Fatwa ID: 03744

Answered by: Maulana Mustafa Umar

Question

Is Ajinomoto halal?

 بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

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

Answer:

Ajinomoto is the name of a food company that released their umami seasoning named ‘aji-no-moto’ in 1909. It is made from molasses and tapioca starch derived from sugarcane. These two ingredients are halal. As long as there are no other ingredients in their products which are forbidden, it will be permissible to consume.

Perhaps the reason for the question is due to a controversy that happened recently. According to Wikipedia: “In early 2001, Ajinomoto was involved in an incident in majority-Muslim Indonesia when it emerged that a pork-based enzyme had been used in its production of MSG. Immediately after the incident, the Food and Drug Administration of the Indonesian Government stepped up to announce that AJI-NO-MOTO's end product did not contain pig-derived substances. Additionally, AJI-NO-MOTO also announced that their products were derived from soybeans. Both announcements sought to solve the problem at an early stage.” Therefore, this was a myth. The products did not contain any ingredients from a pig.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Mustafa Umar

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham