Is Balsamic Vinegar Halal?
Scholars differ on this one.
Balsamic vinegar is made by turning an alcoholic liquid into acetic acid on purpose.
Photo: Chapeau.judicael · CC BY-SA 3.0
Scholarly differences
Wine that turns to vinegar by itself is Halal by consensus (IslamQA 2283; Dar al-Ifta 6245). Deliberately made vinegar is disputed: the Hanafi school permits it; Indonesia's MUI (Fatwa 10/2018) rules vinegar from khamr Halal and pure whether it turned by itself or was engineered; IslamQA 191176 and 276185, following Ibn 'Uthaymin, permit vinegar made by non-Muslims.
The classical Shafi'i rule (Reliance of the Traveller e14.6) and Malaysia's National Fatwa Committee (2006) do not accept vinegar made by intervention, though Shafi'i answers at Qibla and SeekersGuidance allow following the Hanafi view.
What decides the answer
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Wine or another alcoholic drink that turned to vinegar by itself — by consensus
Halal -
Commercial balsamic vinegar, Hanafi, MUI and IslamQA rulings
Halal -
Commercial balsamic vinegar, classical Shafi'i rule and Malaysia's 2006 fatwa: not accepted
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Wine, beer, cider or cooking wine listed as an ingredient: not vinegar; a separate ruling
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Flavoured products, glazes, dressings, gummies: read the other ingredients
How to verify
- Confirm the label says vinegar, not wine, beer, cider or cooking wine.
- Follow your school on deliberately made vinegar: Hanafi, MUI and IslamQA rulings permit commercial vinegar; the Shafi'i rule and Malaysia's fatwa do not.
- If you avoid it, look for vinegar certified by the body you follow, or use lemon juice.
- Flavoured vinegars, glazes, dressings, gummies and drinks: read the other ingredients.
Quick checks
- Is it vinegar, not wine, beer, cider or cooking wine?
- Deliberately made vinegar: follow your school (Hanafi, MUI, IslamQA permit; Shafi'i rule and Malaysia's fatwa do not).
- Read the other ingredients in flavoured products.
Why this ruling
Balsamic vinegar is made wholly or partially from grape must, freshly crushed grape juice; traditional balsamic is made from concentrated must and aged for years in wooden casks.[7] Many supermarket balsamics also list wine vinegar, so read the label.
The ruling
Commercial balsamic is made on purpose from grape must and often wine vinegar, so it is deliberately made vinegar, the case the schools differ on. The Hanafi school permits it,[3] Indonesia's MUI rules such vinegar Halal and pure,[8] and IslamQA, following Ibn 'Uthaymin, permits vinegar made by non-Muslims.[11] The classical Shafi'i and Hanbali position does not accept vinegar made by intervention,[10][1] and Malaysia's National Fatwa Committee ruled processed wine vinegar haram in 2006.[9] Shafi'i answers from Qibla and SeekersGuidance allow following the Hanafi view for commercial vinegar.[4] See vinegar for the full picture.
IslamQA's answer on balsamic itself concludes that balsamic made by non-Muslim producers is permissible to consume.[2]
IslamQA on balsamic
IslamQA answered the balsamic question directly: it records the disagreement over deliberately made vinegar, and concludes that vinegar produced by non-Muslim producers by treating wine is permissible to consume, which covers commercial balsamic.[2]
Glazes and dressings
Balsamic glazes and bottled vinaigrettes add sugar, thickeners and flavourings. Read their labels as you would any sauce; the vinegar itself is not the question.
Where you'll find it
- Salad dressings and vinaigrettes
- Glazes and reductions for meat and vegetables
- Caprese and Mediterranean dishes
- Marinades and finishing drizzles
Frequently asked questions
Is balsamic vinegar Halal?
Isn't balsamic vinegar made from wine?
Does balsamic vinegar contain alcohol?
Should I prefer certified balsamic?
Sources
Named Islamic, certifier, manufacturer, and regulatory sources used on this page. Inline markers like [1] jump here. Retrieval dates show when we last checked the live URL. Editorial methodology.
Islamic / scriptural
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IslamQA Retrieved
Wine that turns to vinegar by itself is permissible by consensus; vinegar made by deliberate treatment is disputed, with the Shafi'is, Hanbalis and some Malikis prohibiting it.
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Ruling on vinegar made from wine (276185)
IslamQA Retrieved
Records the Hanafi and some Maliki permission for deliberate conversion, and concludes that vinegar produced by non-Muslims by treating wine, such as commercial wine and balsamic vinegar, is permissible to consume.
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White wine vinegar: permissible or not?
SeekersGuidance (Shaykh Faraz Rabbani) Retrieved
Hanafi, 8 May 2010: wine vinegar is permitted whether it transformed by itself or through intervention.
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Is vinegar permissible in the Shafi'i school?
SeekersGuidance (Shaykh Jamir Meah) Retrieved
Shafi'i, 17 March 2018: permissible on condition nothing external was added during fermentation; for commercial vinegar, where the process is hard to know, there is no harm in adopting the Hanafi position.
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Food mixed with alcohol: is it permissible?
Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah Retrieved
"Scholars have unanimously agreed that alcohol is deemed pure if it transforms into vinegar"; minute quantities of an intoxicant that cannot intoxicate are lawful.
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Fatwa MUI No. 10 Tahun 2018: food and drink containing alcohol/ethanol
Majelis Ulama Indonesia Retrieved
Operative ruling: "Vinegar/cuka yang berasal dari khamr baik terjadi dengan sendirinya maupun melalui rekayasa, hukumnya halal dan suci" (vinegar from khamr, whether it turned by itself or was engineered, is Halal and pure). The fatwa records that scholars differ on engineered vinegar.
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Can one consume vinegar in the Shafi'i school?
Qibla, Ustadha Shazia Ahmad (via IslamQA.org) Retrieved
Shafi'i. Quotes Reliance of the Traveller e14.6: wine that becomes vinegar without anything introduced into it is pure, but if anything was introduced, turning to vinegar does not purify it. Adds that it is permissible to follow the Hanafi school, which holds vinegar made by intervention pure and permissible.
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IslamQA Retrieved
Deliberately turning wine into vinegar is not permissible (citing Ibn Taymiyyah), but following Ibn 'Uthaymin, vinegar made by non-Muslims who believe it lawful, including vinegar imported from non-Muslim countries, is permissible for Muslims.
Context / background
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Wikipedia Retrieved
How vinegar is made: acetic acid bacteria turn alcohol into acetic acid; wine, cider, malt, spirit and rice vinegar varieties.
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Wikipedia Retrieved
Traditional balsamic is made from concentrated grape must; balsamic vinegar in general is made wholly or partially from grape must.
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Cuka wain dari perspektif Islam: analisis fatwa Malaysia dan Indonesia
Jurnal Fiqh, University of Malaya (2016) Retrieved
Quotes the 2006 decision of Malaysia's National Fatwa Committee (paper JKF 3/73/2006): "Haram menggunakan cuka wain yang diproses dan dicampur dengan bahan-bahan luar" (using wine vinegar that has been processed and mixed with outside substances is haram), and notes that commercial vinegar is made by deliberately adding acetic acid bacteria.
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