Question Summary:
Recently i heard that the famous crisps company ‘Walkers’ uses alcohol to enhance the flavour in some products so i wrote to them to find out if this was true, this is the response i got from them:

Question Detail:

Asalamualykum
Recently i heard that the famous crisps company 'Walkers' uses alcohol to enhance the flavour in some products so i wrote to them to find out if this was true, this is the response i got from them:
Please be assured, we do not add alcohol to our products. However, ethyl alcohol may be present in trace amounts in a very small number of our flavours. It is used as a carrying agent for flavourings, and is found in many common food and drink products. Foods like bread can also contain the same or higher trace amounts due to fermentation.

We are aware of the concerns from some Muslim consumers about the appropriateness of specific ingredients. We take the concerns of our consumers extremely seriously. In previous assessments by Muslim scholars, foods and drinks that contain trace amounts of ethyl alcohol have been confirmed as permissible for Muslim consumption because of both the fact that the ingredient does not bear its original qualities and does not change the taste, colour or smell of the product, and its very low level.
i would like to know whether this statement is true, meaning if it is allowed for muslims to consume such products as a hanafi muslim.
JazakAllah

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
If the alcohol in the crisps (chips) is made from grapes or dates then the product will be unlawful to consume.
If the alcohol is made from sources besides grapes and dates or it is synthetically produced, then it will be permissible to consume as the alcohol is neither used in vain nor to an extent where it may intoxicate the consumer.
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Ml. Ehzaz Ajmeri,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah