A study of four generally recognized as safe (G.R.A.S) substances found in packaged foods from a fiqh and maqaasid perspective

Abstract

In today’s world foods are rife with artificial additives, some of which may come from doubtful sources or have a potential to harm. Many of these additives have not been dedicated with any critical Islamic research, and thus a ruling has not been ascertained for each of them. This research analyzes four common food additives from an Islamic perspective. The guidelines that are used for these four additives can also be used to ascertain the rulings for all food additives. The four additives that are explored in this research are l-cysteine, soy lecithin, high fructose corn syrup and aspartame. These additives are classified as ‘generally recognized as safe’ (G.R.A.S) by the United States Food and Drug Administration. From an Islamic perspective, the researcher has determined that these four substances can be considered lawful with a few important considerations. Details of how these additives would be viewed in light of the Four Ma’dtha’hib are also included in the research.