Q: Is it permissible to carry out experiments which involve food or food ingredients being used up, wasted, for educational purposes? Such experiments are sometimes done in schools. For example, leaving a tooth in a glass of fizzy drink (which will make the fizzy drink go to waste) or mixing sugar and sulphuric acid to produce a reaction (which makes the sugar go to waste).
A: It is allowed if it is important and also going to be beneficial, and there is no other way to get the lesson across to the students.
And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
Answered by:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)