SPOTLIGHT: Shellac (Beetlejuice, E904, Lac Resin)

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	HAWWAM (Insect)
	Shellac, used as a coating on aspirin and candies alike, is made from crushed insect cocoons. Try my recipe for Winning Syrian Taboule!!

WHAT IS IT?
Shellac is a resinous compound secreted by the female lac bug (also known as: kerria lacca, laccifer lacca, carteria lacca and tachardia lacca) to form its cocoon. Shellac is used as a coating on medicines and candies.

Shellac ranges in color from very light blond to very dark brown, with all shades of brown and yellow and orange and red in between. The color is influenced by the sap of the tree the lac bug is living on, as well as the time of harvest.

Because it is contains crushed insects, another name for shellac is beetlejuice. However, because of the negative connotation associated with these names, on drug and nutritional supplement (vitamin) product labeling, shellac may be generically referred to as either enteric coating, pharmaceutical glaze, confectioner's glaze, resinous glaze, pure food glaze or natural glaze. In the European Union, shellac is known by the E Number E904.

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HOW IS IT MADE?
Shellac is scraped from the bark of the trees where the female lac bug deposits it to provide a sticky hold on the trunk. In the process of harvesting shellac, the insect may be crushed into the shellac resin.

Raw shellac, which contains bark shavings and lac bug parts, is heated over a fire causing it to liquify. The thick sticky shellac is then dried into flat sheets, broken up into flakes, bagged and sold. Flakes are dissolved in denaturedalcohol to make liquid shellac.

It takes about 100,000 lac bugs to make 1 lb. of shellac flakes.

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IN WHAT PRODUCTS IS SHELLAC FOUND?

Although commonly thought of as a wood stain and protectant, shellac is also used as a glazing agent on pills and candies.  Glazing agents are food additives that provide a shiny appearance and protective coating to foods guarding against unwanted changes to color, smell, or appearance. 

Shellac can be found in Skittles,* Altoids and even some varieties of Godiva chocolate bars. Shellac is sometimes used to replace the natural wax on apples which is removed during the cleaning process. In the pharmaceutical industry, shellac is used as an enteric coating on time-release medications, allowing the medicine to be absorbed in the intestinal tract, instead of in the stomach. It is used on safety coated aspirin products to prevent stomach irritation.

WARNING LEVEL: HIGH
Many of us don’t give it a second thought when we buy medicine for ourselves or for our children. A recent trip to the pharmacy drove home what a minefield the pharmacy is for the Muslim consumer. While shopping for supplements, we found that out of 30 products we found only ONE that neither contained alcohol (ethanol, ethyl alcohol), shellac nor gelatin.

SPOTLIGHT RECOMMENDS
Read the Inactive Ingredients panel on drug and nutritional supplement product packaging, where the FDA requires shellac, alcohol and gelatin to be listed. Instead, choose medications and vitamin supplements made with the following vegetarian ingredients:

• Carnauba Wax, a natural wax coating derived from the leaves of the carnauba palm tree of Brazil.
• Cellulose-derived pharmaceutical coatings such as ethyl cellulose (E462), hypromellose (INN), and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC, E464), all derived from the cell walls of green plants.
• Vegetarian pharmaceutical thickeners and binders such as: methyl cellulose (or methylcellulose); hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC, E463);carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC, E466); cellulose acetate; microcrystalline cellulose (E460i), and powdered cellulose (E460ii).

WHAT DOES HAWWAM MEAN?
SPOTLIGHT HALAL rates shellac as HAWWAM (هوام). Hawwam is an Arabic word collectively referring to vermin — insects, rodent, reptiles, snails, frogs, worms, spiders and other crawling, slithering animals — the consumption of which Islamic Law forbids. Mold, fungus, bacteria and yeast are not considered hawwam.

At SPOTLIGHT HALAL, our Guiding Principle is to provide the diverse Muslim communities living in Western countries with practical information about the wide range of food choices they face on a daily basis, but from an Islamic perspective. We don’t say a food is haram or halal; we say: "This food is made with alcohol and pork," or, "That food normally contains chicken." Whether or not you observe zabihah, our flexible and informative approach allows you to make informed decisions on what to buy and eat.

NOTES:
** [Found on Skittles® sold in the U.K. Those in the U.S. do not contain shellac, but do contain gelatin. In both countries, certain flavors contain the red food coloring cochineal (carmine, E120), derived from the crushed shells of the insect of the same name.]

SPOTLIGHT: Altoids© Mints

SPOTLIGHT HALAL Magazine provides North American Muslims with practical information about food choices. Please ChipIn your support. Shukran.

	PORK / HAWWAM
	Altoids© mints contain gelatin sourced from pigs and other animals. Some varieties contain shellac, made from insect cocoons. Try our recipe for Italian Toasted Almond Biscotti!

WHAT IS IT?
Altoids are a popular brand of breath mints marketed under the slogan "The Original Celebrated Curiously Strong Mints." Though the brand is owned by Wrigley, the confections have been manufactured and produced by Callard & Bowser-Suchard in Wales, the United Kingdom, since the early 1800's.[1]

Altoids mints are much stronger than typical mints; the secret of their strength lies in the use of real peppermint oil in the recipe. Because of this strong mintiness, Altoids are often chosen as a breath freshener as well as an after-coffee mint. Altoids mints are currently available in eight flavors: peppermint, wintergreen, spearmint, cinnamon, ginger, liquorice, chocolate, and crème de menthe.

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HOW IS IT MADE?
All Altoid mints, including Chocolate-Covered Altoids contain: SUGAR, GUM ARABIC, ARTIFICIAL OR NATURAL FLAVOR (OIL OF PEPPERMINT), and GELATIN.[2] Chocolate-Covered Altoids contain CONFECTIONER'S GLAZE, another name for shellac which is made from crushed and processed insect cocoons.[3] Shellac is used as a glaze on food and medicine to provide a shiny coating. Its E Number is E904.

Altoid Sours, Altoid Gum, and Altoid Mini products do not contain gelatin or shellac.

WHAT IS GELATIN? 
PRODUCTION, ISLAMIC REGULATIONS & U.S. LAW
Gelatin (gelatine, E-Number: E441) is a translucent, colorless, brittle, nearly tasteless solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, medicine, and cosmetics.

Materials used in gelatin production

Gelatin is derived mainly from pig skins, pork and cattle (cow) bones, or split cattle hides. On a commercial scale, gelatin is made from by-products of the meat and leather industry.

Gelatin is extracted from animal skin and bones by boiling them in water or acid. This dissolves and releases the gelatin from skin tissue, tendons and cartilage. The gelatinous liquid is then filtered to remove impurities such bits of blood, meat and hair that would affect the appearance, taste and texture of the final product. The liquid is then evaporated and dried into sheets and ground into powder.[4]

We've heard some Muslims contend that gelatin is halal because it has "gone through a purification process." However, as Muslims, it is important for us to refer to food import regulations of Islamic countries. These are established by experts on Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) following a thorough examination of food production practices. Saudi Arabia bans foods containing ingredients derived from pork, including (pork) gelatin. However, Saudi Arabia allows gelatin from permissible (halal) animals to be in food products, so long as product labeling declares the animal source.[5]

Muslims in the United States should consider all gelatin as coming from swine, unless a product's labeling states the source animal (ex.: 'fish gelatin'). U.S. Law makes it illegal to misstate the source animal on product labeling. AVOID products listing 'kosher gelatin' unless that product also carries kosher certification. The term 'kosher' itself has no legal definition under U.S. law, because of "separation of church and state." The term 'kosher' can legally be used on product packaging as manufacturers see fit. Most use the term as a marketing tool to win consumers to their product.

[ Read about what is required for gelatin to be certified as kosher here. ]

WHAT DOES PORK - HAWWAM MEAN?
We rate any foods that contains both pork (or a pig-derived product) and vermin as PORK-HAWWAM. HAWWAM (هوام), is an Arabic word collectively referring to vermin — insects, rodent, reptiles, snails, frogs, worms, spiders and other crawling, slithering animals — the consumption of which Islamic Law forbids.

SPOTLIGHT HALAL, rates Altoids minds as PORK-HAWWAM because the gelatin used in Altoids is derived from pig parts and; because Chocolate-Covered Altoids contain pharmaceutical glaze, another term for shellac.

At SPOTLIGHT HALAL, our Guiding Principle is to provide the diverse Muslim communities living in Western countries with practical information about the wide range of food choices they face on a daily basis, but from an Islamic perspective. We don’t say a food is haram or halal; we say: "This food is made with alcohol and pork," or, "That food normally contains chicken." Whether or not you observe zabihah, our flexible and informative approach allows you to make informed decisions on what to buy and eat.

REFERENCES:
[1] Wikipedia: Altoids. (March 5, 2009)
[2] U.S. Nutrition Information: Altoids. Wrigley web site. (March 5, 2009)
[3] Spotlight Halal: Shellac.
[4] Wikipedia: Gelatin. (March 5, 2009)
[5] USDA Gain Report: "Saudi Arabia: Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards" [ PDF], 2006.

Quran & Hadith: Index

ياايها الذين امنوا كلوا من طيبات مارزقناكم واشكروا لله ان كنتم اياه تعبدون

"O ye who believe! Eat of the good things that We have provided for you, and be grateful to Allah, if it is Him ye worship."
— Quran. 2:172

ALCOHOL

• ALCOHOL in the Quran
• Hadith referencing ALCOHOL
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

BLOOD

• BLOOD in the Quran
• Hadith referencing BLOOD
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

CARRION (DEAD) الميتة

• CARRION in the Quran
• Hadith referencing CARRION
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

DONKEY & HORSE

• DONKEY & HORSE in the Quran
• Hadith referencing DONKEY & HORSE
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

HALAL

• HALAL in the Quran
• Hadith referencing HALAL
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

HAWWAM
(Insects, Reptiles, Amphibians & Rodents)

• HAWWAM in the Quran
• Hadith referencing HAWWAM
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

HUMAN, PRIMATE

• HUMANS in the Quran
• Hadith referencing HUMANS
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

PORK

• PIGS in the Quran
• Hadith referencing PIGS
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

PREDATORS

• PREDATORS in the Quran
• Hadith referencing PREDATORS
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

SHIRK شرك

• SHIRK in the Quran
• Hadith referencing SHIRK
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

TOXIC / INTOXICANT

• INTOXICANTS in the Quran
• Hadith referencing INTOXICANTS
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

Zabihah ذبيحة

• Zabihah in the Quran
• Hadith referencing Zabihah
• Fiqh: rulings and differences

KOSHER, HALAL Comparison

Jewish dietary law, kashruth, has differences and similarities to Islamic dietary law. Understanding when kosher helps us and when it hinders us from keeping halal is key to raising awareness with manufacturers, distinguishing ourselves as a market of our own, and driving the demand for halal food products.

Alcohol
In Islam, alcohol and alcohol-derived products including (most) wine vinegars are prohibited—even when used in cooking. 

Alcohol is kosher, however, all grape products, including wines, brandies and other grape-based alcohols must be prepared under Orthodox Rabbinic supervision. For a wine to be kosher, it cannot be produced by non-Jews. All other (non-grape) alcoholic drinks can be certified kosher, so long as it contains no non-kosher ingredients and the equipment used to prepare it is inspected under the supervision of a rabbi.

Pig
In Islam, the eating or application (cosmetics, for example) of pig products (pork, gelatin, etc.) is forbidden.

In Judaism, the eating of pig products is forbidden. However, the injection (injectable collagen) or application of pig derived products is largely not forbidden. There have been recent rabbinical rulings that suggest a trend away from the religious permissibility of topical and injectable pig-derived products, however.

Blood
In Islam, the eating or drinking of blood that has flowed from flesh is prohibited. A slaughtered animal must be thoroughy exsanguinated (drained of all flowing blood). Accordingly, while preparing meat for cooking, Muslims routinely wash raw meat, soaking it in a solution of vinegar and water, or water and salt, to further draw out surface blood from the meat.

For meat to be kosher, all blood and large blood vessels must be removed from the meat. This is most commonly done by soaking and salting, but also can be done by a special broiling process. The hindquarters of a mammal are not kosher unless the sciatic nerve and the fat surrounding it are removed. 

Cheeses
Islam has no prohibition against mixing meat and dairy products. Cheese is allowed in the Muslim diet. However, Muslims concerned with the slaughter of the calf from which the rennet came may choose to eat kosher or vegetarian cheeses to avoid doubtful areas.

For any cheese to be kosher, whether or not it is made with GM, microbial or animal rennet, it must be "Jewish cheese" (gevinat Yisrael) – cheese produced by a Jew or by a Jewish owned company.
1) Contrary to common knowledge, the use of animal rennet in cheesemaking does not go against the kashrut prohibition against eating meat and dairy together.
2) Rabbinical opinions differ as to whether animal rennet must come from a kosher-slaughtered calf.[1, 3]

Dead Meat
Islamic and Jewish both prohibit the eating of dead meat. It is forbidden to eat the meat from an animal that died of illness, a blow, by trapping, or a natural death, or any animal killed in any manner other than by slaughter or the hunt (not permissible in Judaism).[4] 

Insects
Islam prohibits eating insects, except for the Arabian locust. Vegetables must be washed to remove insects. 

Eating insects violates 3-6 laws of the Torah; so it is a greater sin than the consumption of pork in Jewish law.[5] However, as in Islam, certain sub-species of locust are kosher. To be kosher, vegetables, especially leafy vegetables must be checked for insect infestation.

Mixing Meat and Milk Products
Islam does not forbid the eating of meat and dairy in the same meal. 

Jewish dietary law forbids: 1) cooking meat and milk together in any form; 2) eating such cooked products, or 3) deriving benefit from them. As a safeguard, the Rabbis extended this prohibition to disallow the eating of meat and dairy products at the same meal or preparing them with the same utensils. Milk products cannot be consumed after eating meat, for a period of time. Most customs say to wait six hours. Prior to eating meat after dairy, one must eat a solid food, either drink a liquid or thoroughly rinse one’s mouth, and check the cleanliness of ones hands.

Slaughter
In both zabiha and shechita, the Islamic and Jewish methods of slaughter, the animal must be in good health and fully conscious. Before either zabiha or shechita occurs, the slaughterer recites a blessing, saying: 

Islamic zabiha: "Bismillah, hal raHmaan ar-raHeem (In the Name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful)."

Jewish shechita: "Blessed are You... Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning slaughtering."[6]

Both must use an extremely sharp knife and swiftly, and with enough depth, cut through the major veins of the neck. Lastly, for the meat to be halal or kosher, the animal must be drained of all flowing blood. 

Utensils
Islam does not mandate seperate utensils. Utensils previously used to prepare pork or another haram substance must be thoroughly washed while the Islamic statement of faith (shehadah) spoken.

A kosher kitchen must have two different sets of utensils, one for meat and poultry and the other for dairy foods. There must be separate, distinct sets of pots, pans, plates and silverware.

A comparative list of kosher and halal animals

ANIMAL	KOSHER7	HALAL	NOTES
Antelope	Yes	Yes
Boar	No	No
Buffalo	Yes	Yes
Camel	No	Yes
Cephalopods octopus, squid, cuttlefish	No	Yes*	Sunni: Hanafi fiqh split on its legality. Halal in all other Sunni Traditions. Shi'a: Not halal in Jafari.
Cow	Yes	Yes
Crustaceans crab, lobster, crawfish	No	Yes*	Sunni: Hanafi fiqh split on its legality. Halal in all other Sunni Traditions. Shi'a: Not halal in Jafari.
Deer	Yes	Yes
Donkey	No	No
Frog	No	No
Goat	Yes	Yes
Horse	No	Yes*	Horse meat is considered makrouh tanzih (Shafa'i) and makrouh tahreem (Malaki, Hanbali, Hanafi).
Insects carmine, shellac, cheese mites	No*	No*	The Arabian locust is both halal and kosher.
Ostrich	No	Yes
Pig swine, boar	No	No
Predators, Air hawk, owl, falcon	No	No
Predators, Land bear, dog, alligator, snake	No	No
Predators, Sea	No	Yes*	Sunni: Hanafi fiqh split on its legality. Halal in all other Sunni Traditions. Shi'a: Not halal in Jafari.
Scavengers, Carrion Eaters buzzards, raccoon, worms	No	No*	Scavenging sea creatures are permitted.
Sheep	Yes	Yes
Shellfish mussels, clams, oysters	No	Yes*	Sunni: Hanafi fiqh split on its legality. Halal in all other Sunni Traditions. Shi'a: Not halal in Jafari.
Snails	No	No
Zebra	No	Yes

Related Topics:
What is the size of the U.S. Market for halal products
Kosher: Under-serving Muslim Consumers
What are the advantages to producing halal foods for companies already producing kosher foods?
What are the halal animals?
What are the haram animals?
What is zabiha?
How does AMNA judge foods containing meat?
BLOOD: In Islam, it's Haram

References:
[1] Gordimer, Rabbi A. "How is Cheese Made Kosher?" AskMoses.com reprinted from OUKosher.org. (Retrieved: March 26, 2009)
http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/555,2097191/How-is-cheese-made-kosher.html
[2] Wikipedia: Kashruth : Vegetarianism. (Retrieved March 26, 2009) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashruth#Vegetarianism
[3] "Wikipedia: Kashruth : How Kashrut is viewed by contemporary Judaism. (Retrieved March 26, 2009)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashruth#How_kashrut_is_viewed_by_contemporary_Judaism
[4] Luban, Rabbi Yaakov "The Kosher Primer," The OU website: http://oukosher.org/index.php/common/article/the_kosher_primer/P1/
[5] Positive Mitzvah #151: Searching for the prescribed signs in grasshoppers. Leviticus 11.21
[6] Hecht, Rabbi Mendy. "What is kosher meat?" Ask Moses.com. http://www.askmoses.com/article/553,2193106/What-is-kosher-meat.html
[7] Hecht, Rabbi Mendy. "What are kosher animals?" Ask Moses.com. http://www.askmoses.com/article/277,180/What-are-kosher-animals.html

HARAM: Hawwam هوام

HAWWAM - Creatures included in AMNA's Hawwam classification include: frogs, snails, insects (except the locust), spiders worms, snakes, scorpions, most lizards and rodents such as mice and rodents. Mold, fungus, bacteria and yeast are not hawwam.

Islamic Prohibition against HAWWAM animals:
Islam, through Jurisprudence, forbids eating all insects (save the locust), crawling and slithering animals. As a group, these animals are called hawwam as well as hasharaat al-ardh, in Arabic, but are simply known as 'vermin' and 'pests' in English.

[ HAWWAM in Quran & Hadith ]

AMNA's Criteria for HAWWAM:
The table below describes our criteria for judging a FOOD as HAWWAM. Helpful icons make it easy to judge foods at a glance.

ICON	CLASS	AMNA JUDGING CRITERIA	SOME EXAMPLES...
	HAWWAM	Foods derived from hawwam animals; Foods made with hawwam animals. Foods infested with live hawwam animals.	carmine, shellac, E904; escargots au beurre (French); mimolette cheese (French)
	HAWWAM(?)	FOODS commonly containing hawwam animals, but which could be made without.	mish (Egypt), karish cheese (Sudan)

Related Topics:
Where can I find verses from the Quran, or hadith about HAWWAM?
What are the food import regulations for countries like Saudi Arabia?
Do you have a list of HARAM Animals?
What's the difference between kosher and halal?
Why do we use "?" on some icons? What does it mean?
What if a food contains TWO haram substances?

Quran & Hadith: Hawwam هوام

Hadith referencing HAWWAM

The only insect judged to be halal is the locust; the same is true in kashruth.

Ibn Abu Aufa said: "

We went on seven expeditions with Allah's Messenger (s.a.s.) and ate locusts."

— Sahih Bukhari, Book 021, Number 4801

Ibn Abi Awfa (r.a.a.) was asked about consuming of a locust and he said:

"I fought with the Messenger of Allah (s.a.s.) in six or seven battles, and we used to eat it (locust) with him."

— Sunan Abu Dawud, Number 3806

[AMNA Note: for more information about parrallels and differences between Islamic and Jewish dietary law (kashruth), see our section: Kosher v. Halal]

Narrated at-Talabb ibn Tha'labah at-Tamimi:

"I accompanied the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him), but I did not hear about the prohibition of (eating) insects and little creatures of land."

—Sunnan Abu Dawoud, Kitab Al-At'ima. Book 27: 3789

LIZARDS

'Abdullah b. 'Abbas reported:

"I and Khalid b. Walid went to the apartment of Maimuna along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), and there was presented to him a roasted lizard (dabb). Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) stretched his hand towards It, whereupon some of the women who had been in the house of Maimuna said: 'Inform Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) what he intends to eat.' Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) lifted his hand. I said: 'Messenger of Allah, Is it forbidden?' He said: 'No. It is not found in the land of my people, and I feel that I have no liking for it.' Khalid said: 'I then chewed and ate it, while, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was looking (at me).'

—Sahih Muslim, Book 021, Number 4790

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

"I was in the house of Maymunah. The Prophet, accompanied by Khalid ibn al-Walid entered. Two roasted long-tailed lizards (dabb) placed on sticks were brought to him. The Prophet (s.a.s.) spat. Khalid said: 'I think that you abominate it, O Prophet of Allah.' He said: 'Yes.' Then the Prophet of Allah was brought milk, and he drank it. The Prophet of Allah then said: 'When one of you eats food, he should say: "O Allah, bless us in it, and give us food better than it." When he is given milk to drink, he should say: "O Allah! Bless us in it and give us more of it," for no food or drink satisfies like milk.'"

Narrated Thabit ibn Wadi'ah:

"We were in an army with the Prophet (s.a.s.). We got some lizards (dabb). I roasted one lizard and brought it to the Prophet of Allah (s.a.s.) and placed it before him. He took a stick and counted its fingers. He then said: 'A group from the children of Isra'il were transformed into an animal of the land, and I do not know which animal it was.' He did not eat it, nor did he forbid (its eating).

— Abu Dawoud. Book 27, 3786

Narrated AbduRahman ibn Shibl: "The Prophet of Allah (s.a.s.) forbade eating the flesh of lizard."

— Abu Dawoud. Book 27, 3787

ISLAMIC SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

INSECTS

All Islamic Schools of Jurisprudence disallow the eating of insects.

The Hanafi School of fiqh:

Within Hanafi fiqh, those land animals that have no blood in them, such as a hornet, fly, spider, beetle, scorpion, ant, etc. are considered haram, because a sound natured person would detest their consumption. The only exception is that of a locust, for the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) clearly permitted its consumption, in the Hadith of Sunan Abu Dawud quoted earlier.

Within the Hanifi School of Islamic Jurisprudence, those land-animals who have blood in them but the blood does not flow, are also considered haram, such as a snake, lizard, chameleon, etc. (See below)

The Hanbali School of fiqh:

Within Hanbali fiqh, insects are not permitted because they are injurious:

"Among [the creatures] it is forbidden to be eaten are those which feed on carrion (dead meat)... owing to the evil food they feed on [so] it is prohibited to eat insects, as they are injurious."

— Al Fawzan, Dr. Salih (Professor of Islamic Jurisprudence. Member, The Permanent Committee on Fatwa and Research). "A Summary of Islamic Jurisprudence, Vol. 2," Section XI: Food, Chapter 1, p. 654.

Saudi Arabia prohibits carmine (cochineal), a red-rust food coloring made from ground carmine beetles, for use in foods imported into or sold in the Kingdom.

USDA Gain Report. "Saudi Arabia: Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards" [PDF]

FROGS

‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Uthmaan, who said: "When a physician consulted the Prophet (s.a.s.) about putting frogs in medicine, he forbade him to kill them."

— Abu Dawoud 41/5249

The rule is that everything which we are forbidden to kill, we are not allowed to eat; if we are allowed to eat it we are allowed to kill it.

Saudi Arabia prohibits the importation of frog legs into the Kingdom.

USDA Gain Report #SA6016: "Saudi Arabia Retail Food Sector Update." [PDF]

SNAKES & SCORPIONS

Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah says:

"It is unanimously agreed upon among Muslim scholars that eating snakes and scorpions is prohibited. Therefore, if any one eats such animals regarding them as lawful to be eaten, he is to be urged to repent (for denying an agreed upon legal ruling), and whoever regards them as prohibited foods but eats them is considered sinful and defiantly disobedient to Allah and His Messenger (s.a.s.)."

— Ibn Taymiyah, Majmu' ul-Fatawa. (11/690)