Also known as: Natural carbon, Bone charcoal, Char
| Source | Halal Ruling |
|---|---|
| Bone Char Filtered | Debated — sugar filtered through animal bone char. The bone char is a processing aid, not an ingredient |
| Non Bone Char | Halal — sugar processed with activated carbon or ion exchange |
Bone char (made from cattle bones) is used by some sugar refineries to decolorize and filter raw sugar. The bone char is a processing aid and does not remain in the final product. Most scholars consider this sugar halal based on the principle of istihalah (complete transformation) — the sugar has no trace of the bone char. However, some scholars prefer to avoid it. Beet sugar does not use bone char. Organic cane sugar typically does not use bone char.
Difficult to identify from labels. Beet sugar, organic sugar, and sugar labeled 'vegan' are not processed with bone char.