---
title: "How Halal Japan verifies food — methodology"
description: "How the Halal Japan app decides whether a Japanese product is Halal, Doubtful, or Haram: ingredient-level analysis aligned with JAKIM MS1500 guidance, flagged additives, confidence scores, and when a verdict can change."
source: "https://halaljapan.app/methodology/"
---

検証の仕組み

# How Halal Japan verifies food

No black boxes: every verdict is built from the ingredient list, flag by flag, aligned with **JAKIM MS1500** guidance. Here is exactly how it works.

**Halal**No flagged ingredients found

**Doubtful 要確認**Source of an ingredient can't be confirmed

**Haram**Contains a prohibited ingredient

## How does Halal Japan decide if a product is halal?

Every verdict starts from the product’s full ingredient list, read directly from the Japanese label. Each ingredient is checked against halal criteria aligned with JAKIM MS1500 guidance — the Malaysian standard used widely across Southeast Asia. Ingredients that are animal-derived, alcohol-based, or commonly produced from non-halal sources are flagged, and the combination of flags determines the overall status.

## What do Halal, Doubtful, and Haram mean in the app?

Halal means no flagged ingredients were found and common hidden risks were ruled out. Haram means the product contains a clearly prohibited ingredient, such as pork-derived gelatin or added alcohol. Doubtful (mushbooh) means at least one ingredient could come from either a halal or non-halal source — like emulsifiers, shortening, or flavorings — and the source could not be confirmed from the label alone.

## Which ingredients get flagged, and why?

The most common flags in Japanese products are: gelatin (ゼラチン), usually pork-derived unless stated otherwise; shortening (ショートニング) and emulsifiers (乳化剤), which can be animal- or plant-derived; mirin (みりん) and other cooking alcohols; lard (ラード); and meat-derived extracts and seasonings. The app shows each flag with a plain-language explanation of the risk.

## What is a confidence score?

A verdict is only as strong as the information behind it. The confidence score reflects how completely the ingredient list could be read and how well each ingredient’s source is documented — a clear label with well-known ingredients scores high; partial labels or ambiguous additives lower the score. A low score is a signal to double-check, not a hidden verdict.

## Can a verdict change over time?

Yes. Manufacturers reformulate products, and source information improves. When a Doubtful ingredient is confirmed plant-derived — or a manufacturer publishes a halal statement — a verdict can upgrade. The app records what would need to be true for a verdict to change, and verification dates will be shown on this site’s product pages as they launch.

## Is Halal Japan a certification body?

No. Halal Japan is a decision aid, not a certifier. Restaurant listings distinguish between formally certified venues and Muslim-friendly ones, and product verdicts are ingredient-based assessments — not certificates. For strict requirements, always look for formal certification, and when in doubt, leave it out.

Last updated: July 10, 2026

See the reasoning behind every verdict, product by product.

[Get Halal Japan](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6757924693?pt=127377736&ct=web&mt=8)