Islamic Legal Framework for Evaluating the Legality of Food Preservatives

Food preservatives extend the shelf life of food in grocery stores but may have detrimental effects on our health. Preservatives are beneficial for food manufacturers because products made with preservatives can be shipped and then stored for extended periods without decay until purchased. The chemical compounds used for the purpose sometimes have some undesirable side effects on human health. These effects, it is suggested by some, should be ignored, keeping in view the beneficial effects on the economic life of the country, and this according to the principle of Maṣlaḥah. What Muslim jurists mean by maṣlaḥah is the seeking of benefit and the repelling of harm as directed by the Lawgiver. The seeking of utility in Islamic law is not dependent on human reason and pleasure, rather it is as an expression for the acquisition of manfa‘ah (benefit) or the repulsion of maḍarrah (injury, harm) in its literal sense. The acquisition of manfa‘ah and the repulsion of maḍarrah represent human goals, that is, the welfare of humans through the attainment of these goals. In the technical meaning, however, what we mean by maṣlaḥah is the preservation of the ends of the sharīáh. The issue of preservatives must, therefore, be assessed on the basis of the objectives of the Sharī‘ah and not on the basis of pure reason and human benefits. This is what this paper will aim to achieve.