Ingredient Library
155 ingredients with status, sources, and questions to ask.
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Common uncertain excipients
A protein derived from animal collagen used in capsule shells, gummies, and some biologics.
A salt of stearic acid used as a flow agent in tablets and capsules.
A saturated fatty acid used as a tablet lubricant and binder.
An intoxicating alcohol used as a solvent in some liquid medicines.
A resin secreted by the lac bug used as a tablet coating.
A red dye from cochineal insects.
An anticoagulant medicine extracted from animal mucosal tissue.
A sweet, viscous liquid used as a solvent and humectant.
A plant-derived cellulose polymer used in vegetarian capsules and coatings.
Refined plant-derived cellulose used as a tablet filler.
A sugar from dairy used as a tablet filler.
A synthetic polymer used as a binder.
A synthetic polymer that helps tablets break apart in the stomach.
A modified starch used to help tablets disintegrate.
A mineral pigment used to whiten tablets and capsules.
An emulsifier derived from fatty acids and sorbitol.
A waxy substance from sheep wool used in topicals.
A form of vitamin D commonly extracted from lanolin (sheep wool) or lichen.
A non-intoxicating fatty alcohol — chemically very different from ethanol.
A sugar alcohol used as a sweetener — not an intoxicant.
A synthetic solvent commonly used in liquid medicines.
A synthetic polymer used as solvent, laxative, or coating.
Wax produced by honeybees.
Digestive enzymes typically extracted from porcine pancreas.
A polysaccharide extracted from red seaweed.
A gelling agent from red algae used as a vegetarian gelatin alternative.
A polysaccharide from microbial fermentation, used in vegetarian capsules.
A sulfur-containing amino acid used in supplements and dough conditioners.
A phospholipid emulsifier typically from soy or sunflower.
A mineral used as an antacid, calcium supplement, and tablet filler.
A mineral pigment used to color tablets and coatings.
A polysaccharide produced by bacterial fermentation.
A galactomannan from guar bean seeds.
Plant starch used as filler, binder, or disintegrant.
Refined plant sugar.
A synthetic high-intensity sweetener.
A synthetic non-caloric sweetener.
A monoterpene from mint, used as flavor and topical cooling agent.
Hormone for diabetes; historically from porcine or bovine pancreas.
A stearate salt used as a tablet lubricant.
A mineral used as a glidant and anti-caking agent.
A mineral used as an anti-caking and flow agent.
An aromatic alcohol used as preservative — chemically distinct from ethanol.
Plant/yeast-derived form of vitamin D.
Vitamin D3 sourced from lichen instead of lanolin.
Cross-linked sodium carboxymethylcellulose used to help tablets break apart in water.
Plant-cellulose ether used as a binder, film former, and thickener.
A calcium salt used as a tablet filler and calcium supplement.
An alkaline salt that neutralises stomach acid; also used as an effervescent base.
A silicone polymer that breaks up gas bubbles in the gut.
Water-soluble vitamin essential for collagen synthesis and antioxidant function.
Synthetic form of vitamin B12 used in supplements and injections.
Synthetic form of folate, essential in pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects.
An iron salt used to treat or prevent iron-deficiency anaemia.
A mineral used as a sunscreen, diaper-rash barrier, and wound-care agent.
A synthetic preservative that prevents microbial growth in liquid medications and creams.
A synthetic paraben preservative used in liquid pharmaceuticals.
A salt of benzoic acid used as a preservative in acidic liquid medicines.
An organic acid used to adjust pH and as a flavour/effervescence agent.
A sugar alcohol used as a non-cariogenic sweetener and tablet diluent. Not ethanol.
A 5-carbon sugar alcohol used as a sweetener. Not ethanol.
A synthetic polymer used as a solvent and vehicle in soft-gel capsules and topicals.
A surfactant used to wet drug particles and improve dissolution.
A synthetic azo dye used to colour tablets, capsules, and syrups.
A synthetic azo dye used as a colorant in pharmaceuticals.
A synthetic triarylmethane dye used to colour pharmaceuticals.
A central-nervous-system stimulant used as an analgesic adjuvant and in OTC alertness products.
A simple sugar used as an IV energy source, tablet sweetener, and lozenge base.
An NSAID used for pain, fever, and antiplatelet therapy.
Plant-derived glycerin (commonly from soy, palm or coconut) used as a humectant and sweetener in liquids, gummies, and softgels.
A plant wax harvested from the leaves of the carnauba palm (Copernicia prunifera), used as a polishing/coating agent.
A milk-protein fraction used as a binder, nutrient, and in some specialty formulations.
Gelatin extracted from fish skins and scales, used as a halal-friendly alternative to bovine/porcine gelatin in capsule shells and gummies.
An anticoagulant extracted from porcine intestinal mucosa; the standard heparin source in the US and UK.
A mixture of digestive enzymes (lipase, amylase, protease) extracted from porcine pancreas, used to treat exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
A mixture of estrogen compounds extracted from the urine of pregnant mares (horses), used for hormone replacement therapy.
Insulin historically extracted from beef pancreas. Largely replaced worldwide by recombinant (rDNA) human insulin and analogues.
Insulin produced by genetically engineered E. coli or yeast — chemically identical to human insulin, or designed analogues for faster/slower action.
An ethylmercury-containing preservative used in some multi-dose vaccines and a few biological products.
A family of synthetic polyethers used as binders, lubricants, osmotic laxatives (PEG-3350), and in lipid nanoparticles.
An inorganic adjuvant used in many non-live vaccines and as an antacid in some OTC products.
Common salt, used to adjust tonicity in injectables and as a tablet excipient.
A buffering agent used to stabilise pH in liquids, injectables, and effervescent products.
An inorganic buffer used in injectables, including some pen-injector formulations.
A non-ionic surfactant used to stabilise protein injectables and emulsions.
A phenolic preservative used in multi-dose insulin pens and other biologic vials.
An inorganic salt used to stabilise insulin and other biologic formulations.
A simple aromatic alcohol used in trace amounts as a preservative in some pen injectors (e.g. semaglutide).
Plasticiser used in film-coated tablets; an ester of glycerin and acetic acid.
Castor oil (from the castor bean) that has been chemically hydrogenated to make it solid at room temperature; used as a tablet lubricant and emollient.
A cellulose-derived polymer used as a binder and viscosity-modifier.
A short-chain polysaccharide derived from corn, rice, or potato starch.
A sugar alcohol made by hydrogenating maltose; ~90% as sweet as sucrose.
A naturally-occurring sugar alcohol produced by fermenting glucose with yeast.
A chlorinated derivative of sucrose ~600× sweeter than sugar.
Sweet glycosides extracted from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana.
A fat-soluble vitamin and antioxidant used as both an active and an excipient.
A plant oil pressed from soybeans, used as a carrier in softgels and emulsions.
Solid fat extracted from cocoa beans; melts near body temperature.
A highly-refined petroleum-derived oil used as a laxative and emollient.
A semi-solid hydrocarbon mixture from refined petroleum.
A silicone polymer used as a skin protectant and antifoaming agent.
A synthetic high-molecular-weight polymer of acrylic acid.
An amino sugar used as a joint-health supplement.
A sulfated glycosaminoglycan extracted from animal cartilage.
A fat-soluble quinone produced industrially by yeast fermentation.
Cyclic oligosaccharides made by enzymatic conversion of starch; form inclusion complexes that solubilise drugs.
A polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweed.
A structural polysaccharide from plant cell walls (mostly citrus peel and apple).
A semi-synthetic polymer made by methylating cellulose.
A family of synthetic acrylic polymers used to coat tablets and capsules.
A synthetic polymer used as a film coating; despite the name it is non-intoxicating and unrelated to ethanol.
A synthetic chelating agent that binds trace metals to stabilise drug formulations.
A sulfite salt used as an antioxidant and preservative in injectables.
A quaternary ammonium preservative active against bacteria and fungi.
Citric-acid ester of ethanol, used as a plasticiser in film coatings.
An inorganic magnesium salt used as an antacid and a magnesium supplement.
Plant-derived form of vitamin K, essential for blood clotting.
A calcium salt of citric acid; better-absorbed than calcium carbonate.
A non-hygroscopic alternative to magnesium stearate; the salt of stearyl alcohol and fumaric acid.
A synthetic copolymer of vinylpyrrolidone and vinyl acetate.
An inorganic magnesium salt used as a filler, anti-caking agent, and mild antacid.
Powdered cartilage from sharks, sometimes used in joint and cancer-adjunct products.
A refined edible oil from peanuts, used as a non-aqueous vehicle for fat-soluble actives in oral softgels and some IM injections (e.g. micronised progesterone).
A synthetic, fully petroleum-derived polymer used as the pressure-sensitive adhesive in many transdermal patches and as a chewing-gum base.
A pressure-sensitive adhesive made from polydimethylsiloxane resins; common in transdermal patches and ostomy products.
The crystalline hydrated form of lactose used as the most common direct-compression filler in tablets and dry-powder inhalers.
A non-ionic surfactant produced by reacting castor oil (from the castor bean) with ethylene oxide; used to solubilise lipophilic drugs in IV and oral preparations.
Corn or potato starch that has been chemically and/or mechanically processed to swell in cold water; used as a tablet binder, disintegrant, and dry-flow filler.
A synthetic copolymer of methacrylic acid and methyl methacrylate that dissolves only at intestinal pH; the standard enteric coating for delayed-release products such as mesalamine tablets.
An inorganic calcium salt used to balance electrolytes in IV fluids, eye drops, and dialysis solutions.
An inorganic potassium salt used as an electrolyte balancer in IV fluids, lubricant eye drops, and oral rehydration formulas.
A plant gum from acacia trees used as a binder and stabilizer.
A plant gum used as a suspending agent and tablet binder.
Fatty acid esters of glycerol used as emulsifiers in creams and some oral liquids.
A glycerol ester of stearic acid used as an emulsifier and stabilizer.
A stearic-acid-derived emulsifier used in some tablet coatings and food-drug products.
A sorbitan fatty acid ester used as a w/o emulsifier in creams and vaccines.
A milk-derived protein salt used as a stabilizer in some sprays and nutritional products.
Milk whey used as a filler or stabilizer in some powders and chewables.
Broken-down collagen peptides used in some capsules, gummies, and joint supplements.
A digestive enzyme traditionally extracted from porcine stomach lining.
A coagulating enzyme used in some dairy-processing steps that may appear in trace excipients.
A collagen-like protein from fish swim bladders used to clarify some liquids.
Extracts from human or animal placenta used in some topical or traditional products.
A blood protein used as a stabilizer in some vaccines and biologics.
A cell-culture supplement used in manufacturing some biologics; rarely on final labels but may be disclosed.
A modified bovine gelatin used as a stabilizer in some vaccines (e.g., RabAvert rabies vaccine).
An inorganic polyphosphate salt used as a buffering or sequestrant agent.
An aminoglycoside antibiotic used during vaccine manufacturing; trace amounts may remain in finished vaccines.
Egg-white protein that may remain as a trace residual in egg-cultured influenza vaccines.
A chemical used to inactivate viruses or toxins during vaccine manufacturing; only trace residual amounts remain in finished vaccines.
A natural oil used as an emulsion adjuvant in some influenza vaccines (e.g., MF59) to boost immune response.
An inorganic buffer salt used to maintain pH in vaccines and liquid medicines.
A plant saponin extract used as an adjuvant or foaming agent in some oral vaccines.
Common questions
- What is the RxHalal ingredient library?
- A searchable directory of medicine excipients and inactive ingredients with halal status, common sources, regulator citations, and pharmacist questions — not religious rulings.
- How do I check if an ingredient is halal?
- Open an ingredient page (e.g. /ingredients/gelatin) for status, evidence links, and what to ask. For a full product, search or scan the medicine and review inactive ingredients on the result page.
- Why are many ingredients marked Uncertain?
- Manufacturers often do not disclose whether excipients like gelatin or magnesium stearate are plant- or animal-derived. RxHalal flags undisclosed sources as Uncertain so you can ask your pharmacist.