Is it necessary to avoid alcohol when making halal capsules?

When making halal capsules, it is necessary to avoid the use of alcohol, as in Islamic law, alcohol (especially ethanol used for drinking) is considered Haram, which is unclean and prohibited from use. Here is a brief introduction on why and how to avoid the use of alcohol during the production of halal capsules:

1. Prohibition of Alcohol in Islamic Law
Explicitly prohibit the consumption of alcohol: The Quran and Hadith repeatedly explicitly prohibit the consumption of any form of alcoholic beverages.
Psychological and behavioral effects: Alcohol is believed to paralyze the will and affect judgment, so it should be strictly avoided in halal norms.
External and industrial use: Although some religious schools have varying degrees of tolerance towards medicinal or topical alcohol, in the production of halal capsules, there is still a tendency to avoid its use to ensure compliance with stricter halal standards.

2. Use in the process of raw material extraction
Plant component extraction: Some Chinese herbs or plant extracts are used in drugs or health products, usually by extracting the active ingredients using alcohol as a solvent.
Halal requirements: In Halal capsules, the use of alcohol extraction methods should be avoided, or after extraction, it should be ensured that alcohol residues are completely removed, and the total residual amount must be below the extremely low limit allowed by Islamic law (usually 0.1% or less, and cannot be referred to as "alcohol" anymore).
Alternative extraction techniques: Water extraction, carbon dioxide supercritical extraction, cold pressing, or other non-alcoholic techniques can be used as alternatives.

3. Use in capsule production process
Equipment disinfection: Alcohol is sometimes used in industry to disinfect or clean equipment surfaces.
Halal practice: In Halal production lines, it is recommended to use non-alcoholic cleaning agents or Halal certified disinfectants to avoid equipment contamination by alcohol.

4. Does the finished product contain alcohol
Strict testing and certification: Halal capsules are usually tested by third-party certification agencies before leaving the factory to ensure that their finished products do not contain any ethanol components or are below negligible limits.
Consumer trust issue: In order to win the trust of Muslim consumers, brands will ensure that halal capsules are 100% alcohol free.

5. Standards of Halal Certification Agencies
Most certification bodies explicitly prohibit the use of alcohol as a raw material or solvent, such as JAKIM (Malaysia), IFANCA (USA), and other mainstream halal certification bodies.
Partial exceptions need to be noted and explained: If there is indeed a situation where it has been used and completely removed, it needs to be recorded in detail and explained on the label, and whether it is accepted or not must be determined by a legal expert.

6. Why should we avoid even small amounts
Avoid confusion and controversy: Even a very small amount of alcohol may cause controversy and consumer rejection.
Protecting Halal Reputation: Avoiding the use of alcohol helps the product gain wider recognition in the Halal market, especially in the Middle East and Southeast Asian countries.