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| Britain | |
| Muslims shocked to learn that crisps contain alcohol | |
| 2008-02-23 | |
| Senior Muslim figures have said that they are shocked that a number of Walkers snacks contain traces of alcohol and eating them is therefore against their religion. A tiny amount of alcohol is used in some products as a chemical agent to extract flavour. The use of alcohol was discovered by Besharat Rehman, who owns a halal supermarket in Bradford, and reported in the Eastern Eye. Mr Rehman said: “Our suppliers were unaware of the alcohol. Walkers must make it clear on the packaging so customers can make an informed choice.” Shuja Shafi, who chairs the food standards committee of the Muslim Council of Britain, said that he intended to investigate. “Certainly we would find it very offensive to have eaten food with alcohol.” Masood Khawaja, of the Halal Food Authority, said that it had raised labelling issues and alcohol flavouring with Walkers before. “They should have looked into the matter and solved it instead of hiding behind labelling regulations. It does not matter what percentage of alcohol is involved.” However, a Walkers consumer care team representative was unapologetic. She said: “There is not enough room on the packaging to list things beyond allergy-causing ingredients that can make people ill. A minimal amount of alcohol is used to extract the flavour of some crisps.” Snacks that are likely to be boycotted by Muslims are Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli, Doritos Chilli Heat Wave and Quavers Cheese.
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| Posted by:john frum |
| #12 It takes alcohol as part of a process to make that Lebanese hashish they love to smoke so much in their water pipes. Without alcohol it would be green. Taking it to a 3rd stage of a red oil requires ether. Is ether Halal? Next we can talk about the stronger narcotics found with terrorists by US troops and the likely hood of alcohol or gasoline used in their production. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2008-02-23 22:52 |
| #11 and no, to our cab-driver friends, it IS NOT a substitute for bathing, thankyouverymuch for keeping the windows part-way down |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-02-23 19:31 |
| #10 pretty obviously they don't know/care that bad cologne contains alcohol |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-02-23 19:29 |
| #9 Oh, fer crissake. They can't use anti-bacterial lotion because it contains alcohol. Now they can't eat chips flavored with alcohol-extracted flavors. So, wait -- does this mean that Muslim cashiers ringing up those foods are selling alcohol? What about Muslim cabbies carrying passengers who have a bag of groceries? A local radio personality shills for a local potato chip company -- claims he carries an empty chip bag in his back pocket. If those chips are flavored with alcohol-extracted flavors, and he takes a cab with a Muslim cabbie, is that cabbie condemned to hell? Can Muslims use canned heat to warm chafing dishes? What about alcohol-based wood stains? Can we mandate that all for-hire cabs run on alcohol? Would that drive Muslims from those jobs? |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2008-02-23 18:48 |
| #8 Dear Granny, you tell em! IIRC natural OJ and other juices have alcohol in them as well as many fruits. [hey, fruit from plants not the other kind] |
| Posted by: RD 2008-02-23 16:51 |
| #7 Clearly the ban on alcohol consumption was aimed at inebriation. Trace amounts of alcohol are inconsequential. What this is all about is reinforcing a separate Muslim identity. They create anxiety in the faithful about what they can and cannot consume and thus reinforce the divide between the Muslim and the majority culture. The majority, by being forced to actively consider the minutae of Muslim custom, also begin to see the Muslims as "the other" The insistence on wearing of certain types of "islamic" clothes is also aimed at this end. The purpose is political - establishment of an Islamic state. |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-02-23 16:37 |
| #6 Ummm, bad editing on that comment. But you get the gist. Vanilla extract, lemon extract, almond extract ..... all consist of mild alcohol as the base for the essential oils and other organic components for flavorings. In baked goods the alcohol evaporates quickly. When sprayed on top it evaporates a tiny bit more slowly. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-02-23 16:14 |
| #5 Grandma never put alcohol in my chips! What else? This whole bit about the alcohol is silly. Most flavorings for baking come in an alcohol base - vanilla extract, for instance. In the case of potato chips I'm guessing that Walkers sprays flavoring on the hot chips after cooking, in which case a truly tiny bit of alcohol might - might - linger for a while before it evaporates at room temperature. The alcohol itself, all 1 teaspoon or so in a cake, evaporates during backing. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-02-23 16:12 |
| #4 you don't wanna know what was in them. You ate em fine, didn't you? I also know what you're doing with the door closed. |
| Posted by: Shose Jones3058s Grandma 2008-02-23 16:06 |
| #3 She said: “There is not enough room on the packaging to list things beyond allergy-causing ingredients that can make people ill. A minimal amount of alcohol is used to extract the flavor of some crisps.” Somehow, that doesn't make me feel better even if I'm not a Muslim. What are we eating anyways? Grandma never put alcohol in my chips! What else? |
| Posted by: Shose Jones3058 2008-02-23 15:51 |
| #2 Wonder what glorious fatwas will result from the "discovery" of digestive tract and, ahem, other body parts yeast? May I suggest a time honored motion with a red hot pöker. |
| Posted by: ed 2008-02-23 15:23 |
| #1 Wait till they find out that bread yeast make alcohol and carbon dioxide... both haram and global warming... |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-02-23 14:53 |