Is Cochineal - Carmine Halal or Haram?

Cochineal Extract (Red food dye)

Cochineal extract is derived from Cochineal. Cochineal is a bug found on plants in Peru and the Canary Islands. The insect is dried, crushed, and put into an acidic alcohol¹. The insect can be killed by hot water, sunlight, steam, or oven heat².

Cochineal is used to make a scarlet, deep crimson, red, or orange dye which is used in some foods such as jams, drinks³, and candies.  It is also used in cosmetics such as red lipstick⁴.

It can be found in ingredients with the following names⁵:

• Cochineal Extract
• Carmine
• Carminic Acid
• Natural Red 4 (Not to be confused with Red 2 or Red 40, which are synthetic)
• E120

According to the Hanafi Madhab insects are pure.

Hence, any product which contains the above mentioned ingredients and is used externally such as lotion, cream, shampoos are halal. 

However, lipstick containing carmine should be avoided as there is a likelihood it will be consumed when drinking water ⁶.

Nevertheless, consuming insects (excluding some insects such as locusts) is not permissible in the Hanafi, Shafi’i, or Hanbali madhhab. Therefore, food products containing the ingredients mentioned above should be avoided.⁷

Allah knows best

Abrar Ahmed Koya

May 19, 2019

1. https://www.livescience.com/36292-red-food-dye-bugs-cochineal-carmine.html
2. https://www.britannica.com/technology/cochineal There is a debate within Muslim Scholars regarding the permissibility of killing insects using hot water, etc. Hanafis in general do not allow this unless there is no other way to get rid of an insect in a home.
3.  For example, Fruitopia Strawberry Passion Awareness, usually found in Wal-Marts.
4.  https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/c/Cochineal.htm
5.  https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Carmine#section=MeSH-Entry-Terms
6. One should avoid accidentally ingesting it if used externally. Scholars of the other madhhabs can be contacted for their position on the matter.
7.  Malikis allow consumption of insects if they are slaughtered according to shariah, i.e. Bismillah is recited while removing the head, legs, or wings.