Alcohol in Flavourings

One of the most scrutinized issues in the field of [[Halal]] nutrition certainly relates to the issue of Halal compliance of flavorings that have ethanol as a carrier. This is mainly due to the fact that flavorings are present in almost everything. The problem is compounded by the fact that this alcohol in the final product is rated differently by scholars in terms of halal/haram classification.

 

 

Usage and Crafting

Flavors serve both as a taste or fragrance refinement and as a food additive if the inherent flavor is not sufficient or does not have the desired properties. So far, there are over thousands of different flavourings, most of which can be found as chemical substances in a concentrated form. For better processing, they must therefore first be diluted, whereby alcohol, water, starch or milk sugar (lactose) can be used as solvents. Here, the most commonly used solvent is ethanol which is preferred because of its low cost and ready availability. Globally, two-thirds of all alcohol production is used as potable alcohol, with the remainder being used for industrial purposes such as solvents. The problem here is that there is no labeling requirement for the solvent used, as it is not considered an ingredient in the end product. If the flavor was dissolved with lactose, the lactose must be stated on the packaging, as it is one of the allergenic ingredients that must be labeled. However, if the flavor contains alcohol as a carrier, this does not need to be stated in the list of ingredients. In addition to ethanol, other non-intoxicating alcohols such as propylene glycol (E1520) can also be used as solvents. Asking the respective manufacturer can help in this regard to find out the exact type of alcohol used.

 

 

Is Alcohol (ethanol) in the Flavourings Halal?

Since there are numerous different opinions of scholars on the ethanol in the flavourings and some of these are justified very differently, we have collected numerous fatawa of both views and arranged them in a table. Everyone is welcome to contribute to enriching this list with further fatawa and to submit additional opinions with an authentic source (please send us an email to: info@halalcheck.net).

 

 

Scholar/Umbrella Association	Classification	Reason
Prof. dr Ahmet Akgunduz	questionable	As long as it is possible to find halal-compliant food, the consumption of products containing alcohol is prohibited, even if they do not have an intoxicating effect If the possibility does not exist, one must first prefer the non-intoxicating products and only consume as much of them as is necessary If a complete change of state (istikhala) takes place and the alcohol used loses its original property, it is permissible to consume the product (e.g.: vinegar)
Prof. dr Cevat Aksit	harmless	According to the Hanafic school of law, alcohol is not impure (najis) Fruit and vinegar also contain alcohol and are permitted as such
DITIB (Din Isleri Yuksek Kurulu)	harmless	In these cases, consumption of the product cannot be considered haram because the alcohol present is not khamr. Otherwise, the consumption of fruit and other foods would also have to be prohibited, as they also contain alcohol. The consumption of synthetic alcohol is haram, but its use as a solvent is judged differently, because this is not intended to be an intoxication or a stimulant, but is used to dissolve the flavourings As long as there are alternatives, one should avoid dubious products and prefer products that contain nothing questionable
Ass.-Prof. Ebubekir Sifil	questionable	Argues against the comparison to istihlak (complete dissolution of one thing into another thing) because this principle is only valid for the water for ritual ablution and is thus irrelevant for the alcohol in the flavourings
Prof. dr Hamdi Dondüren	questionable	If the potable alcohol (ethanol) is used as a solvent, even if the amount is small, the product is classified as impure (najis).
Prof. dr Hayrettin Karaman	harmless	If the consumable large amount is not intoxicating, the smaller amount is also halal (see reasoning by Muhammed Ali el-Bâr) Beverages are made in large containers when you cannot smell, taste or recognize the color of the added alcohol can, the drink is considered pure/halal (principle of Istihlak)
Islamic Community Milli Görüs (IGMG)	harmless	The use of alcohol (from a Non-Hamr source) in raw materials as an intermediate product is permitted, but no alcohol may be detectable in the final end product. This is usually the case when the alcohol in the raw material evaporates during production due to the effect of heat
Husameddin b. Musa Afane	harmless	Since the alcohol in the product is not noticeable and is not intentionally added to intoxicate, the product is considered pure. The property of "Khamr" does not apply as the product has no intoxicating effect
Mecmeu'l-fikhi'l-Islamî	harmless	The impurity of intoxicants is not material but spiritual, so its use for medicinal purposes is permissible. If another alternative is not easy to find, the alcohol used to release the flavors is allowed
Muhammad Ali el-Bâr	harmless	Regarding the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam) ""Whatever intoxicates in large quantities is forbidden even in small quantities"" (Abu Dawud, Ashriba, 5; Tirmizī, Ashriba, 3.), the alcohol is in the flavourings Halal, because even if you consume a larger amount of the product, you will not get intoxicated, so the smaller amount is also allowed. Example: Even if you consume the potentially largest amount of cola, you will not feel any intoxicating effect, so even a small amount is halal, even if alcohol was used as a solvent in the cola
Muhammad Ebu Zehra	harmless	Drinking alcohol (ethanol) is unequivocally haram, but using it to dissolve flavors is permissible because alcohol is not considered impure (najis). Ex. Eating donkeys is haram, but the donkey itself is not unclean (najis)
Prof. dr Mustafa Nutku	questionable	Turns out that no Istikhala (complete change of state) can take place, because if a change of state occurs with the ethanol, then this would inevitably have to happen with the dependent flavouring, but it would lose the desired properties, so an Istikhala is ruled out
Naqshibandi/Naksibendi (İsmailağa)	questionable	Alcohol that is added to the product afterwards is not permitted, this also applies to the alcohol as a solvent in the flavourings
Nezih Hammad	harmless	Also refers to the principle of Istihlak: if the alcohol in the flavoring in the product is not detectable by taste, smell or color, the alcohol does not make the product impure/haram Since the alcohol as a carrier does not give the product an intoxicating effect, the tradition of the quote "what intoxicates in larger quantities is also forbidden in smaller quantities" has no meaning
Nureddin Yildiz	questionable	The amount of alcohol does not matter, consumption of the product is not permitted. Only the minimum alcohol content that forms naturally can be allowed. Keeping away from questionable substances is appealed by our Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu aleyhi wa sallam).
Wahba az-Zuhaili (Vehbe Zuhayli)	harmless	It is permitted to use alcohol in small amounts if it is essential. The alcohol as a solvent is therefore considered necessary

 

 

References

• BfR - Aromastoffe und Aromen
• DVAI - Alkohol in Aromen
• Cayiroglu Yüksel: Islâm Hukuku'na Göre Helâl Gida (Halal-Speise nach islamischen Richtlinien, Dr. Yüksel Cayiroglu)

All fatawa were requested in writing or by telephone from the associated headquarters or from the book "Helâl  Gida" by Dr. Yüksel Cayiroglu translated and summarized from Turkish into english without any changes.