Is citric acid manufactured from fermented molasses unlawful to consume?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
It is permissible to use citric acid or lemon salt, whether natural or artificial. If the manufacturing process involves a stage where the liquid is intoxicating or mixed with an intoxicant, this does not prevent the use of the final product which is not intoxicating. This is similar to the issue of transforming wine into vinegar. The purpose of manufacturing citric acid is to obtain the acid, not to intoxicate; its fermentation is unintentional. Rather, the intended product is the citric acid itself.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/22605
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 22605
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy