The concepts of forbidden and halal among the pre-Islamic Arabs were based on superstitious traditions; therefore, Islam created a transformation of the concept of food based on concepts such as forbiddenness. The present study aims to examine the change in the concept of food using a descriptive-analytical method and from the perspective of cultural anthropology studies, and while explaining the criteria for forbidden food among the pre-Islamic Arabs, it also examines the criteria that the Quran has presented for being forbidden. The results of the study indicate that the components of being forbidden among the Arabs were false beliefs and superstitions, and the Quran, using tools such as jurisprudence, promises, and reprimands, presented new criteria for being forbidden, which included physical, spiritual, and cultural criteria. These criteria can also be generalized to the present era because they can create the possibility of decision-making in dealing with other cultures and even lead to the presentation of rulings and macro-social and economic decisions.