Is Coca-Cola Halal?

The short answer

Coca-Cola contains no alcohol and no ingredients from animals. It is halal-certified by IFANCA in the United States and by many national halal bodies in other countries. The standard drink is halal.

Does Coca-Cola contain alcohol?

No alcohol is added to Coca-Cola. The worry usually comes from a 2012 French study. It reported about 10 milligrams of alcohol per liter of cola, which is about 0.001%. That alcohol forms naturally from the flavorings.

This tiny amount is thousands of times too small to make anyone drunk. Everyday foods, such as bread, ripe fruit and fruit juice, contain the same or even larger natural traces. No school of Islamic law treats traces like these as a problem.

What is in Coca-Cola's secret flavoring?

Coca-Cola's "natural flavors" are a famous secret, which is why people ask what is inside. The company has said publicly that its flavor blend contains no ingredients from animals and no alcohol. Halal certification backs this up. IFANCA certifies Coca-Cola in the United States, and bodies such as JAKIM in Malaysia and MUI in Indonesia certify it in more than 40 countries.

Are the caffeine, phosphoric acid and color halal?

Yes. None of them are a problem:

• Caffeine comes from plants or is made in a lab.
• Phosphoric acid, also called E338, is made from phosphate minerals, not from bones.
• Caramel color is made in a factory, not from animals.

What about other Coca-Cola drinks?

Sprite and US Fanta are covered by the same company statement, and they are widely accepted as halal. In other countries, some colored flavors may be made differently. It is worth checking those labels for carmine, a red dye made from insects, although US versions do not use it.

Common questions

Does Coca-Cola contain alcohol?

No alcohol is added. Only about 0.001% can form naturally from the flavorings, which is far too little to make anyone drunk.

Is Coca-Cola halal-certified?

Yes. IFANCA certifies it in the United States, and bodies such as JAKIM and MUI certify it in dozens of other countries.

Is there pork or gelatin in Coca-Cola?

No. The company confirms that its drinks contain no ingredients from animals.

Is Diet Coke or Coke Zero halal?

They come from the same company and contain no ingredients from animals and no added alcohol. Their sweeteners, aspartame and acesulfame potassium, are generally considered halal.