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Would you drink Azam Malt?

Yes
2
22%
No
7
78%
User avatar
By abuali
#15957
(bismillah)
(salam)

Apart from the various other 'non-alcoholic' but beer like drinks that are available in the market, Azam has recently released 'Azam Malt' with a large print saying '0% Alc'

The packaging is in a beer-like plastic bottle with a beer-like cap. I am told the smell and taste is also beer-like.

So the questions are:

1. Is it really alcohol-FREE? If yes, then why say 0% alcohol instead of 'no alcohol'? Technically 0.0444% is rounded of to 0%, so a content of 0.44% can be claimed to be 0% alcohol, cant it?
2. Even if it is totally free of alcohol, why imitate alcohol-containing drinks?
User avatar
By abuali
#15960
Consider the following as pasted from wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-alcohol_beer]
Low-alcohol beer (also called non-alcoholic or NA beer, small beer, small ale, or near-beer) is beer with very low or no alcohol content. Most low-alcohol beers are lagers, but there are some low-alcohol ales.

In the United States, beverages containing less than 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) were legally called non-alcoholic, according to the now-defunct Volstead Act. Because of its very low alcohol content, non-alcoholic beer may be legally sold to minors in most American states.

In the United Kingdom, the following definitions apply by law (correct as of May 2007):[1]

* No alcohol or alcohol-free: not more than 0.05% ABV
* Dealcoholised: over 0.05% but less than 0.5% ABV
* Low-alcohol: not more than 1.2% ABV

In some parts of the European Union, beer must contain no more than 0.5% ABV if it is labelled "alcohol-free".
User avatar
By abuali
#15961
furthermore, from the same page, here is how the process works:
Low-alcohol beer starts out as regular alcoholic beer, which is then cooked in order to evaporate the alcohol. This is possible because alcohol has a lower boiling point than water, making it easier to boil off. As opposed to water, which boils at 100 °C (212 °F), alcohol will boil at 78.6 °C (173.5 °F). Most modern breweries also utilize vacuum evaporation to preserve flavor and speed up the boiling process. In essence, the beer is placed under a light vacuum to facilitate the alcohol molecules going into gaseous phase. If a sufficient vacuum is applied, it may not even be necessary to cook the beer.

An alternative process called reverse osmosis does not require heating. The beer is passed through a filter with pores small enough that only alcohol and water (and a few volatile acids) can pass through. The alcohol is distilled out of the alcohol-water mix using conventional distillation methods. After adding the water and remaining acids back into the syrupy mixture of sugars and flavor compounds left on the other side of the filter, the process is then complete.[24]
User avatar
By Muhammad Mahdi
#15962
The bottle cap is a plastic one similar to the 1litre water bottle one. Beer caps are much different.

And regarding the alcohol content, if you read the ingredients, it is artificial flavoring. So in essence there is no fermentation taking place that would lead to alcohol being produced.

And finally, if we are concerned about 0.05% alcohol, then we should also be looking at any baked product with yeast including bread and even soft drinks which according to one study showed that they contain a small vol of alcohol due to natural fermentation taking place.
User avatar
By abuali
#16002
You are right, the bottle cap is plastic. I had not seen it up close. The design and color however is deliberately made in a way to closely resemble a beer or alcohol bottle, even though the materials used may be different.

The taste, I am told, is also deliberately made to taste like alcoholic malt.

Are you sure there would be no fermentation in the process? How does artificial flavoring rule out fermentation? What is the chemical used for artificial flavoring?
Muhammad Mahdi wrote: And finally, if we are concerned about 0.05% alcohol, then we should also be looking at any baked product with yeast including bread and even soft drinks which according to one study showed that they contain a small vol of alcohol due to natural fermentation taking place.
So, is 0.05% alcohol halaal? Or are you saying its haraam but since we are normally not concerned, we shouldnt be in this case either?
User avatar
By Muhammad Mahdi
#16007
Artificial flavoring would mean a synthetic compound made to taste or smell without the natural process of fermentation.
So, is 0.05% alcohol halaal? Or are you saying its haraam but since we are normally not concerned, we shouldnt be in this case either?
As I mentioned, bread usually has more alcohol content than this. Are we willing to give up bread for this reason?
And its not just bread. Coke, pepsi, vanilla ice cream all have upt0 0.5% alcohol due to use of natural vanilla extract.

The taste, I am told, is also deliberately made to taste like alcoholic malt.
I would consider this a plus point. Muslims who drink dont have an excuse now. They can drink azam malt. :D
User avatar
By sadika
#16008
i dint knw a little alcohol is allowed

i was always told in madressa that even a drop isnt allwd
User avatar
By Muhammad Mahdi
#16009
I am not saying alcohol is allowed even in the slightest amount.

2 facts to consider.
Azam malt does not appear to contain alcohol because it is synthetic.
Bread and other yeast products contain alcohol.

Thoughts?
User avatar
By qamar
#16010
wat is malt? i thought malt by definition is an alcoholic drink

artificial flavouring may be refering to the fruit flavours, not the fermentation

I dnt think bread contains any alcohol. why do u say it has alcohol?
User avatar
By Muhammad Mahdi
#16012
qamar wrote:wat is malt? i thought malt by definition is an alcoholic drink
Malt- A cereal grain (usually barley) that is kiln-dried after having been germinated by soaking in water
artificial flavouring may be refering to the fruit flavours, not the fermentation
Malt (the grain) is fermented to get malt beer. After fermentation, the beer has alcohol and the malt taste.
Malt is fine, alcohol obviously not.

In this case, Azam malt does not have real malt. They merely reproduce the malt fragrance synthetically.
I dnt think bread contains any alcohol. why do u say it has alcohol?
When bread is made, yeast is added to raise the dough. The yeast respires in the absence of oxygen. In animals such respiration leads to lactic acid formation but in yeast and some bacteria it produces alcohol.

This is why when bread being prepared, one can get the smell of alcohol.
User avatar
By Moonbeam
#16016
When bread is made, yeast is added to raise the dough. The yeast respires in the absence of oxygen. In animals such respiration leads to lactic acid formation but in yeast and some bacteria it produces alcohol.
Interesting! Never knew about this.. If that is the case, wouldn't yeast have been haram due to its producing of alcohol?
User avatar
By Moonbeam
#16017
I remember in Iran they have this fruit flavored juice like drink, which is fizzy i think, but its packed like a bear bottle, i.e. it comes in a glass bottle and has a metal cap that opens with an opener. And i was quite amazed to see something like that there. Even the label resembled that of a beer. And we were wondering if having that would be halal or not... dont think it said malt, but cant recall now!
User avatar
By Muhammad Mahdi
#16018
Moonbeam wrote:
When bread is made, yeast is added to raise the dough. The yeast respires in the absence of oxygen. In animals such respiration leads to lactic acid formation but in yeast and some bacteria it produces alcohol.
Interesting! Never knew about this.. If that is the case, wouldn't yeast have been haram due to its producing of alcohol?
While we ponder over that...
Alcoholic drinks in arabic are called khamr.
Yeast is خميرة, khamira in Arabic (Hamira in kiswahili).
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