What is the ruling on eating sweets that contain "carmine", a substance extracted from female lice?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Oct 24, 2026
Gelatin: If it is plant-based, there is no objection to it. If it is animal-based, there is no objection to consuming what contains it, because if it was from an animal that died naturally (ميتة), it has transformed into another substance. Carmine: If it is extracted from female lice and has transformed into another substance, there is no objection to consuming it, knowing that eating lice is by consensus. The basic principle regarding foods and drinks is permissibility, and nothing from them is prohibited based on mere suspicion.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/23267
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 23267
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy