If the bread contains an ingredient which has clearly been declared unlawful by the Shari`ah [1] , then a Muslim should try his utmost to avoid eating it. I would therefore suggest that if you are certain that the bread contains an ingredient, which is clearly unlawful in Islam, then you should avoid eating it. You should look for other alternatives, but should not eat the bread, if it contains any prohibited ingredients. The Qur'an has only allowed eating of the prohibited items, in case a person is forced to do so, to save his life (and only in the quantity which is necessary to save his life). A safe thing to do, under the circumstances is to look for Jewish Kosher shops and get information about the ingredients used in their bread. The original Jewish law, as you may be well aware of, is even more strict than the Islamic Shari`ah and, if properly followed, is safe for Muslims, who want to live their lives according to the directives of the Shari`ah . The term 'Halaal' , simply implies 'lawful' or 'allowed'. For details of the directives of the Shari`ah regarding Halaal and Haraam [i.e. 'unlawful' or 'prohibited'], please refer to one of my recently posted articles titled: ' The Directives of the Shari`ah Regarding Edibles '. I hope this helps. October 5, 2000 [1] Please make sure that the bread does, actually, contain an ingredient which is clearly prohibited by the Shari`ah or is an unprocessed extract of something, which is clearly prohibited by the Shari`ah . Nevertheless, if such an extract is processed in such a way that its chemical composition is significantly altered, then it would not be correct to categorize it (or the product in which it is used as an ingredient) as 'clearly prohibited'. If, however, the issue is one of doubt, then you should first remove the doubt and only after that should you plan an action. Answer published by Moiz Amjad