Question:

What is the ruling regarding E1518?

The Fatwa

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The Answer

The Fiqh of the Answer

E1518, also known as triacetin or glycerol triacetate, is a food additive used as a solvent, humectant, and stabiliser. It helps to maintain moisture in products and enhances the texture of certain foods. It is commonly found in chewing gum, baked goods, and flavourings. Apart from food, E1518 is also used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and even in the production of cigarette filters to maintain moisture and texture.

E1518 is produced by the esterification of glycerol with acetic acid. Glycerol is typically derived from plant-based oils like palm, coconut, or soybean oil. The acetic acid involved is usually synthetic, which makes E1518 generally plant-based, and thus suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Imam ʿAlā’ al-Dīn Ibn ʿĀbidīn (d.1306 AH) mentions that items which are plant based are permissible to consume.[i]Furthermore, Imam Ibn Māzah al-Bukhārī (d.616 AH) mentions that the fundamental principle is that purity is the original state of all things, with impurity being something incidental.[ii]  Therefore, things are presumed to be pure unless it is established that they have become impure. The principle emphasises that purity is the default state, and to establish the impurity of something, definitive proof will be needed. This is based on the famous principle which has been mentioned by many of the Ḥanafī jurists including Q̣ādhī Khān (d.592 AH).[iii]

As E1518 is typically plant-based, it would be considered permissible for consumption. It has also been verified as suitable for vegans, further confirming that it is derived from plant sources.[iv]

And Almighty Allah Alone Knows Best

Maulana Inaamul Hasan Chothia
Trainee Mufti

Reviewed and approved by
Mufti Faraz Adam

Darul Iftaa Muadh ibn Jabal
www.darulfiqh.com

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[i] قَوْلُهُ فَيُفْهَمُ مِنْهُ حُكْمُ النَّبَاتِ) وَهُوَ الْإِبَاحَةُ عَلَى الْمُخْتَارِ (تكملة رد المحتار)

[ii] لأن الطهارة في الأشياء أصل والنجاسة عارض، فيجري على الأصل حتى يعلم حدوث العارض، وما يقول بأن الظاهر هو النجاسة، قلنا: نعم، ولكن الطهارة كانت ثابتة، واليقين لا يزال إلا بيقين مثله؛ ألا ترى أنه لو أصاب عضو إنسان أو ثوبه سؤر الدجاجة، أو الماء الذي أدخل فيه يده، وصلى مع ذلك جازت صلاته، وطريقه ما قلنا: أن الأصل في الأشياء الطهارة، وقد تيقنا بالطهارة وشككنا في النجاسة فلا تثبت النجاسة بالشك، وهذا إذا لم يعلم بنجاسة الأواني.) المحيط البرهاني(

[iii] اليقين لا يزول بالشك (شرح الزيادات)

[iv] https://sarakidd.com/vegan-e-numbers-list/