Food Ingredients: Natural FlavorFood Ingredients: Natural Flavor
Ali Zaidi asked 3 years ago

Salam-Alaikum.
My question is:  In almost every packaged food item that I buy at a grocery store in America, including the smallest items like a Hershey’s chocolate bar, there is an ingredient listed called “Natural Flavor.”  By legal definition, this natural flavor could be derived from plants or haram animals, but there is no further information listed regarding the source of the flavor.  Can a muslim consume these packaged food items without knowing this source for the natural flavor, or is it a muslim’s duty to find out the source of the flavor by contacting every company that makes these packaged foods?  Also, these flavors are likely manufactured by flavor suppliers to these food companies, so a muslim would have to contact several companies to discover this answer for every packaged food item in the grocery store.  In the end, we still might not find the right answer, so what then?  Thank you for sending me a response.

1 Answers
Fadhel Al-Sahlani Staff answered 5 years ago

 Assalamu Alaikum,

These food consider to be Halal. You don’t have to check the details and Allah Knows.
Imam Al-Khoei Islamic Center