Question
Are sugar alcohols permissible such as sorbitol? Its molecular formula is said to resemble an alcohol, therefore called an alcohol but is not intoxicating.
Answer
Sugar alcohols (HOCH2(CHOH)nCH2OH) are carbohydrates that are also called polyols. Part of their chemical structure resembles sugar (C12H22O11), and part of it resembles ethanol (C₂H₆O) hence the name. Sugar alcohols are permissible for consumption.
These alcohols occur naturally in plants. Some of them are extracted from plants such as sorbitol from corn syrup and mannitol from seaweed, but they are mostly manufactured from sugars and starches. Examples of common sugar alcohols are maltitol, sorbitol, isomalt, and xylitol. These are halaal ingredients because they are not intoxicating nor are they produced through the fermentation process. The mere resemblance of the chemical formula of sugar alcohols with the chemical formula of ethanol is not valid grounds to render it haraam.
Checked and Approved By:
Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B.