Assalamo Alaikom, Many of nowadays food products have some e-numbers (colors, conservatives and so on) as a part of their ingredients. These e-numbers can be from an animal source, pork, insects or plants. Different websites on the Web indicate different e-numbers as Halal and Haram or Mashbooh; so confusing. The questions are: -Do I have to consider these e-numbers when buying my food? I read a comment somewhere on the Web that it is OK once the material is transformed chemically. -If these numbers matter, is there an authenticate list of the Haram e-numbers? Some lists on the Internet say halal if from plant source for many e-numbers. But most of the products do not indicate the source of the e-numbers. Should I consider them as Mashbooh and avoid them? I live in Europe and by avoiding products with these e-numbers, pork and beef which is not slaughtered according the islamic rules, I have nothing left to eat. I heard that I can say Basmala and eat such beef or chicken meat? Is that true? I buy sometimes a vegetarian pizza but it is baked in the same place with another pizza with pork. Maybe it touches or so. Can I eat such a pizza. This pizza is vegetarian but it has sauces and so. These sauces may have some of the e-numbers. What should I do? What I am looking for is a guide for me and my brothers with me here and all over the western world. Thanks for your efforts. With best regards,

All praise be to Allah and may His peace and blessings be on His final and greatest messenger, Muhammad.
Dear Enquirer,
Thank you for your trust in us as well as your keenness to follow the guidance of Allah and His Messenger. May Allah give us and you consistency and steadfastness on His path.
Let me first tell you that there will always be halal alternatives. Many people choose to be vegetarian or even vegan for their health and many do for religious reasons, such as certain groups of the Buddhists and Hindus. Therefore, if it comes down to becoming vegetarian for the sake of Allah and out of compliance with His true deen, I don’t think that would be a price any sane person would hesitate to pay. Also, many people avoid eating out all together, because it is unhealthy.
Thankfully to Allah, this is not the case. You will always have fish to eat. Also, you may eat all halal and kosher foods.
As for meats, I would choose for abstinence from all meats except the halal or kosher products. This is because there is enough data out there to make us doubt whether the meat is slaughtered and whether it was slaughtered by someone whose meat we can eat.
As for the other food ingredients, I would recommend for you to avoid:
1- Lard (which is almost obsolete).
2- Animal shortening (which is almost obsolete).
3- Gelatin (except in medicines if there were no alternatives).
4- Glycerin (except in medicines if there were no alternatives).
5- Liquor, when not otherwise defined. That is different from chocolate liquor, since the word liquor just means liquid, but when mentioned alone, it refers to Alcoholic beverages.
As for the other products, such as lecithin, mono and diglycerides, and the various enzymes, I would consider them permissible to consume for the following reasons:
1- It has been authentically reported by Abu Dawood and others that the companions after the opened al-Mada’en ate from the cheese of the Zoroastrians. It is made by the enzymes extracted from their animals which are not permissible for us even if they slaughtered them.
2- Many of the ingredients that are controversial get transformed and the transformation changes their ruling according to the majority.
3- Najasah of the dead and non halal animals usually pertains to the animate body parts that have tissue life, not the parts that have vegetable like life such as the hair, teeth, bones, and fluids aside from the known excrements.
4- Najsaat are different in their grades, with the najasah by propinquity being a weaker one. Many times the najasah of enzymes is because of their touching of the dead tissues of the dead animal.
5- Trivial amounts are usually exempt in sharia, and that may apply to the emulsifiers and enzymes that are used in very small amounts to accelerate certain chemical pathways.
May Allah purify your heart and stomach, and the rest of your organs from all evil and every spiritual or physical filth.
Allah knows best.