What is E133?
Brilliant Blue FCF (FD&C Blue 1). Food colouring (reddish blue)
Where does E133 come from?
E133 is obtained from plant, mineral or synthetic sources, so it raises no animal-derivation concern on its own.
Sourcing and scholarly views on E133
There is no significant scholarly disagreement over additives like E133. Substances of plant, mineral or synthetic origin are permissible across the schools of Islamic law, under the principle that foods are permitted unless specifically prohibited — the position the European Council for Fatwa and Research applies to plant-derived and synthetic E-numbers. The practical question scholars do raise is cross-contamination during manufacturing, which is a matter for product certification rather than for the additive itself.
- Islamweb fatwa 286777 — the European Council for Fatwa and Research's four-category ruling on E-additives (in Arabic)
- Islamweb fatwa 83073 — ingredients on foods with code numbers: purity and transformation principles
- Islamweb fatwa 219985 — E-numbered preservatives: verification before prohibition (in Arabic)
| Function | Colour |
|---|---|
| Is E133 vegetarian? | Suitable for vegetarians |
| Approved in the EU | Yes |
| Approved in the US | Yes |
| Food-safety regulator | U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food safety only — not a halal authority. |
E133 is identified internationally as Codex/INS 133.
EU approval: Yes.
US approval: Yes.
Vegetarian status: Suitable for vegetarians.
Products containing E133
Products in our database that list E133 among their ingredients:
- Trident spearmint slim pack — Trident (Doubtful (mushbooh))
- Doritos Cool Ranch flavored — Doritos Tortilla Chips (Halal)
- Nerds Candy - Rainbow — Nerds, Nestlé (Halal)
- Blue Heat — Takis, Barcel (Halal)
- Lucky Charms — Lucky Charms (Haram)
- Skittles — Mars norge (Halal)
- Peanut — M&M's (Haram)
- M&M's peanut — Mars Wrigley (Haram)
- Marrowfat Bigga Peas — Batchelors (Halal)
- Original Mushy Peas — Batchelors (Halal)
- Powerade Mountain Blast — Coca-Cola Company, Powerade (Halal)
- Sirop Menthe bidon 75cl — Paquito (Halal)
How this verdict was reached
E133 is made from plant or mineral raw materials, with no animal input.
Maintained and reviewed by the Halal & Healthy team. About Halal & Healthy · Read the full methodology
What this is based on
The classification of E133 rests on public records rather than opinion: the Open Food Facts taxonomy supplies the origin signal and the technological function, the UK Food Standards Agency register confirms authorisation status, and Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 defines which raw materials it may legally be made from.
Frequently asked questions
Is E133 halal?
E133 is generally considered halal. E133 — Brilliant Blue FCF (FD&C Blue 1) — is used in food as colour. The assessment is straightforward here: E133 is produced from plant or mineral raw materials, a category Islamic dietary law accepts in food. That holds regardless of brand, so a product is not made doubtful by containing E133 alone.
Where does E133 come from?
E133 is obtained from plant, mineral or synthetic sources, so it raises no animal-derivation concern on its own.
Do all scholars agree on E133?
There is no significant scholarly disagreement over additives like E133. Substances of plant, mineral or synthetic origin are permissible across the schools of Islamic law, under the principle that foods are permitted unless specifically prohibited — the position the European Council for Fatwa and Research applies to plant-derived and synthetic E-numbers. The practical question scholars do raise is cross-contamination during manufacturing, which is a matter for product certification rather than for the additive itself.
How does E133 relate to Codex/INS numbering and regional food-safety rules?
E133 is identified internationally as Codex/INS 133. EU approval: Yes. US approval: Yes. Vegetarian status: Suitable for vegetarians.
How this verdict was reached
E133 is made from plant or mineral raw materials, with no animal input.
Which additives are related to E133?
Same function — Colour: E132, E129, E128, E127; Same E-number series — Colours: E131, E130, E126, E140
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