Category: Blog

“Natural Flavour” as an ingredient in labels?

The concept of labeling something as “Natural” on food products generally implies that the ingredients used are derived from natural sources and have undergone minimal processing. Here’s a summary based on the information from the provided websites: 1. Definition of “Natural” on Food Labels in Canada (from The Globe and Mail and Canadian Food Focus): […]

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Is gellan gum halaal?

Bismillahi Ta’ala Walaikum Assalam Warahmatullah Gellan Gum is plant/microbial sourced alternative for gelatin. To my recollection it is halal suitable in current industrial terms. However, there are some studies which suggest production of gellan gum from the fermentation of grape pomace. If this sort of production becomes commercial, then we will need to review gellan […]

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Is artificial flavour a doubtful ingredient?

Bismillahi Ta’ala Walaikum Assalam Warahmatullah Artificial Flavour is not a doubtful ingredients. It refers to use of synthetic chemicals to formulate an imitation or emulation of another flavour. For example an artificial mango flavour will utilize some chemicals produced from non organic sources to emulate a mango flavour. Canadian Food Inspection mentions “artificial flavour”, “imitation […]

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Sea Food Guide according to Hanafi Fiqh

General Ruling: All “fish” from the sea is permissible. There is no restriction in any type of fish. However, those creatures of the sea which do not fulfil the technical definition of fish, are not considered permissible. This is based on the hadeeth that mentions that Nabi ﷺ said, “Two carrions and two bloods are […]

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Are all Vanilla Extract permissible?

In Vanilla Extract, we will apply the above distinction and review whether any khamr alcohol is used during the macerating process for vanilla extract. The type of alcohol source changes the flavor profile of the final extract. While the industrial standard mentioned above is ethyl alcohol, this may not be the case for homemade or custom-curated vanilla extracts sold as novelties. Hence, it is important to review the source of alcohol on the labeling as much as possible.

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