Answered by: Alimah Siddiqa al-Farsiyyah
Question
Salaam. Is Cadbury cream egg halal as it has e442 in it? Please reply as soon as possible.
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
The following is an explanation of E442:
E442 is an emulsifier used in chocolate to help prevent the cocoa butter and powder from separating. It also improves the mouthfeel and texture of the chocolate (which is the role of cocoa butter in higher quality chocolate). It takes 10 times the amount of cocoa butter to have the same effect as E442. E442, commonly identified as soy lecithin on chocolate labels, is usually made from soy (it is often also made from rapeseed oil, which is quite toxic on the body).
In general, the following is the explanation given for E442 from many regulatory websites:
E442: Ammonium phosphatides are natural carbohydrate alcohol. It is commercially produced either 1) synthetically from propene, 2) by bacterial fermentation of sugars, or 3) by the mixture of glycerol and partially hardened rapeseed oil. Daily Intake: Up to 30 mg/kg body weight. The use of animal fat (incl. pork) cannot be completed excluded.
The final reference to animal fat in this excerpt is in reference to methods of obtaining glycerol. If E442 is not made synthetically, then a mixture of glycerol and soy/rapeseed is used. Although most glycerol production comes from industrial manufacturing based on propylene or sugar, it can also be obtained as a by-product of soap made from animal and vegetable fats and oils.
Therefore, it is necessary to give the company a call and find out whether the E442 contains any glycerol. If yes, then what is its source. If the source is from propylene or sugar, it will be lawful to consume. Otherwise, if it is from animal by-products, then it will be unlawful to consume.[1]
Only Allah knows best
Written by Alimah Siddiqa al-Farsiyyah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
[1] http://www.laleva.cc/food/enumbers/E441-470.html
Ahmad H. Sakr (PhD), A Muslim Guide to Food Ingredients, pg. 111, Foundation for Islamic Knowledge