Muslim Diet Restrictions

In the Islam faith, followers believe that there are distinct items that they are forbidden to eat. According to the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America, or IFANCA, items that are permitted are called "halal," which is the Arabic word meaning lawful or permitted; in contrast, haram foods are unlawful or prohibited. Muslim diet restrictions are in place to help the faithful preserve and strive towards better knowledge of their faith.

Permitted Items

For Muslims, halal foods are relatively clear. According to the IFANCA, you may eat all vegetable materials that don't contain alcohol. You may eat all fish and most seafood. You are also allowed to eat halal animals and birds that are properly slaughtered with their blood drained; in addition, you can partake of the milk and eggs of halal animals.

Prohibited Animals

Haram animals are defined by Islamic scholars based upon their study of the faith. Pork and all pork products are forbidden. You may not eat any meat from any animal that's already dead without proper slaughter. Muslim diet restrictions also forbid the eating of any carnivorous birds, as these birds may have eaten other haram products. In addition, halal animals must be slaughtered in the proper way; otherwise, they too are haram, according to the IFANCA.

Alcohol

The diet for Muslims who obey halal food restrictions does not contain alcohol in any form. This includes any additives, flavorings or enzymes that are made using alcohol. Any food that has alcohol as an ingredient is also haram.

Questionable Foods

There are many foods in the Islam faith that are considered questionable, or mashbooh. Mashbooh foods, according to the IFANCA, often have ingredients for which you don't know their origin. This includes a wide variety of processed foods such as cereals, candies, cheese, condiments and breads.

Halal vs. Kosher

Many people believe that kosher items are also halal. While this is true in some instances, it isn't always. The IFANCA reports that there are several differences between kosher and halal items. For instance, in Judaism, alcohol and wine can be kosher, and thus you may find kosher items that contain kosher alcohol. All alcohol in all forms is haram, so these kosher items would be haram as well.