Are soft drinks halal? Yes. But some soft drinks are haram. The answer to this question depends on the ingredients of each glass.
It is not halal if a soft drink contains alcohol, caffeine, or haram preservatives such as aspartame.
Drinks made with haram ingredients include:
- Alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine
- Drinks containing caffeine
- The Drinks containing the artificial sweetener aspartame because of its potential to encompass some impurities that may be haram (although if it is pure, then it would be halal)
- Soft Drinks that contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is not always haram but could be made from genetically modified corn or made with enzymes derived from pigs (this will be indicated on the label)
- Soft drinks containing pure honey are good for you, and they are also halal and can be consumed by Muslims in moderation. However, some honey-flavored drinks contain HFCS and thus should be avoided.
Pepsi and Coca-Cola are not halal.
Coca-Cola and Pepsi, two of the world’s largest soft drink brands, are not halal.
Both beverages are made with artificial sweeteners and contain traces of alcohol in their flavorings.
Once, the U.S.-based Coca-Cola company sued for having traces of alcohol in its drinks because it uses a method called HFCS, or high-fructose corn syrup, which contains small amounts of alcohol.
Pepsi contains aspartame and sucralose as artificial sweeteners.
Sucralose is made from genetically modified microorganisms that developed to produce chlorinated sugar molecules through a process involving fermentation.
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are forbidden according to Islamic law.
Pepsi also contains traces of alcohol in its flavorings, though these amounts have been declared insignificant by many Muslim organizations.
Coca-Cola contains traces of alcohol in it.
We are aware that many soft drinks contain traces of alcohol, and this is because soft drinks use flavorings and aromatic extracts, which have alcohol as an ingredient.
As we all know, alcohol is haram in Islam, so no Muslim should consume any food or drink containing traces of it.
The first question that arises is whether the amount of alcohol present in such products is negligible or not.
If the amount of alcohol used to extract flavors from other substances has evaporated during the extraction process,
Or, if its quantity becomes diluted in a non-alcoholic mixture, it can be overlooked and considered negligible.
However, there is even a slight possibility that some of the original quantity remains in the mixture after processing,
Then k must avoid it at all costs because one cannot be sure how much will remain after evaporation and dilution.
In your case, you have stated that Coca-Cola contains traces of alcohol in it.
So, some alcohol may still be present in it even after evaporation and dilution.
Therefore you should consider avoiding such beverages completely rather than exposing yourself to doubt overconsumption of what could be haram.
Coke is made with carbonated water, sugar, and the coloring caramel E150d.
Other sources say that E150d is made by cooking sugar to very high temperatures (which isn’t haram).
But this process still requires the presence of ammonia. In the absence of ammonia, the sugar decomposes into carbon and water at high temperatures.
The ingredients in Coca-Cola are carbonated water, sugar, caffeine, and caramel E150d.
The composition of Coke is, therefore, basically simple syrup dissolved in a large quantity of water.
The caramel coloring doesn’t change its chemical nature fundamentally.
Pepsi is made from carbonated water, sugar or high fructose corn syrup, phosphoric acid, caffeine, and sweetened with artificial sweeteners, e.g., aspartame & acesulfame potassium.
It may be derived from a natural process, but aspartame is not a natural substance.
It is produced by genetically modifying the bacteria E. coli or yeast, which are fed with a genetically modified form of sugar and fermented.
The product is then filtered out, crystallized, and dried to create aspartame. Because it’s made in this unnatural way, research has shown that aspartame can cause several side effects.
This includes headaches, migraines, or seizures; high blood pressure; abnormal heart rate; dizziness and nausea; mood changes; abdominal pain and cramps; diarrhea; fatigue or tiredness; insomnia or other sleep problems…
Soft drink companies have been trying to market aspartame as a safe ingredient for years.
An important thing to note is that aspartame is not a natural substance.
It is manufactured in a factory and was discovered accidentally when chemist James Schlatter worked on an anti-ulcer drug.
He licked his fingers, tasted something sweet, and accidentally discovered aspartame.
The drink companies have been trying to market aspartame as a safe ingredient for years.
The truth is that the safety claims of many soft drinks are just marketing tactics used by the food industry.
Most of these marketing tactics are designed to confuse consumers about the truth about low-calorie drinks,
Which makes it difficult for them to make healthy choices regarding what they consume. To create aspartame, GMO bacteria are inserted into the DNA of different strains of E. Coli (the bacteria that cause deadly food poisoning).
The new DNA then allows the bacteria to produce phenylalanine, converted into aspartame through fermentation.
The process involves genetically modifying microorganisms like yeast and bacteria to produce large quantities of phenylalanine.
Check ingredients before buying soft drinks.
- Check the ingredients label before buying a new drink. This can be tricky, however, as some flavors are not labeled with the exact ingredient list.
- Check the company’s website for their products’ details and ingredients. If you can’t find it there or it is vague or unclear, you can send an email to ask about a specific product.
- Contacting the company is another option if you don’t have access to your phone or computer at that time but want to know about a particular product’s ingredients before purchasing it (which is always recommended).