Is propylene glycol considered an intoxicant, and thus forbidden, if it is a primary ingredient in vanilla extract, even though it is less potent than alcohol?
The substance "propylene glycol" is not an intoxicant and is not used for intoxication. It is an organic substance used in many products for its moisturizing and solvent properties. Some types of it are non-toxic and are included in pharmaceutical products, cosmetics, and food.
There is no harm in consuming "vanilla extract" in which alcohol is used for extraction, for two reasons: The first is that alcohol does not affect vanilla in a way that would intoxicate its consumer, nor does it show any effect. Any alcohol that remains evaporates and leaves no trace in the bean. The second is that alcohol is not considered impure (najis) by many scholars. Sheikh Al-Uthaymeen explicitly stated that a tiny proportion of (intoxicant) does not render the mixture forbidden if it does not have an effect or cause intoxication. The Islamic Organization for Medical Sciences also recommended the permissibility of consuming food products that contain a small percentage of alcohol in their manufacturing, due to widespread affliction (umum al-balwa) and the evaporation of most of the added alcohol.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Read the full answer on Ftawy