Is ethyl alcohol (ethanol) in Iced Capp permissible to drink?

Question

I sent an email to Tim Hortons seeking clarification about the use of ethyl alcohol (ethanol) in their Iced Capp. The following is the reply I got from them:

“Thank you for contacting Tim Hortons!

Many of our products contain flavour ingredients, which may utilize ethyl alcohol as a flavour carrier. Please note that the alcohol content in any finished Tim Hortons product would be present in trace amounts.

We can confirm that our Iced Capp mix contains ethyl alcohol as a flavour carrier. However, our Original Iced Capp beverage is considered to be non-alcoholic under Canadian federal and provincial regulations.

I hope this clarifies things and helps you make an informed decision on your next visit.

We appreciate your patronage. Have a fantastic rest of your day!

Warmly,
Shay
Nutrition Agent
Tim Hortons Digital Support”

Question: based on that response, is it still safe for Muslims to consume the product? Jazaakallahu khayran

Answer

Alhamdulillah, wa-s-salātu wa-s-salām ‘alā Rasūlillāh.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Whatever intoxicates in large amounts, then a small amount of it is also haram.”
(Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)

The Principle (al-Qaida al-Fiqhiyya)

The ruling of a drink in Islam is based on whether the final beverage has the property of intoxication. If a person were to drink a large amount of it and become intoxicated, then even a small amount is haram. But if drinking a large amount does not intoxicate (rather it would only upset the stomach, cause sugar overload, or other effects), then it cannot be classified as khamr.

Application to Tim Hortons Iced Capp

• Tim Hortons confirmed that the Iced Capp mix contains ethyl alcohol as a flavour carrier in trace amounts.
• These trace amounts do not make the drink intoxicating. Even if a person were to drink cups upon cups, it would never cause drunkenness — only stomach illness or sugar shock.
• Therefore, the beverage itself cannot be considered khamr.

Scholarly Basis

• The fuqaha’ and modern fiqh councils (e.g., the International Islamic Fiqh Academy) apply the hadith above: if the final product is non-intoxicating in both small and large quantities, then it is not haram.
• Residual trace alcohol used in flavour carriers does not give the product the ruling of khamr, as long as intoxication is impossible.

• Ruling: The Tim Hortons Iced Capp is permissible to consume, because the drink itself does not intoxicate, no matter how much one drinks.
• Precaution: Some scholars still recommend caution in processed foods containing ethanol, but the sounder ruling here is that the product is halal, since it does not fall under the prohibition of khamr.

Final Fatwa: The Iced Capp is halal to drink, as its trace ethanol content does not reach the level of intoxicant in large or small amounts.

---

Wallahu alaam