Q: Sugar alcohol is used as an artificial flavor in several cake mixes. Is it Halal or not?
A: Haamidaw wa Musalliyaa
In terms of information at our disposal, sugar alcohols are permissible for Halal consumption. The said alcohols occur naturally in plants. Some of them are extracted from plants e.g. sorbitol from corn syrup and mannitol from seaweed, but they are mostly manufactured from sugars and starches. Maltitol, xylitol, and sorbitol are all sugar alcohols.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Shafiq Jakhura (Mufti)
Fatwa Dept.