I am a follower of Ayatollah Syed Ali Sistani, living in Japan. If packaged food has ingredients like emulsifier, shortening, gelatin, etc., and their source is not mentioned, is it halal or should I avoid it?

Japan Food Gelatin Halal Taqlid Sayyid

I am a follower of Ayatollah Syed Ali Sistani, living in Japan. If packaged food has ingredients like emulsifier, shortening, gelatin, etc., and their source is not mentioned, is it halal or should I avoid it?

I am a follower (muqallid) of Ayatollah Sistani. I live in Japan, which is a non-Muslim country. Most food here is packaged, such as dairy products, snacks, bread, sauces, and jam.

Sometimes the ingredients list does not mention pork, meat, or alcohol. But it includes words like:

Emulsifier
Shortening
Mono and diglycerides
Gelatin
Flavoring

The source of these ingredients is not mentioned clearly (it does not say if it is from plant or animal).

I have the following questions:

Question 1: If there is no mention of pork, haram meat, or alcohol, and the source of ingredients like shortening, emulsifier, gelatin, etc. is not mentioned, can I consider the product halal?

Question 2: If there is only doubt (but no proof) that an ingredient may come from an animal source, should I avoid it?

Question 3: Do I need to investigate the source, or is it halal unless I am sure it is haram?

I am facing a lot of confusion and difficulty in deciding. Please answer each question clearly.

Thank you very much for your guidance.

Random number:

63494

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Bismihi ta'āla

Wherever you are, and whichever country you may be in, if its non-Muslim country, or even in some cases Muslim country, it is important to check and verify the ingredients of it is not made by Muslim manufacturer.

1. If it does not have anything haram, and you have assurance that there is no shar'i issue with it, you can consider it halal.

2. Ihtiyat is always good. If you are uncomfortable about a certain product, being halal or haram, best to avoid.

3. It is not you absolute duty to investigate, and pry into everything, but you cannot easily turn away from it as well.

Try to stick with things you know are made in Muslim country. Try to find alternatives, and remember that with the difficulty you endure, you will be rewarded more.

And Allah knows best

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