Question Summary:
Is it permissible to consume biscuits which contain alcohol based vanilla essence?

Question Detail:

There is a biscuit company here in Australia named Arnotts, they used alcohol based vanilla essence in their cream biscuits, but they dont put it on the ingredient list it is due to the fact that they believe it might evaporate during baking but it could also remain and also the content added is small, So is it permissible to consume it? 

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykumwa-rahmatullāhiwa-barakātuh.
There are various types of vanilla essence and processes via which vanilla essence is produced. The ruling on vanilla essence will depend on the exact manufacturing process including the specific ingredients used in producing the vanilla essence alcohol. Kindly clarify which specific Arnotts biscuit you are referring to in order for us to investigate and issue a ruling accordingly. We advise to consult with Mufti Faizal Reza of Darul Iftaa, Melbourne, Australia: http://www.fatwa.org.au/contact-us.html
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best                                       
Mufti Ismail Desai,
Darul Iftaa
Durban, South Africa
 
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.