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Fatwa CenterThe ingredient "carmine"
Question
I have a question about the ingredient "carmine." I have heard this ingredient is Haraam, so I have stopped eating this ingredient - forever, Inshaa Allaah. I want to know is this really Haraam. Please give me some insights on this.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
If this ingredient is as we found out extracted from cochineal beetle, which is dried before being ground, then it is unlawful to consume it because it is unlawful to eat insects according to the majority of scholars for they are abhorrent and the normal person is disgusted with them. Allaah Says (which means): describes the Prophet 
{…and prohibits for them the evil…}[Quran 7:157].
In addition, it is considered Maytah (dead creature). This is mentioned by Ibn Hazm
in his Book Al-Muhallaa and the evidence for prohibition is the verse: Allaah Says (which means): {When we have died and have become dust…}[Quran 5:3].
There is yet another factor that makes it unlawful, it is the fact that at some point in its process of value factoring, it is treated with (intoxicating) alcohol. It is known that alcohol is impure according to the majority of scholars and it in unlawful to consume it or consume anything mixed to it.
So, there are two things that make this product unlawful first because it is made of insects which are unlawful in themselves and second because it is treated with alcohol.
Allaah Knows best.
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