Alcohol in Food: Current Fatwa in Contemporary Rulings Southeast Asian Countries

The assumption that everything which contained alcohol is haram in Islam has made the presence of alcohol in foods, one of the most controversial issues for Muslims. This is probably due to the use of the word alcohol which has been synonymized into alcoholic drinks, drinks which are prohibited in Islam. This controversy reinforces the importance of fatawa (regarding alcohol) as the guidance for Muslims society and food industries - to know and ensure certain products or processes are Shariah-compliant. Hence, a literature review was conducted with the aim to collect and discuss available fatawa pertaining to alcohol (alcoholic drinks, and ethanol) in halal products as issued by selected Southeast Asia fatwa institution such as Jabatan Mufti Brunei, Majelis Ulama Indonesia, Malaysian National Fatwa Council and Singaporean Fatwa Committee. The review showed that eventhough the use of alcoholic drinks by any means are totally prohibited by majority of Islamic scholars, different Southeast Asia fatwa councils hold different opinions and policies regarding the status, applications and permissible limit of ethanol in halal foods and drinks.