Sugar processed through bone char (animal bones)

Applicable to Everyone:

What is the Problem?

[QUOTE=People for the ethical treatment of animals]

Bone char, which is used to process sugar, is made from the bones of cattle from Afghanistan, Argentina, India, and Pakistan. The bones are sold to traders in Scotland, Egypt, and Brazil who then sell them back to the U.S. sugar industry. The European Union and the USDA heavily regulate the use of bone char. Only countries that are deemed BSE-free can sell the bones of their cattle for this process. Bone char—often referred to as natural carbon—is widely used by the sugar industry as a decolorizing filter, which allows the sugar cane to achieve its desirable white color. Other types of filters involve granular carbon or an ion-exchange system rather than bone char.

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Is PIG included in this?

Pig doesn't come under cattle, so generally "No".

Is the bone char obtained from cattle "Halal" even if the animal is not Dhabiha (Islamically slaughtered)?

"Yes"

[QUOTE=Mufti Hussain Kadodia (HA)]

It is an intricate issue, however I wil try to simplify it:

Certain parts of an animals body are such that there don't contain life. They are parts of the animal that aren't described as being alive or dead.
Such parts are horns, hoofs, bones etc.

These parts are such that they are permanently Halal - as long as the animal is one that can be normally consumed - regardless of whether the animal is slaughtered correctly or not.

The reason is that once Allah Ta'ala classified an animal eg. a sheep, as halal, every part - except the 7 famous makruh parts - is now Halal.
Yes, Zabah is a condition for the meat to be halal as, if zabah does not take place the meat become polluted, however for the other parts, zabah doesn't have any effect.

So, the bones of halal animals are always halal, regardless of whether the animal is zabihah or not, thus the gelatin from such bones will also be halal.

The skin on the other hand has the same ruling as the meat. So gelatin from the skin is only permissible, if the animal is zabihah.

[/QUOTE]

Applicable to UK Market only:

I would like to avoid this? I don't know why but I would...

Sure, following brands are Halal and Bone Char free

So I just don't buy any other brands and is that it?

No, you have to enquire about every cake, every donut, every tea, every coffee, everything sweet that you consume.

How do I do that?

Don't know, your problem; investigate.

This is not an issue for Muslims but an issue for Hindus. Even if bone char is used the Sugar is permissible for Muslims to use.

askimam.org/public/question_detail/29164

It has recently been brought to my attention that sugar is processed through bone charcoal which has been derived from animal origins.

Now, this does not apply to all sugars, I have contacted a few companies such as 'silver spoon', 'tate and tyle', 'billington' and found that they do not use such a process. But since sugar is in almost all foods it is simply not possible to to enquire from every company about the source of thier sugar (which they themselves may not be aware of).  

So if you could please let me now what course of action to take because a few brothers I know have totally stopped all sugar related products, such as pasta, mayonnaise/sauces, pizza, bread, bakery, biscuits, cereals, juices etc.

We are urgently awaiting your response.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Bone char is a granular material produced by charring animal bones; the bones are heated to high temperatures (in the range of 400 to 500 °C).[1]It is primarily used for filtration and decolourisation.[2] Bone char is primarily made from cow bones.[3]

The usage of charred cow bones for sugar refining does not raise a shar‘ī issue as bones of halal animals are pure immaterial of the method of slaughtering.[4]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Hisham Dawood

Student, Darul Iftaa
Chicago, USA

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

www.daruliftaa.net

[4]

 وعصب الميتة وعظمها وقرنها وريشها وشعرها وصوفها وظلفها وكذا حافرها ومخلبها و كل ما لا تحله الحياة منها طاهر مطلقا إذا لم تكن عليها دسومة (حلبي صغير ص-٩٧، دار النشر العلمية)

كل ما يستباح من الحيوان في حال حياته بغير ذكاة، فحاله بعد الموت كهي قبله، وذلك لأنه لا يلحقه حكم الموت لأنه لو كان يلحقه حكم الموت لما حل له إلا بذكاة الأصل كاللحم وسائر أعضاء الحيوان، لما لحقه حكم الموت بموت الحيوان، لم يحله إلا الذكاة...ولهذه العلة نفسها قلنا فى الشعر والصوف والريش والقرن ونحوها أنها لا تكون ميتة بعد موت الحيوان (شرح مختصر الطحاوي ج-٧ ص-٢٩٦-٢٩٧، دار السراج)