A List of Foods That Are Not Halal: Pork, Alcohol, and Easy-to-Miss Items in Japanese Food

Foods that cannot be eaten are defined as exceptions

Foods that are not halal include pork and pork-derived products, alcohol, meat not slaughtered in the Islamic way, blood and carrion, and certain listed animals such as wild boars and frogs. In Japanese food, these may appear under other names, such as gelatin, lard, mirin, cooking sake, or livestock meat extract.

Foods that cannot be eaten	Examples in Japanese food
Pork and pork-derived products	Bacon, sausages, pork bone broth, lard, offal, gelatin, shortening
Alcohol	Sake, mirin, cooking sake, sweets made with Western liquor
Meat not slaughtered in the Islamic way	Beef or chicken without halal certification, and extracts made from that meat
Blood and carrion	Meat that does not meet the slaughter rules
Other animals listed as prohibited	Wild boars, frogs

How far people avoid these foods differs. The final section also looks at that range.

For the meaning of the word halal itself, see What Is Halal? It Means “Permitted”: The Basics of Halal Food.

The list looks long, but the underlying idea is the reverse.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)’s page explaining halal presents the idea that what God has created is generally halal, with certain prohibited exceptions. It also says vegetables, fruit, fish, and water are halal in principle, excluding poisonous items and similar exceptions. The Japan Muslim Association (JMA)’s page likewise explains that Allah prohibits only a few things and that most actions are permitted.

Foods that cannot be eaten are limited exceptions. But in Japanese food, those exceptions may appear under different names in places that are hard to notice.

This article groups foods that cannot be eaten by type and explains where they may appear in Japanese food. It draws on materials from MAFF and the Japan Tourism Agency, explanations by the JMA, and guidelines from the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which develops international food standards. We checked all the sources on October 7, 2026.

Pork and pork-derived products

Not just meat, but fat, skin, and extracts too

Pork is a familiar example of food that is not halal. Citing Quran 5:3, the JMA’s page explains that carrion, flowing blood, pork, and other items are prohibited. It adds that pork includes everything from the pig, including extracts from its body, fat, skin, and hair.

The Japan Tourism Agency’s “Hospitality Guide for Vegetarian, Vegan, and Muslim Travelers” also says pork meat is not the only concern. It lists internal organs, skin, body hair, and pork-derived components. It gives the following examples.

• Processed foods made with pork, such as bacon (ベーコン) and sausages (ソーセージ)
• Pork extracts and fats, such as pork bone broth (豚骨スープ) and lard (ラード)
• Pig organs, or offal (モツ)
• Pork-derived components in seasonings and additives, such as emulsifiers (乳化剤), shortening (ショートニング), gelatin (ゼラチン), and collagen (コラーゲン)

Items whose names do not mention pork

The last group is tricky in Japanese food. Gelatin may be made from pigs, cattle, or fish. Shortening and emulsifiers may be made from vegetable oil or animal fat. An ingredient list that says only “gelatin” (ゼラチン) does not tell you what it was made from.

Gelatin may be used in gummies, marshmallows, jelly desserts, and yogurt, and shortening in bread and cookies. With soup mixes and snacks, “pork extract” (ポークエキス) tells you the source. But a term such as “livestock meat extract” (畜肉エキス) does not tell you whether it comes from pigs or cattle.

For how to identify these on ingredient lists, see How to Spot Pork and Alcohol on Ingredient Lists, and What the Label Alone Can’t Tell You. For how additive origins are stated, see Are Emulsifiers and Gelatin Halal? What the “Origin” (由来) Wording on Ingredient Lists Tells You.

Some people also avoid things that have touched pork

The JMA’s page says things that have touched pork or pork-derived products are also considered impure. MAFF’s “Handbook for Exporting Halal and Kosher Food” uses the term contamination (cross-contamination) to explain how halal products can lose that status through contact with pork or alcohol during production, cooking, storage, or transport.

In a Japanese meal, this could mean vegetables cooked on a griddle previously used for pork, or tempura fried in the same oil as pork cutlets. Some people are concerned even if the dish itself contains no pork.

Alcohol and sake used in cooking

Mirin too, not just alcoholic drinks

Alcohol is another familiar example of something that cannot be consumed. The JMA’s page cites Quran 5:90 to explain that alcoholic drinks are prohibited.

The Japan Tourism Agency’s guide says many Muslims do not consume alcoholic drinks because intoxicating liquor should be avoided. It explicitly says this “includes mirin” (みりんを含む). In Japanese cooking, mirin (みりん) and cooking sake (料理酒) may be used in simmered dishes, teriyaki, sukiyaki sauce, and noodle dipping sauce.

Alcohol is likely to appear in the following kinds of Japanese food.

• Seasonings: mirin, cooking sake, and soy sauce or miso with added alcohol (酒精, shusei)
• Foods made with sake: sake lees (酒粕), and pickles or amazake made with sake lees
• Sweets: chocolates and cakes with Western liquor (洋酒), and rum raisins (ラムレーズン)

Views differ on trace amounts of alcohol

The sources describe the extent of avoidance differently.

The Japan Tourism Agency’s guide says some Muslims also avoid trace alcohol in seasonings such as soy sauce, giving soy sauce rice crackers and soy sauce ramen as examples. It adds that opinions differ on whether to avoid trace alcohol in seasonings or ethanol used for purposes such as disinfection.

National systems also differ. MAFF’s handbook says Malaysia’s halal standard (MS1500:2019) prohibits using alcohol as an ingredient, unlike Singapore’s certification body, which allows a threshold level.

For alcohol in Japanese seasonings, see Are Soy Sauce, Mirin, Miso, and Vinegar Halal? Checking the Ingredients of Japanese Seasonings for Alcohol. For labeling of non-alcoholic drinks, see A “Non-Alcoholic” Label Does Not Always Mean 0.00%.

For beef and chicken, the slaughter method matters

Beef itself is not prohibited

Some people think Islam prohibits eating beef, but beef itself is not prohibited. The same applies to chicken and sheep meat.

What matters is how the animal was slaughtered. The JMA’s page explains that “carrion” in Quran 5:3 includes meat from animals not slaughtered according to Islamic law. MAFF’s materials also list meat from any animal not slaughtered in the Islamic way among foods that Muslims are not permitted to consume.

For halal-certified beef processing plants serving export markets and what to check when eating wagyu, see What Is Halal Wagyu? Wagyu Rules, Halal-Certified Meat Processing Plants, and What to Check When You Eat It.

Slaughter rules

The Codex Alimentarius Commission, the international food standards commission established by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, lists the following slaughter conditions in its guidelines on the use of the term “halal.”

• The person performing the slaughter must be a Muslim of sound mind who knows the Islamic slaughter procedures.
• The animal must be permitted under Islamic law.
• The animal must be alive, or deemed alive, at the time of slaughter.
• “Bismillah” (in the name of Allah) must be recited immediately before slaughter.
• A sharp knife must be used and must not be lifted away from the animal during slaughter.
• The trachea, esophagus, and main arteries and veins in the neck must be severed.

Without halal labeling or certification, it is unclear whether beef or chicken was slaughtered following these procedures. For people who require halal meat, such beef and chicken therefore fall among foods they cannot eat. For a guide to reading the logos that certification bodies put on certified products, see What Is a Halal Logo? How to Read Logos That Differ by Organization, and How to Check That One Is Genuine.

The Japan Tourism Agency’s guide says chicken from countries such as Brazil and beef from countries such as Australia often have halal certification. It also says some Japanese-produced chicken and beef are halal.

The same applies to products made from the meat

Products made from the meat are treated the same as the meat itself. The Japan Tourism Agency’s guide says that, as with pork, components in foods and additives derived from meat other than halal meat must also be avoided.

In Japanese food, examples include beef extract (ビーフエキス), chicken extract (チキンエキス), bouillon (ブイヨン), beef tallow (牛脂), and cattle-derived gelatin. These may be used in curry roux, soup mixes, or snack seasonings.

About blood

Blood is also among the prohibited foods. The JMA’s page explains that this means blood flowing from an animal, rather than blood remaining in its body after slaughter.

Other animals listed as prohibited

Besides pigs, other animals are considered not permissible to eat. The Codex guidelines list the following animals and their products among animal-derived foods that are not halal.

Category	Examples in the guidelines
Pigs and wild boars	Pigs, wild boars
Certain animals	Dogs, snakes, monkeys
Carnivores with claws and fangs	Lions, tigers, bears, and similar animals
Birds of prey with claws	Eagles, vultures, and similar birds
Harmful creatures	Rats, centipedes, scorpions, and similar creatures
Creatures that Islam prohibits killing	Ants, bees, woodpeckers
Creatures generally considered repulsive	Lice, flies, maggots, and similar creatures
Animals that live both on land and in water	Frogs, crocodiles, and similar animals
Mules and domestic donkeys	Mules, donkeys
Poisonous and hazardous aquatic animals	All poisonous and hazardous aquatic animals

The guidelines also list animals not slaughtered according to Islamic law, and blood.

Wild boar is one example relevant in Japan. Wild boar meat served in botan nabe hot pot (ぼたん鍋) or game dishes is in the same category as pork under the guidelines. Frog and bear meat may also be served at game restaurants or in regional dishes.

The guidelines note at the beginning that Islamic schools of thought may have minor differences in interpreting permitted and prohibited animals and slaughter methods. This list does not represent everyone’s judgment either.

Fish, eggs, dairy, vegetables, and the pitfalls of processed foods

Most of these basic ingredients are permitted

Fish, eggs, milk, vegetables, fruit, and grains are permitted as basic ingredients. The Japan Tourism Agency’s guide says foods from the soil, such as vegetables and fruit, and foods from living animals, such as eggs and milk, are permitted. MAFF’s explanatory page also describes vegetables, fruit, fish, and water as halal in principle.

MAFF’s materials add, however, that some schools regard certain seafood as items to avoid. The materials do not specify which foods. When serving shrimp, crab, squid, octopus, or similar seafood, it is reassuring to check with the person.

Processing can introduce exceptions

Even if a basic ingredient is permitted, pork, alcohol, or components from non-halal meat may be added during processing. MAFF’s handbook gives the following points as examples from certification in different countries.

• For mayonnaise, the eggs and emulsifiers need halal certification.
• For cheese, rennet, an enzyme used to curdle milk, must not come from pigs or animals that were not properly slaughtered.
• For yogurt and dairy desserts, gelatin used as a stabilizer must not be pork-derived.
• For oyster sauce and fish sauce, the seafood ingredients must be permitted species.

Other points to watch for in Japanese meals include the following.

• Simmered or dressed vegetables: may be seasoned with mirin or cooking sake
• Fried foods: may share frying oil with pork cutlets or similar foods
• Fish dishes: the simmering liquid may contain mirin or sake
• Rice dishes: sake or mirin may be used in mixed rice or sushi rice

For how to check onigiri and bento, see Are Convenience Store Onigiri and Bento Halal? What the Published Information from 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson Tells You. For the differences from vegan dishes, see If It’s Vegan, Is It Halal? What Each Avoids, and What to Check in Vegan Dishes.

What to watch for in sweets and snacks

Sweets and snacks can contain prohibited ingredients that are easy to miss. Watch for these three groups.

• Gelatin: gummies, marshmallows, jelly desserts, mousse
• Shortening and lard: cookies, pies, snacks
• Western liquor: chocolate, cakes, baked sweets

For examples of makers answering questions about halal certification and gelatin sources on their websites, see Are Store-Bought Snacks Halal? What Snack Makers Say on Their Own Websites. For bread, see Is Bread Halal? What to Check in Shortening, Margarine, and Western Liquor. For ramen, see Is Ramen Halal? What to Check in the Soup, Sauce, Noodles, and Toppings.

How far people avoid these foods differs

Checking habits differ by item

Not all Muslims avoid everything listed above in the same way. The Japan Tourism Agency guide’s Reference Volume reports an online survey of 224 Muslims conducted in December 2023. The figures below show how many said that, when eating while traveling in non-Islamic countries, they “always check, and do not consume it if they cannot confirm” the following points.

What they check	Always check; do not consume if unable to confirm
The ingredients are not pork or processed pork products	163 people (73%)
No pork-derived seasonings, additives, or similar ingredients are used	165 people (74%)
The meat used was slaughtered in the Islamic way	138 people (62%)
No animal-derived seasonings, additives, or similar ingredients are used	116 people (52%)
No seasonings containing alcohol, such as cooking sake or mirin, are used	116 people (52%)

More than 70% check pork strictly, while about half do so for seasonings containing alcohol. Even under the same word “halal,” people draw the line in different places.

Short answers about foods that can cause confusion

• Is beef prohibited? Beef itself is not prohibited. What matters is whether the animal was slaughtered in the Islamic way.
• What about eggs and milk? The Japan Tourism Agency’s guide lists them as permitted. With processed foods such as mayonnaise or sweets, you need to check the source materials of emulsifiers and similar ingredients.
• What about fish? Fish is permitted in principle, but some schools avoid certain seafood. Also check for sake in simmering liquids and seasonings.
• What about soy sauce? People differ on whether trace amounts of alcohol matter to them.

If unsure, ask the person

When eating with Muslim friends, colleagues, or customers, whether you need to follow every point in this article depends on the person. The way to find out is to ask what they avoid.

Rather than asking the broad question “Is it halal?” (ハラルですか), you can ask separately about pork, alcohol, meat slaughter methods, and cooking utensils. For specific questions, see “Is It Halal?” Is Not Enough: How to Ask When Checking at a Restaurant. For the meaning of halal and how rules differ between countries and regions, see What Is Halal? It Means “Permitted”: The Basics of Halal Food.

Quotes from Japanese sources in this article are our own translations.

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Sources

Primary sources

• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, “Information on Halal and Kosher” (ハラール及びコーシャに関する情報) (in Japanese) (section “What is halal” [ハラールとは]), checked on October 7, 2026
  https://www.maff.go.jp/j/yusyutu_kokusai/kokuchi/halal.kosher/
• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, “Basic Information on Halal (April 2026)” (ハラールに関する基礎情報（2026年4月）) (in Japanese) (p. 10: main foods and drinks Muslims are not permitted to consume), checked on October 7, 2026
  https://www.maff.go.jp/j/yusyutu_kokusai/kokuchi/halal.kosher/attach/pdf/index-13.pdf
• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, “Handbook for Exporting Halal and Kosher Food” (ハラール・コーシャハンドブック（2026年3月）) (in Japanese), March 2026 (p. 8: contamination; p. 31: Malaysia and seasonings; p. 33: UAE and dairy products), checked on October 7, 2026
  https://www.maff.go.jp/j/yusyutu_kokusai/kokuchi/halal.kosher/attach/pdf/index-10.pdf
• Japan Tourism Agency (counselor in charge of receiving foreign visitors), “Hospitality Guide for Vegetarian, Vegan, and Muslim Travelers” (ベジタリアン・ヴィーガン／ムスリム旅行者おもてなしガイド) (in Japanese), April 2024 (p. 24: halal, haram, prayer, teachings, and daily practices; p. 25: Islamic teachings and daily practices concerning food), checked on October 7, 2026
  https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/content/001740443.pdf
• Japan Tourism Agency (counselor in charge of receiving foreign visitors), “Hospitality Guide for Vegetarian, Vegan, and Muslim Travelers: Reference Volume” (ベジタリアン・ヴィーガン／ムスリム旅行者おもてなしガイド 資料編) (in Japanese), April 2024 (p. 44: survey results on Muslims’ restaurant selection preferences), checked on October 7, 2026
  https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/content/001740444.pdf
• Japan Muslim Association, “About Halal” (ハラールについて) (in Japanese), checked on October 7, 2026
  https://www.muslim.or.jp/about-halal/
• Codex Alimentarius Commission, “General Guidelines for Use of the Term ‘Halal'” (CAC/GL 24-1997) (3.1: Lawful food; 3.2: Slaughtering), checked on October 7, 2026
  https://www.fao.org/input/download/standards/352/CXG_024e.pdf