Is it permissible to consume a carton of powdered milk if, after consuming part of it, the buyer learns that one of its ingredients, lecithin, may be derived from pork, or must it be disposed of?

The basic principle regarding foods is permissibility and purity. No food is deemed unlawful or impure except with definitive proof, based on the Almighty's saying: (It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth), and based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: (What Allah has made lawful in His Book is lawful, and what He has made unlawful is unlawful, and what He has remained silent about is pardoned).

If it is established that the substance added to the milk is derived from pigs, and it has not transformed into a different substance with different properties through istihala (transformation), then consuming the milk is unlawful. However, if it has been processed to the point of istihala into another substance, then it is pure and lawful, and istihala is a purificatory process according to the preponderant opinion.

Foodstuffs that contain pig fat in their composition without istihala are unlawful. As for substances that have transformed through istihala, they become pure and permissible. And whoever avoids what is doubtful due to scrupulousness has done well. However, it is not permissible to waste money by pouring out the milk; rather, it can be utilized in other ways.