Does E631 Use Extracted Pig's Fat or Sardine Oil?

Author: Rachel Newcombe

M.K asks

Can you tell me about the source of flavour additive E631 which is used in some potato chips/crisps. I cannot tell from anything I've read whether it comes from pig's fat, another animal - or indeed sardine oil? It's important to many people to avoid products extracted from pigs.

Thanks for sending in your question. The E number known as E631 (or sodium inosinate) is an additive that is used in many products to act as a flavour enhancer and make foods taste good. As well as enhancing other flavours, it’s used frequently in products such as potato crisps as it also helps to reduce the amount of salt needed (and reducing salt intake has become quite a big health concern in recent years, with manufacturers vying to get their levels of salt in products down).

Sodium inosinate comes from inosinic acid, an acid that is naturally found in a variety of animals, such as pigs or fish, such as sardines. In some cases it can also be produced from bacterially fermenting some sugars.

As far as commercial use goes, most manufacturers do source their E631 from animals and fish, whilst a few may use the fermentation method. The tricky bit is if you want to specifically avoid E631 that comes from pork, as most products will not say on their ingredients list exactly where it comes from.

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You could try writing to manufacturers to ask exactly where it comes from. There’s no guarantee that you’ll get a definitive answer, but it’s always worth a try and, you never know, some might be receptive and willing to give you the facts. However, if it’s an issue that really concerns you and you don’t want to find yourself unknowingly consuming food with E631 sourced from pigs, probably the best move is to avoid the products completely.

It’s hard work sometimes trying to avoid these pesky E numbers, especially with so many hidden in the foods and drinks we enjoy, but if you really do need or want to avoid certain numbers, scouring the ingredients lists before you buy products is the best way of ensuring you’re not getting more than you bargained for.

We realise the importance for many people of avoiding products extracted from pigs, which is why we’ve published articles such as this one on - E numbers not suitable for a Halal diet - if you’re looking to avoid other E numbers with links to pork products, then you may find this to be a useful read.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

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Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our E Number Checker lets you enter an E number or ingredient and find out if it is halal, vegan, or contains animal products. Takes seconds. Try it now →

63 questions

Ask Explore E Numbers a Question

NN 10/06/2021 at 9:39 am

then what's the use of GREEN DOT on the pack ...... MNCs r making fool to the consumers by not clarifying the ingredients used . Food Departments should take action against these Co's & also guidelines/ law should b implemented for all products where codes r used to hide these Non Vegetarian ingredients in the pack.

tans 01/06/2021 at 9:05 am

In India, there is a law already existing, that any food products having any non-vegetarian ingredients has to have a Red Dot in a square (whatever it is called technically).
This logo system (Green dot for Vegetarian and Red dot for non-vegetarian food products) becomes easier for the consumers (even if they are illiterate) to know what he/she is buying/consuming. Why these MNCs are not adhering and why the food regulatory bodies is not taking actions?

Dev 10/04/2021 at 2:12 pm

Sorry there are some typo errors in my earliest coment. Please ignore them, those things happened due auto fill function of my phone.
Thank you

Dev 10/04/2021 at 2:06 pm

It not about Hindus or Muslim, it's about for are we getting fooled by these multinational companies. Surprisingly E635 is banned in the country of their origin. E635 is basically toxic substance which we must avoid. If govt can't take any action let us through them out of our holi nation by boycotting these products. I take pledge right away not substance with E635 shall enter my house.Be it a ready to eat food or medicine.

Monu 30/08/2020 at 5:20 pm

Why is that the authorities like fssai r quite n not taking any action on such manufacturing companies? They also get commission I guess!

lion 19/08/2020 at 10:07 am

please avoid all products which is not suitable in our relegious

Pete 09/08/2020 at 3:06 pm

How many products one should look for. Do you know that cows food is not grass and grains. It contains all kinds of waste meat?

asim 11/06/2020 at 8:00 pm

This kind of food is very dangerous for Muslims and I request to all Muslims plz! avoid the E type of all things which use in foods.jazak ALLAH

Asif 08/06/2020 at 1:23 pm

1.Avoid doubtful foods.
2. Help to establish halal company by religious Muslims, as all Muslims know the company by name and can purchase halal food from there.
If any religious Muslim help a trust to do it for Allah then it will be able to make easy
3. Eat halal to save Imaan and Aamal.

Assi 28/05/2020 at 11:35 am

As we are muslims our islam said any thing which is not clear and creat dougt in yoir mind left it. So we all should boycot all like these items why should we give to our childerns. We are redponsible.

Sabit 16/02/2020 at 10:02 am

I think any ingredients containing pig fats should be labelled with the prefix “PF” (Meaning Pig Fat) rather than an “E”. This way the product manufacturers would be considered as honest and the Byers can make an informed choice when buying the products.

Sunny 18/06/2019 at 11:02 am

Disodium inosinate is generally produced from meat, including fish and pigs. Though it is normally a non-vegetarian product, it also may be produced from tapioca starch without any animal products involved in the production. The producer can provide information on the origin and it is in some cases labeled as "vegetarian" in ingredients lists when produced from plant sources.[4][5]

Shahjad 13/06/2019 at 11:03 am

Nomi 05/06/2019 at 10:05 am

These E codes are available as an added flavour in different lays products such as
E631 & E160c found in lays wavy also E635 found in lays yogurt and herbs flavour please avoid to eat these products and before consuming these type of products first see ingredients and verify if there is not haram ingredient in it

zebi 07/04/2019 at 6:57 pm

I think it's in doubt that E product's should not be used in any condition unless we comes to know that this is halal. We all Muslim's should byecot such product. Thanks

Isba 02/04/2019 at 3:40 pm

As a muslim we should not consume these products because they are doubtous .Sources should be properly labelled and
govt. should compell all the manufacturers to do so.

Farry 29/03/2019 at 6:39 pm

It's Right Government take Seriously Action Against some company .who sale product non Halal .with the Code . E631 .Been a Muslim we Also stop buying these stuff. From super markets

Klab 26/02/2019 at 9:57 pm

Thank you everyone for your comments.
I think any ingredients containing pig fats should be labelled with the prefix “PF” (Meaning Pig Fat)
rather than an “E”.

This way the product manufacturers would be considered as honest and the Byers can make an informed choice when buying the products.

Musa 28/01/2019 at 4:18 pm

Certainly we can avoid some products that we come to know containing e631.unknowingly we still r not aware of some products containing e631 we consume.so it should be the responsibility of govt. To restrict such products that r against to certain communities or religions like our islam.

Abc 24/01/2019 at 3:16 am

Why wait for govt to ban ???
Ban in your homes it will be automatically disappear from market when no demand no supply simple rule.

Asim 18/01/2019 at 6:12 am

If this true so plz don't use all Muslims because its Haram in islam.

Heart??hacker 17/01/2019 at 3:07 pm

Now it's not a new thing most of the mobile users have come to know about this kinda product after all they don't care if only Muslims don't purchase these products so around the world it would be decreasing value of the growth . I don't eat any kinda fast food.

PVPatel 12/01/2019 at 2:55 pm

All products contains pig oriented food, Should clearly show E631 In Bracket) Pig fat content. Every one would read this and buy.

Afrin 02/01/2019 at 3:45 pm

If there are various animals (such as fish pig etc) used for making e631,then why for pig fat no other number is given?

Fauzia 29/12/2018 at 2:11 pm

Plz quick band this all product under governments activity ,

aakash 29/12/2018 at 9:59 am

Our government should ban this activity .It is wrong.

Dil 24/12/2018 at 6:03 pm

Food products are going harmless for human beings mostly muslims are suffering from it each n every product they use this kind of ingriedients some people know n some dont knw how we vl come to knw which is good or bad while buying we cant read each n evry product so its humble request stop using this type of nonsense things dont make money save people lifes

Ash 23/12/2018 at 10:50 pm

As a human being is everyone responsibility take action against that stuff in every religion pork not allowed to eat how can companies provide food to the people which got pork fat in it that’s not allowed we not happy with it we have to come together and take a strike against all of that product

Moon 16/12/2018 at 9:30 pm

Yes,u r right bro.Every religion should struggle against it.We all should join our hands together & point out the wrong things that r happening.Why muslims have to sacrifice by avoiding such tasty foods,not only foods but E631 is also used in making soaps,capsules also..We all should cooperate for each other and protest against it,so that E631 should not use anymore by MNCs in manufacturing chips,chocolates,soaps etc

Ahsan 14/12/2018 at 5:37 pm

capitalist system has ruined every thing, and has made the humans a very shallow thought specy rather fully controlled robote type machines. What we can do perhaps nothing. Except those micro % who really understand the fraud of capitalism

Rehana Rehman 12/12/2018 at 1:21 pm

Yes we have concerns about the doubt full eatable as Muslims. When it is known by all that pig is strictly not halal in Islam, then how can its item reached in a Islamic Republic country

haji 10/12/2018 at 3:29 pm

We should have to take strict action and don't eat these things if we shall not buy these things this may cause a devastation of companies.

Annu 10/12/2018 at 2:29 am

We are believeing they are deceiving.
Coding like E631 is a criminal activity there should be clearly written on products what ingredients are used in.
we must know what I am purchasing,after all we are paying for that.
So stop purchasing products having like E631 coding from today till clearance.

Baliyavi 09/12/2018 at 10:58 am

It is sad that the multinational companies are playing with people using ingredients like E631 in popular foods. It is certainly drawn from pig fat as it is easiest way to get it in western countries. So sad, stop E631 immediately.

Iftikhar 09/12/2018 at 4:29 am

Thanks for sharing this highly informative info, our government have no time to investigate these small businesses they are taking benefits. We should aware and care about these kinds of products.
Thanks again for sharing.

Usama 09/12/2018 at 4:10 am

E631 is a Pig Fat Plz Don't Take Those Products On Which You See E ingrediants Its Very Harmfull For Your Health.

Bakht 08/12/2018 at 7:14 pm

OMG??. We should take action against them. But E code is also used by Lays. “Student From Hyderabad”

Ringchan 07/12/2018 at 4:42 pm

We belong to Muslim families so we all should not use products made with E family ingredients. Govt. Of india should also take a strict action on this product
raazsindhi - 18-Jan-18 @ 5:29

Raza 07/12/2018 at 9:24 am

Every Religion's people need to keep off and band it. And Strogal for stop.

HyperNV 04/12/2018 at 8:07 pm

E631 is a salt. How does it matter how it is derived (from religious standpoint) - its chemical composition is totally changed once it is changed into a salt.

Nikesh 11/11/2018 at 5:50 am

Very good information. How we can know about the E631 which was using by company is from animals or by fermentation of sugar.

Chutko 22/10/2018 at 8:31 am

Actually we should stop eating this
E numbers thanks for this information
Good job ...
So full stop to ???????? this ..

Essa 29/09/2018 at 2:17 am

Govt should take action against those culprits

Shaikh 07/12/2017 at 11:40 am

Oh no this is to bad everywhere use these things government should take action against them

Aashoo 04/11/2017 at 7:52 am

You r right this is so bad . They should not risk peoples' lives for the sake of money

Waisii Malik 17/09/2017 at 12:06 pm

Very bad of this item chips company will be too much this tipe of pigs fat and oil this is not correct. Please do something's save the people...

It's consumption is dangerous or useful for humans.

irfan 02/06/2017 at 4:50 pm

Sir I want to know in which which products use pigs fats as well as pork.

Rohit kumar 18/04/2017 at 7:31 am

And I believed that I am a vegetarian. .????m done with this. No Maggie ,pizza no junk foods

Shak 18/04/2017 at 1:29 am

Very bad of this item chips company will be too much this tipe of pigs fat and oil this is not correct. Please do something's save the people

Sunita Pradhan 13/02/2017 at 12:24 pm

And I believed that I am a vegetarian. ?? M done with this. No Maggie, No chips, No pizza, No to junk food.

gmMalik 06/02/2017 at 4:16 pm

OYE hoYE chips also use this taste enhancer

emi 17/12/2016 at 4:45 pm

All Muslim scholars should pay their role to ban e631 especially for Muslims.

HassyAssy 06/10/2016 at 4:00 pm

Please share with us as much as you can so that we should not go astray. Stop consume products with E631.

Riyaj 09/09/2016 at 6:47 am

My all Muslim brothers sisters not used e 631 chips this one Haram have
I'm information

shd 21/07/2016 at 5:09 pm

We tHe mUsLims sHouLd StOp uSiNg tHe E series producTs.......its NOT HALAL...

Sikander 01/07/2016 at 12:10 pm

It should be a binding of all countries particularly muslim countries to ban these items or print warning on the products that, "NOT HALAL FOR MUSLIMS".

kasho 28/04/2016 at 7:02 am

All muslims Please try to understand that we are muslim so please never use E serious products.

Feel 19/04/2016 at 3:38 pm

Please avoid using these types of products as we are muslims so never use E series foods

Bugvih 07/04/2016 at 5:52 pm

It is duty of food contrler authrity instruct People dont use E series

Idi 14/12/2015 at 1:46 pm

We muslims we should avoid E series products

fadrun 04/01/2013 at 8:52 am

I need to know that inculine for diabetic patients which thier taking to control their sugar level, Is haram or halaal? this inculin mostly made form pork bones so it couldn't be halaal so why doctors giving prescription for inculin? please reply me very soon

E-no.frantic 28/11/2012 at 7:31 pm

So do most e-numbers come from natural sources??

SUJI 23/08/2012 at 9:40 am

government should take strict action against lays company and all those companies who are using E series products.

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