Guide · Food and modes · 3 min read

Reading labels

By the CalJab team, with sources · Last reviewed October 21, 2026

On packaged food, ingredients are listed in order of weight; the main ingredient comes first. ^1·2 Allergens are highlighted in bold in the ingredients list. ¹

For halal

• Look for the halal mark and who issued it. In the UAE, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology grants the Halal National Mark after verifying that products meet the approved standards, and for imported products it requires certificates from bodies registered with the ministry. ³
• In Türkiye, no body issues halal certificates any more without accreditation from the Halal Accreditation Agency (HAK). ⁴
• Gelatin can be made from cattle bones and hides, pigskin or fish; if the source is not stated, check the product's halal certification. ⁵

For FODMAP

• If a high FODMAP ingredient is in the first few, be careful; near the end of the list it may be fine from a FODMAP point of view. ²
• Exceptions: onion, garlic (including powder), inulin, FOS and GOS add a lot of FODMAPs even in very small amounts. ²
• Excess fructose: honey, high fructose corn syrup, glucose-fructose syrup, pear and apple juice, fruit juice concentrates. ²
• Polyols: sorbitol (420), mannitol (421), maltitol (965), isomalt (953), xylitol (967), lactitol (966). ²
• "Sugar free" and "low sugar" products often use polyols in high amounts to sweeten them. ²
• Products with gut health or prebiotic claims often have added inulin, chicory root, FOS and GOS. ²
• "Natural flavor" on US meat and poultry labels may include garlic or onion powder. ²
• Products with the Monash University Low FODMAP Certified stamp have been lab tested and meet low FODMAP criteria in the serving on the pack. ²
• Information in barcode scanning apps is not regulated; that is why Monash suggests reading the label itself. ²

In CalJab

CalJab does not certify products and never says for certain that a product is halal. The halal and FODMAP hints on AI scans and the information from barcodes are estimates; they do not replace the label or the certificate. Plans and recipes leave out non-halal and high FODMAP ingredients according to the modes you have on.

If you are unsure about an ingredient, ask the maker or the certifying body.

Written by the CalJab team, with sources. It does not replace your doctor's advice. Found a mistake? Write to support@caljab.app.