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View Full Version : Alcoholic Crisps Irk UK Muslims



FatimaAsSideqah
02-22-2008, 09:07 PM
As Salaam Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

CAIRO — British Muslims have reacted with anger to know that certain types of crisps produced by a major snack food manufacturer contain traces of alcohol, hitting out at the producer for disregarding Muslim religious sensibilities.

"Certainly we would find it very offensive to have eaten food with alcohol," Shuja Shafi, who chairs the food standards committee of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), told the Times on Friday, February 22.

The issue came to the light after a Muslim customer told the owner of a halal supermarket in Bradford that several types of Walkers crisps were alcoholic.

"A customer informed us that Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli, Doritos Chilli Heat Wave and Quavers Cheese are not on Walkers' alcohol-free list," said Besharat Rehman, the supermarket owner.

"As soon as I found out about the alcohol in them, I called home to ask my wife to throw out all the packets."

There is no unanimity, in effect, on food or soft drinks containing minute traces of alcohol.

Some scholars totally forbid any percentage of alcohol in drinks, arguing that it permeates the entire drink and change its qualities.

But scientists and scholars from the Islamic Food Council agree that from 0.01 to 0.05 percentage is insignificant and therefore the product can be considered halal.

No Excuse

Walkers tried to excuse itself by insisting that it used minute amounts of alcohol to extract flavors.

A spokesperson for the snack food manufacturer told the Times on Friday that there was nothing the firm could do about listing the traces of alcohol in some of their products.

"There is not enough room on the packaging to list things beyond allergy-causing ingredients that can make people ill."

But Rehman, the Bedford supermarket owner, said Walkers should have made it clear on the packaging no matter how miniature alcohol is used so that the customer can make an informed choice.

"I have let my customers down simply because such a big company like Walkers is not sensitive to Muslim needs."

Masood Khawaja, of the Halal Food Authority, said Walkers should have looked into the matter and solved it instead of hiding behind labeling regulations.

"It does not matter what percentage of alcohol is involved. Besides Muslims, there are a lot of teetotal people who would not like to consume alcohol in any form," Khawaja said.

The Muslim halal activist said his society has been lobbying for halal symbols on popular products like Kellogg's cereals.

In 2004, the UK Muslim Law Council has given the Muslim minority — estimated at some two million — the go-ahead to buy soft drinks containing tiny traces of alcohol and pork by-products.

The council, Britain’s highest authority on halal food, has issued a fatwa making Lucozade and Ribena the first British soft drinks fit for Muslims, following deep Muslim concerns about ingredients in the brands.

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/S...News/NWELayout

Sister Fatima
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