i'm actually commenting because i read Kay Jays comment which, no offense intended, is completely incorrect.The quran actually does mention that alcohol shouldnt be drunk by true muslims in Surah al-Baqarah 2:219 which says that it is unlawful as it has many more negative points than benefits...

Asiyah, bolton, UK

As sum1 said, nowhere in Islam does it say we cant drink alcohol. Only one of the Khalifas brought that rule about. Is that 2 say all the other muslims that follow the other Khalifas are actually non-muslims, and they will go to hell because they drink alcohol?B a good person in life.That is all.xxx

Kay Jay, London,

i am deeply disappointed at the fact that walkers feel this is not an important issue and feel that there is 'not enough space' on the packaging to write in 'May contain traces of alcohol'. I mean how much space would it consume on their large packaging, which mainly contains empty space

Waz, Essex, England

With regard to the comment about the consumption of alcohol in Islaam, then it is CLEAR that the consumption of ANY INTOXICANT it is NOT allowed.

Ismail, London,

Im a Muslim and it does not say anywhere in the muslim religion that you cannot consume alcohol - some people go to the extreme - in the muslim religion you are allowed to consume alcohol but not get intoxicated off the drug - or any drug for that matter -

Shakil, accrington, Lancashire

There are a massive amount of products that naturally contain minimalistic amounts of alcohol , get a life and stop trying to knock an iconic british brand.

John, Portsmouth, Uk

I can't people can be so big headed about 'there's no space on the crisp packet. I mean Its alcohol and I eat walkers 24/7.

thahera ahmed , London, England

How about they just label the bags that go to Muslim states and countries and leave well alone in the western world.

You have to draw the line somewhere otherwise every crackpot will want every little detail labelled and that's just not practical.

Why not draw the line here?

Maggie, London, England

These articles are not ridiculous its the small things that we need to look out for. i mean how hard can it be to write 'contains alcohal' on the packet theres bare space. at the end of the day how do u know that some individuals are not supporting palestine you have no right to judge others plus two wrongs dont make a right so next time think about what you right and if they do show that it does contain alcohol then it would be up to those muslims if they wan to purchase it. so well done on the person who found out this information thank you :-)

salaam and take care people

Halima, Leeds,

AMEN TO SARAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you go sister!! im so glad some Muslims share my views about these ridiculous articles -__-'' mars bars, thai sweet chilli crisps and God knows what else are all being boycotted because they contain some small measure of 'forbidden ingredient' while Muslims cant even verbally advocate their support for our Palestinian brothers and sisters becase they remain ignorant of their suffering. i am ashamed of this article. there are far more important things for us to be concerned about right now brothers and sisters, and anyway CRISPS ARE BAD FOR YOU!!! CVDs are too common in the Muslim population! : P

articles like these provoke comments like:
"Are they suggesting people are going to get pissed on a bag of crisps?"

which really arent true. so lets CHILL.

Wassalam : )

Basmah, Sl,

As a large business do they not know of the 'Labelling Act of 1990’? They have no excuse like there is not enough room to label everything. From time they know some religions don't drink alcohol then they must label it even if it is a small amount like they say. Even the smallest amount of alcohol is forbidden for a Muslim and if they had actually labelled alcohol as an ingredient then Muslims would at least know and not purchase their products. What else are they putting in their product that we are unaware of?

Raghda, London,

I think its very important that muslims do not lose the plot over this. Why is alcohol forbidden?? We have to understand the causes behind the ruling.

That still does NOT excuse Walkers for not making it clear on their packaging that some items on sale do have traces (however minute) of alcohol. It is then up to the individuals concerned to make a informed decision.

Ali, London,

So the latest flavors were not a give away
Vodka Mellon
Wisky Sour
Irish Cream
they are great bar snacks.
On a serious note !!
Nah theres not one

Hammed, London, England

i think it is ridiculous how some ppl have chose to criticise and offend others with their rude and narrow minded comments! its not about accomodating for a certain religious cult or choosing to live in this country, it is merely ppl expressing their concerns over something that appears to be forbidden by their faith, which ppl are entitled to do so! i am sure if you had any values yourself or felt so strongly against something you would feel the same.
i think those of you who are making such comments need to reflect alittle on your own attitudes as such behaviour only reflects your own narrowmindedness and creates such rifts between communities!
live and let live!

Gina, mcr, uk

Alcohols are a group of chemicals and some of them would be used as a carrier base for food flavourings.

The fact is the percentage level used in food manufacture would result in only a minute amount of alcohol in a food product.

On a broader front, alcohol is produced in bread during leavening as a direct result of yeast action and also with ripened fruit caused by enzyme action.

It is also known the gut flora of an individual will produce various alcohols, however minute amounts when they act on starchy foods such as rice and potato.

In light of detailed discussions on the topic of alcohol traces, Muslim priorities should be emphasised on drinking and the social detriments it has.

Mr Nazim Momoniat, Blackburn, Lancashire

Sister Sara, I am saddened that on an issue relating to our religion you can be make such comments. We have to preserve our deen. Just exercise more caution.

S Ali, London, England

Exactly which alcohol is used in the flavour extraction process? Because if you look at chemistry, there are many alcohols!!

Yusuf, London,

iam really unpleasantly surprised to see that such known products (walker) contain alcohol with mentioning it on the label.they should care for their consumers regardless of the issue of halal/non halal.from today onward iam not going to buy any of these products.at least this much i can do.

zoobia, portsmouth, uk

the ignorrance levels of some people here are very high.....i have come across Christians, Jews and even Atheists! who do not go near alcohol and would be highly offended if they were consuming something that contrained even a trace of it and manufacturers deliberately failed to inform them (remember it's only 4 words...'this product contains alcohol').

In parts of the world people eat rats, snakes and even dog meat....how would some of you ignorrant people feel if you were regularly eating a product only to later find out that it contained a 'trace' of some meat product you would never eat?......yes i'm sure either disgusted or very upset!!

So, muslims are simply saying.....if a product contains alcohol it should state it so they (and others) can make an informed choice. End of.

SS, Leeds, UK

What percentage of alcohol is used to extract the flavour in some of Walkers products? If we know what "small amount" means then we can carry on eating or stay away from the products containing alcohol.

Georgina, Gibraltar, Portugal

As a muslim, there are many produts that have minute traces of alcohol in them that we as muslims are not aware of, from cosmetics, toothpastes, caffeine and energy drinks etc, however where we have the ability to choose products that have no alcohol we should do so, if there are are monopolised products that have alcohol and there are no other alternatives then we should go for the one that is readily available.
Im disgusted that as muslims we ask for products to be labelled, and we get such fierce crticism, however when non muslims require products to be labelled for them, then they dont face the same. If someone is allergic to nuts they require products to be labelled coherently, irrelevance to the reason the fact is it is always labelled. No matter what muslims do they still will be persecuted to this type of hype and discrimination.

Kaz, Burnley, Lancashire

Hi to all...
im sorry to be rude dont pepl have any morals?? what i see is treat others the way you would like to be treated. So why is there so much aggro Muslims dont drink alcohol respect it n leave them alone. tht is part of their beliefs and let me just say yes they might be living in western culture but hello!! u have adapted to their culture too u not eat curry? no?!! leave them be its their beliefs. whats the world coming to! n plus there are many people from other minorities who cnt drink alcohol so it does not only affect Muslims. -- pregnant women!

Aneela Khan, bradford, west yorkshire

Dear All..
What constitutes as a small amount? How much of it is used in the crisps? Is it the alcohol that has been forbidden in the Quran or another variant as I have read extensively that it depends on the type that is used.
Also if grape/apple juice (any kind of juice including dates) is left in the fridge for a certain length of time, it starts fermenting automatically, so where do we draw the line regarding small traces of alcohol?
Hoping to receive your comments.

Hanif Patel, Leicester, UK

i am Fuad from india, i produce artificial jewellery for european buyers. those buyers have strictly ordered us not to produce lead / azo / nickle products, and for example lead is only allowed less than 100p.p.m i.e only 100 parts per million and azo based products allowed less than 20 p.p.m. buyers claims that, if it is higher than this, it will b unhealthy n may lead to cancer and other fatal diseases.
i hope all of u might b getting my point, if such a tiny amount of lead or other content can cause big problems for us, then how isnt possible that half a drop of alcohol wont affect our iman n health

fuad mehmood, new delhi, india

This is a response to sarah, walsall and others with the same point. I completely disagree with your points of view because it is said that alcohol is completely unnacceptable intentionaly. If we didnt know about it then thats another thing but knowing and then eating crisps that contain this substance i think is disgraceful. You can do that but those that have faith in their religion then do not eat these crisps because contains alcohol. This isn't a threat but a warning to all muslims out their.

Masum Ahmed, London, Englan

Another message to sarah from walsall, please get your facts right before giving your opinion and becoming all judgemental towards Muslims who have concern consuming forbidden liquids without being informed.

Alcohol is forbidden I.E Haraam and some of us still wish to please Allah SWT by abiding to this rule too

Waz, Glous,

H&M doesnt allow lead contents more than 100 p.p.m n azo contents more than 20 p.p.m in their products, as they say this can cause cancer or further more fatal diseases.
so half a drop of alcohol may also lead to the weakness of IMAAN & HEALTH. i hope everyone can understand this, whichever religion one may belong to.

fuad mehmood, new delhi, india

As a Muslim one must be aware of what one eats. we live in an era where one can get information at the tip of their fingers. Why do we not seek this infformationbecause if islam says that a paticular food is not good for our body full stop it's not good. Be it a pint or a drop however food consumed without nowing whether it has alcohol in it is forgiven by god. there is power in numbers, if enough of us enquire and insist of the change maybe food manufacturers will list every ingriedent in their product. Also it gives Muslims an oppotunity to raise their voice and set up Halaal outlets for themselves.

As individuals suggesting Muslims should embrace the western culture, we are freedom of expression, speech, to consume what one wants, wear what one wants, basically democracy, thats what all the wars are about to bring about democracy so the muslims are within their rights to demand, get upset, and veiw their opinions.dear people its the principle one does not want to consume alcohal

bushra Bolton, Bolton, England

a message to sarah, actually our religion does forbid any amout of alcohol, whether it be small or large. so please do it bit of research before you put your comments online.

aneesa, bradford,

I am a muslim and I must say that I am appalled at how musims in general are nitty picking such tiny irrelevant things. As long as you don't go out and drink a pint of beer with the intention of getting drunk, in my opinion it is absolutely fine to eat crisps, mars, drink ribena and all the other endless products that muslims are so shocked to discover that a minute trace of alcohol is present. Our religion does not command that we behave like this, so why do so many muslims insist on this behavious? Our religion is about much more important things than kicking up a fuss when half a drop of alcohol is found in food produced by non-muslim companies. If you're not happy about it, go and set up your own non-alcoholic crisps company, but don't embarrass the rest of us. I think we as muslims have a whole lot more to worry about than if walkers crisps has a drop of alcohol in or not.

sarah, walsall,

I am Muslim and I had the sense to write to Walkers who are brilliant at keeping me updated with a list of all the crisps that a muslim can eat. (Do not contain animal rennet and/or have no traces of alcohol). So maybe people should do the same, it keeps you posted and they send you a revised list everytime ingredients are changed. Cheese and Onion Walkers and Cheesy Doritos used to use animal rennet but the list came and i was aware that you can now eat these!!!!

It unfortunate that Sensations sweet Thai, Quavers Cheese and Chilli Heat Wave use alcohol but the world will not end, there are other crisps out there.

However, if a Muslim didn't know this and is angered that something so simple as crisps has alcohol, people should appreciate their annoyance as it goes against their belief.

Amar, Leeds, England

The comments on this page show what a first class job the propganda machine has done in promoting a negative image of Islam. We live in a country where you are constantly told you have your rights and freedoms, and can air your views, but when Muslims express their concerns they are told that you complain too much. So much for the "British" values of tolerence, respect etc etc...Im beginning to think its the indigenous population that need to be taught these not the immigrants to this country.

Imi, Bedfordshire,

I would like to start by saying that it is refreshing to see so many non-muslim people understanding the view point of many muslim people on this forum. What is disappointing is the animosity seen to many muslims here. If food items contained trace amount of carcinogens or mutagens we would like them to be stated. If muslims feel that this is an equal concern as the above, they have the right for it to be stated. We are not saying no-one should eat crisps or that they should be made without alcohol (or at least i am not). Just if they are, let me know and I will move to a more suitable alternative.
My final point is that many people have been putting forward comments along the lines of : "You move to the West, it is you that must adapt! The planes fly both ways"

I would just like to confirm that no British person including myself has more right to this country than another, we are all migrants, much like the anglos and the saxons, and their law shaped this country in its own way..

Yusuf Docrat, Leicester,

The human body produces alcohol itself. Up to an ounce of alcohol a day can be produced through endogenous ethanol production, depending on foods eaten. So if Muslims want to avoid alcohol completely they're going to have to stop eating anything, not just Walkers crisps.

Dan, St Albans, UK

the British Muslim Council should ask among themselves it there is tolerance of other religions and cultures in Saudi Arabia. If the answer is negative then they should point at themselves in the mirror and be shameful.

Isidro, San Jose, US

Barney, Liverpool, UK, there is a country called the United States of America where it offers what you are looking for in life and more. Welcome Aboard chap.

Isidro, San Jose, US

This is in reply to Mr Roland Rant (London, England). He mentioned
'From my knowledge of islam, the consumption of alcohol is in itself not forbidden..,'
Just to clarify things, it is explicitly mentioned in the teachings of Islam that drinking and varoius other involvements with alcohol is prohibited - so it is forbidden. You did mention that it was from your 'knowledge of islam' so hence the reason i decided to leave this comment. Its very good that you have perhaps attempted to learn about Islam which the critics should take an example from.

Rimzy Aliyar, London,

I'm all in favour of the labelling of all food stuffs to be clear precise and noticeable.The comment that says "There is not enough room on the packaging.."is certainly a load of nonsense. If you can fit it in the packet you can say what's in the packet. The truth is, if food manufacturers were to clearly list everything that went into their top selling products, sales would plummet. The upside is that the quality of food would probably improve (of course not to everyones taste).

To clarify something for those of you who seem to have an issue with alcohol. From my knowledge of islam, the consumption of alcohol is in itself not forbidden. In Islam, intoxication by alcoholic beverages -or any intoxicant- is generally forbidden, but Alcohol is allowed to be used for medical and other purposes for example industrial use. Does "flavour extraction" constitute industrial use? In any case, 1) it should be up to the individual to decide- 2) Crisps are bad for you.

Roland Rant, London, England

Personaly being a muslim i think it should be labeled just so we know, the words "contains alcohol" wont increase costs on design (much?)

i like the fact that theres alot of negative comments from christians here too last time i checked wasnt alcohol forbidden (written in the book of leviticus)

"Dear Muslims living in the West:

Welcome to Western Civilization. We are under no obligation to change our culture to suit you. You move to the West, it is you that must adapt! The planes fly both ways.

-The West"

I think i will take the next plane out of here, britain has issues

Peace

Mr Echo, Manchester,

first of all to those who are saying "the small minority"....let me enlighten you on something...regardless of your narrow mindedness...Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and their isn't a minority of Muslims in the world...there is a majority....fact...

secondly, who is asking anyone to change the way of living for the sake of this "minority"? nobody....all the Muslims and i am one myself are asking for manufacturers to be considerate in labeling what they should on labels...ok not every ingredient but the alcohol one can easily be placed on a crisp packet (i mean come on, theres plenty of room on the back of one).

put another look on it, like someone else said...what if the crisps contained traces of nuts in them and you were allgergic to them? and ate them? what then? would you be a minority who the manufacturers neednt worry about?

Common sense and care is needed!

Assad Ahmad, Manchester, UK

Personally I find this surprising, only because such a thing has never really been highlighted before.

Many people in previous comments have made it obvious that certain alcohols are used in medicines etc etc and Muslims have to be ''stupid'' to not know it, but comparing medicine to crisps just isn't comparable.. if we stopped taking medicine just because they contain alcohol, it's practically unethical and immoral - if there is a non alcoholic option then yes, the alcohol version shouldn't be consumed (like the crisps) but if there isn't a non alcoholic option, like most medicines, then its ethically and morally correct to be able to consume the substances.

At the end of the day some people will hold stronger views than other people..

Z Ahmad, Manchester, UK

leave the muslims alone. its up to the muslims what they want to eat. whats it got to do with you people.and no its not ridiculous. no it not only a bag of crisps. only god know whatever they put in food now days...its so sad...what next???

chanel keen, london, uk

For those of you who say you're sick of readng about what muslims are outraged about etc etc, when it comes to other issues such as the taboos of vegetarian food habits you are only to eager to listen so why complain when the muslims put forward a problem that they wish to be solved. No one is forcing you to read this article however the press see it a big enough issue to report it in major newspapers, so it obviously needs to be addressed. And the levels of ignorance i see in numerous comments, makes me seriously considerwhether britain is converging into a nation of bigots, with any sign of ethnicity or religious background being attacked whether muslim, jewish or any other minority socio-economic groups. The taxes may be taken but as for a citizenship of equality, many moons are yet to pass....

Mohammed, Manchester, Egland

Every religion has its code of practice and I think people should be respectful of that whether they understand the teachings of a religion or not Britian is supposed to be an example of tolerance. To be quite honest we are seeing very little of it! Some of the above messages are very cynical and full of animosity towards to the Muslims. The level of ignorance is demonstrated from the onset where some of the people writing their messages do not seem to understand that Islam is a unviersal religion - sent for all of mankind it is not for one particular race. And of course there is no compulsion in religion.

British Muslim, Yorkshire,

CONTINUED...the food or drink's purpose must be kept in mind when evaluating what is or isn't permissible. If you are going to apply this rule to anything that contains alcohol as a carrier for flavours; then you should also apply it to vinegar. I am sure you won't be doing that because I think we all know; the Prophet (SAW) liked vinegar.

Vinegar is made from the oxidation of ethanol in wine, cider, beer, fermented fruit juice, or nearly any other liquid containing alcohol; and it always has.

I think this is a bit of a sensationalist news item and we should all evaluate what is said before we begin excluding certain food items from our diets.

Muslim Food Scientist, UK,

I am not sure what Walkers are, as I am from America, but I assume they are crackers or cookies.

Well, ALCOHOL IS BURNED OFF WHEN COOKED OR BAKED; only the flavor is left in the product. So I don't seem to understand what the problem is to the muslims..

RE: the "contains peanuts" labeling. Exposure to peanuts to someone who is allergic can be lethal.

If you don't want the "alcohol", don't buy the product, buy something else somewhere else. muslim shopping and eating problem solved.

DeeAnn, Cleveland, Ohio/ USA

I have no problem with Islam in general but I'm so tired of reading articles about how Muslims are outraged over this or that. What doesn't offend or make the vast majority of muslims upset? Be thankful you're living in the west, if you were a Chrisitian living in Islamic lands you're offerered ZERO protection or considerations! Last I checked you can't even display a cross in many theocratic Islamic states...

jerry, ny, ny

I'm Muslim - British -

To be honest more than the Walkers issue I'm disgusted by the level of ignorance and intolerance displayed by readers on this webiste. To think that an individual has the freedom to live their life as they please seems far from reality here...

I always thought Britain was about diversity and acceptance...understanding - tolerance.

I'm sad to say I've seen very little in the comments above - and I wonder if this is a reflection of society as a whole??

I'm born and bred here study and work here - yet for some reason my faith - my being Muslim seems unacceptable...

strange indeed to think 'open minded' tolerant people think like this

absolutely disgusting

British Muslim, Yorkshire,

If Muslims wish to "Strain out a gnat and swallow a camel" (whole?) [credit J. C. of Nazareth], they should remember that many medicinal compounds are extracted with or disolved in that oldest of all analgesic, antiseptic and antibiotic- ETHANOL.

The latest tool against tooth decay is a robust strain of Streptococus Mutans geneticly engineered to produce not Lactic Acid (which causes tooth decay), but Ethanol- ethyl alcohol, that when cultured in the mouth, prevents tooth decay.

John H Nix, Sartell, Minnesota, USA

This is news to them?

Mike, Pittsburgh, PA

vanilla extract is 35% alcohol so any cake, or drink containing it (I assume colas) have trace amounts of alcohol. Other flavoring extracts - almond, mint, and so on do as well. If the fanatic fringe wish to avoid contamination on the molecular level, like in crisps or yeast risen bread then they should realise every glass of water has molecules in it that have been part of a pig, or passed through one, in the past.

Remember Avogadro's number of 6.02 X 10 to the 23 power means a cup of water contains some molecules from every source. I have heard that a jug of water contains molecules that have passed through Wellingtons bladder. Bottled water should label thier product to reflect this.

kris, pass,

Dear Muslims living in the West:

Welcome to Western Civilization. We are under no obligation to change our culture to suit you. You move to the West, it is you that must adapt! The planes fly both ways.

-The West

Winston Sinclaire, Swindon, UK

Crisps with alcohol, you say? Where can I purchase these delights????

Alex G., Detroit, USA

Novel idea - Having recently tasted a factory produced bitter ale which tasted of mouldy crisps, I can now look forward to boozy chicken flavour crisps !

william, Southampton, UK

give us (muslims) the info. let us decide for ourselves.
why HIDE the info...

s, leices,

The Foodguide follows the opinion of major contemporary Hanafi scholars including the venerable Mufti Yusuf Sacha of the UK (highly acclaimed foods expert) and Mufti Ashraf Usmani of Pakistan. The fatwa in our times is that synthetic alcohols (and all alcohol not considered 'khamr') in foods and otherwise is pure (tahir), and permitted to use and consume on the conditions that:

(a) it is not used as an intoxicant;
(b) it is not used as intoxicants as used (i.e. for alcoholic consumption, even a little);
(c) it is not used in an amount that intoxicates;
(d) it is not used in vain (lahw).
Courtesy: Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

This is the view propounded by the Foodguide service and it is of sound Hanafi scholarship. Nevertheless, if you are a follower of a Maz-hab (school of thought) apart from the Hanafi School or you prefer to refrain from such products then that is fine too. We will try to facilitate such persons by indicating which products are affected on this web-site as far as possible.

The use of alcoholic flavourings in the food industry is quite widespread, whilst we at the Foodguide would prefer for it not to be used, nonetheless according to Jurisprudential rulings, the use of alcohol flavourings are not impermissible. For a start, the alcohol dissipates during the manufacturing process.

We are a little confused as to why Walker's according to this news article has been pinpointed for use of alcoholic flavourings by certain organisations, when it is such a widespread process in the food industry.

Walker's has been working with the Foodguide for many years now, and continue to do so. On the record, we clearly state that we dont receive a dime from Walker's for the decisions we make on their products. Our service is to help the Muslim Community, and in turn helps the companies to be open with the public

A, Coventry, UK

Do all you idiots saying that this is a reasonable request realise that alcohol occurs naturally in everything from fruit, figs, dates, bananas etc etc..

Bread has ethanol involved in order to make it rise.

Let me repeat that: bread has trace elements of alcohol involved in its production.

Where's the muslim boycott of bread?

In short: this is a ridiculous expectation. Go educate yourselves. These uneducated nut cases are dangerous for a number of reasons. Hell, I'll settle for people educating themselves about the Qu'ran which makes no demand that trace elements of alcohol be avoided (I'm sure bread isn't banned and is mentioned somewhere in it)

Nathan, London,

The Bible mentions that alcohol leads to foolishness, stupidity and insanity, which eventually ‘bites like a poisonous serpent’. (The Living Bible, 1975, Proverbs, 23, 31-34) .......................why then is Islam being degraded yet again???

SA, Watford, Hertfordshire

Nobody (including the author of the article) seems to have raised the question as to how much alcohol is included in crisps. How much is a 'tiny amount'? 0.1%? 0.01%?

In all likelihood, this amount is negligible and therefore does not require the alcohol content to be listed on the pack. As pointed out in several comments, if ALL traces of alcohol are listed, I'm pretty certain most foods would contain minute traces, since alcohol is a naturally occurring product.

Sean, Auckland, New Zealand

If I pay money for something, don't I have every right to know what that something is made of? Also, if it is against the beliefs of a big minoirity citizens of a country where the product is produced this obligation is for sure doubled.

ebrahim khodadoost, Ardebil, Iran

please see website for clarification on the muslim view

http://www.gmwa.org.uk/foodguide2/index.php?page=viewquestion&id=215

suleman , birmingham, england

What is against Islam is drinking alcohol & getting drunk, not eating crisps even if they are laced with traces of alcohol!!

S Ahmed, CAIRO, Egypt

FALAHI
What you meant as satanic was in fact mischievous & it was directed at the drunkard binges which arabs indulged in, not sensible drinking or minute traces as in the case here.

S Ahmed, CAIRO, Egypt

My heart bleeds for the poor diddums.

I really cannot be bothered with better reasoned (and more consumming of my time) respone. Get out more! Get a life!

colin rippey, Auckland, New Zealand

"There is not enough room on the packaging..." pathetic! How about some simple and straightforward food legislation, viz ALL ingredients will be listed. Doesn't the consumer have a basic right to know what they are eating or drinking?

Bluebell, Leeds, England

Religion aside........if your friend and/or relative and/or loved one had an allergy to alcohol (and many people do) which was potentially detrimentsl to their health, WOULD YOU ALL NOT WANT TO KNOW if there was even the minutest bit of alcohol in what you were giving them??

Why can't people just be a bit more rational, instead of jumping to make derogatory, insulting and belittling remarks about people's faiths, cultures and eating habits/lifestyles? Why can't people just try to understand what is being said/written before jumping to rash generalisations and assumptions?

Is this the civilised society that us British boast about??

SA, Watford, Hertfordshire

KCL of London said - "... It's ridiculous, the UK shouldn't have to accommodate your needs just because you choose to live here. "

Uh, hello? CHOOSE to live here? The majority of Muslims in this country were born here and are as British as I am (btw, I'm white)! Comments like this and many others on this article show the ignorance and lack of tolerance in this country. The sickening Islamo-phobia present in the UK today is shameful.

Anyway, back to the point: from what I know about the Koran and what DM stated, alcohol is not actually expressly forbidden for Muslims. And as others have pointed out there are trace amounts of alcohol in bread, over-ripe fruit and many other foods. Also, no truly loving God would condemn his people for consuming a TRACE amount of alcohol.

However, Walkers should state on the packet that their crisps contain alcohol. We all deserve to know exactly what we are eating, regardless of culture or religion, and make an informed choice.

Jenna, Inverness, Scotland

I wonder how long it will be before the manufactuers cave into the demands of the small minority in the name of religious tolerance? I'd give it 4 weeks!

kim, london,

Wait wait wait wait wait!
I see a big problem. If any alcohol exists anywhere in
the country, minute traces of it will escape into the air.
You might inhale one molecule of ethanol in every breath.
Think of it like second hand alcohol.
Surely that means that in order to not offend religious sensibilities of the believers, the whole world will need to be made alcohol free.

(Actually - that really is the plan, you weren't supposed to
know it just yet.)

Dave M, Tonopah / London, USA / UK

Offensive is becoming a very overworked word.

Sheila, Taunton,

As usual some of the comments reveal the usual ignorants. Whatever happened to a free & tolerant society? All religions have some form of restrictions. How many would make the same comments if they found these products contained parts of dogs or horses? These products will also affect people who don't drink & aren't muslims.

Saeed, Leeds,

I have given up crisps for Lent. I tried giving up chocolate but caved in very quickly. Chocolate should be labelled with a warning that it may be difficult to resist during Lent.

Laura, london,

I really dont see the point in complaining. If your worried about traces of chemicals in foods, grow your own. Some religious people really miss the point. Love thy neighbour anyone? I dont think traces of alcohol in crisps is top of the list of any religions worldly wrongs.

Toby, Bristol,

What a load of bull! We must stop this wave of idiotic hair-splitting of what religious prerogatives and do away with these non-sensical pious trivialities....what's next? Oh, don't use disinfectant on me because it contains alcohol and I'm a Muslim? People, get a life and talk about real issues instead of what I can or cannot eat. Besides, those claiming to be offended by minimal amounts of alcohol should look to their counter-parts in the Middle East, who are not too worried about such de minimis issues.

jerry grape, London,

Gutted.

Mike, Runcorn, United Kingdom

If these sorts of trace amounts of alcohol are a problem for some Muslims, they may want to be aware that Coca Cola and some other soft drinks also contain small amounts of alcohol.

Most Christian teetoallers simply avoid alcoholic beverages and don't worry about trace amounts. The issue is simply to avoid products designed to produce drunkenness (modern alcoholic beverages having a greater alcohol content than the heavily watered table wines that most people in Jesus' day would have imbibed). I had supposed it the same for Muslims. Evidently with some it is also a ceremonial impurity issue of the sort that concerns many highly observant Jews.

D.L. Anderson, Crossett, AR/U.S.A.

I feel sorry (again) for the sensible muslims who are trying to integrate when some of their fellow muslims come out with such drivel.
No wonder it's so difficult not to 'offend' certain sections of the community.

Godfrey, York,

Foods are packaged and labelled in such a way as to provide consumers with information relating to the food's nutritional value and any potential heath issues. Accomodating the strict dogmatic requirements of any religious cult are of no importance.

John Carmady, Portsmouth,

I am afraid that DM's claim of reading Quran is not trure. The Quran clearly says that alcohol is a dirt and its cunsumption is a Satanic act. therefore it categorically urges the beleivers not to go to near to it, let alone consuming it. as for the does and dones in Islam the final authority lies in the Quran and the Prophet, not th epeople like Rumis et all.

R Falahi, London, UK

Of course no one bothers to remind Muslims that the Koran does not actually forbid alcohol but merely warns of its effects. The injunction not to drink at all came later after a man was found to be drunk during prayer. So if you believe that the Koran was dictated by God directly, surely the first simple warning against the effects of alcohol should be heeded instead of blindly following a rule that was a knee-jerk reaction to public drunkenness?!
Before anyone starts arguing I would like to point out that unlike the majority of Muslims (whose native language is not Arabic) in Britain I have studied the Koran for about 10 years, speak and read Arabic perfectly, and actually understand what is written as opposed to blindly learning by rote.
Remember that some of the greatest Arab poets, such as Jallaludin Al-Rumi, sang about the beauty of wine and women.

DM, London,

As for the people who say don't eat the crisps. You're missing the point, you can only not eat something if you know all the facts.

The point is not that crisps will make you drunk , but that Walkers should have been more culturally sensitive and let people know what they are eating.

There was no call for Walkers to change the ingredients, just to let people have choice.

As for the broad generalisations about an entire group of people - Muslims are like every other and diverse in their opinions. Let's not turn this into "Us vs Them."

A, Brighton, UK

AVAILABLE:

University educated, tax paying, socially concious, unbigoted, liberal, British professional seeks country that will provide common sense, civic awareness and praise for the 60+ hours of work taken on each week.

Will tolerate cold weather, euro-pop, slight increase in the price of a beer and political satisfaction.

Any offers?

Barney, Liverpool, UK

KCL,

"Fruit. Bread. Crisps. If you're so bothered get your goods imported. It's ridiculous, the UK shouldn't have to accommodate your needs just because you choose to live here."

Choose to live here? Some of us are British. As British as you are.

Please do not generalise about all Muslims. Clearly this is an important issue for some Muslims, maybe we should respect that.

If there is an alternative, it would make good business sense for Walkers to use that - it would demonstrate that they take into account what their customers want.

This is just like when McDonalds outraged Hindus by saying that there was only a little bit of meat in their fries. The little bit is irrelevant.

A, Brighton, UK

"Let them eat cake"

Ant, Limousin, France

It's consumer right to know what they are eating. why do law ask the companies to write on label "may contain traces of nut" or "genetically modified food".

farid khilji, LEICESTER,

I'm really surprised to hear that Muslims even eat Walker's crisps!

I would have thought they wouldn't support a company who are clearly full of infidels.

HG, London, UK

Utter ridiculous..how long have walkers been producing snacks for!!! Don’t eat it if you believe it offends your religion! I’m sure walkers won’t mind.

Anand Patel, Peterborough,

It is interesting that there is no mention of the effects on children!

A Siravo, London, UK

So will teenagers be dropping the alcopops for packs of salt and vinegar?

Justin, Nr Lincoln, UK

Fruit. Bread. Crisps. If you're so bothered get your goods imported. It's ridiculous, the UK shouldn't have to accommodate your needs just because you choose to live here.

KCL, LONDON, UK

I agree with Dave Hampson. Are you going to dismiss vegetarians or vegans as un-English for rejecting food with animal traces?

M, London,

Fine. More for the rest of us.

Jonathan, farnham, england

Really, what is the point of this story? Muslims are not boycotting these foods, they are just not eating them. You might as well say vegetarians are boycotting hamburgers, or obese people are boycotting salad.

Grant, london,

Who care's....i am wondering what else they are going to come up with to protest...Oh the joys of being muslim no life at all...what is the point,,,

Mahmut, Leeds,

This is ridiculous and petty. I am definitely no scolar on Islam, but prohibiting minute traces of alcohol (that will probably be cooked off in the process?) cannot be the correct interpretation of the requirement of the religion . It seems that the interpretation of these religious requirements is going to silly extremes. Surely the practical reasons behind the prohibition on alcohol is merely to prevent anyone getting drunk and potentially abusive/blasphemous. A single drop of alcohol is not likely to sentence one to hell!

If alcohol is offensive in these quantities, perhaps the British Muslim Council's vast wealth and organisation can investigate and generate a list of foods that "true" muslims cannot eat, rather than requiring the majority of manufacturers to change labelling and ingredients at the expence of (costs will be passed on to the consumer) and annoyance of the majority. Again, it is another "Minority Oppressor" example in the UK!

Fed-up Majority, Birmingham,

Surely muslims must have more pressing questions about their faith than to worry about how many crisps can dance on the head of a needle

John Ledbury, Kings Lynn, England

Quote "Spare us the anti- Muslim comments . It's getting tiresome." Farah, London,

It is getting tiresome. Every time I look up muslims are offended by this and are condemning that and nows its crisps. Come on this is 2008 get a life.

I am friends with muslims and they smoke, they drink alcohol and go out on the town to pick up women. I suppose you will tell me that these are not real muslims. These are muslims that realise that it is 2008 and life is their own to live.

Kerr Derzy, Worcestershire,

Anyone who expects crisps to meet Halal standards is seriously deluded. God knows [literally] what goes into mass-produced foods, and you take a risk with every mouthful. The idea that alcohol is the biggest problem with crisps is bizarre.

Martin Baldwin-Edwards, Athens, Greece

A reciprocal relationship to having trace alcohol listed on crisp packets would be a warning on the doors of the Muslim Council of Britain saying, 'may contain nuts'.

I do wonder whether the Times should bother reporting rubbish like this. Words like 'shocked' and 'offensive' are clearly disproportionate and, if uttered by anyone on the Muslim Council of Britain, lack any credibility because outrage is their MO ... at least according to the quotes we receive.

Martin, Maidenhead, UK

If a company produces a chemical cocktail rather than actual food it should have to list all the ingredients. The size of the packet isn't a problem. The packets are much bigger than the contents, anyway. The manufacturers don't want to list the contents because it gives away the fact that they are selling chemical slurry. People are entitled to know what they are eating.

Frank Upton, Solihull,

Oh this is all just so silly. Polarisation of our society is almost inevitable when we have such silly spokespeople on both sides. Get a life.

John, Lincoln,

> Everyone has their own food taboos.

sure, fair enough, but please keep your taboos to yourself, don't be OFFENDED.

most ready foods, as well as medicines were made with use of alcohol or other solvents. how about not drinking instant coffee because its production involves acetone or not driving a car because of petrol. you can get pretty high on these too, people are know to abuse them.

yeasted or sourdough bread is impossible to produce without alcohol being present in the final product. bakeries to be bombed during next outrage?

why don't muslims grow up and leave us in peace in the meantime?

klapaucuis, edinburgh, UK

Absolutely ridiculous. - How do these articles ever reach print? This sort of article only goes to damage efforts of cohesion.

James, Welwyn Garden, England

Do any of these self-appointed guardians of the welfare of umma have what might reasonably be called a life? Oh no of course - they are all looking forward to their 72 virgins or whatever in the next life.

Tim, Kingston,

would jews be tricked into eating non kosher? would hindus be tricked into eating cow meat? it seems that muslims are the only ones scrutunized, maybe because the media aides this prejiduce!

sara jane, manchester,

Its quite funny in a pathetic sort of way, to see people use any excuse to have a pop at muslims!! Come on now people. Get hold of your poison pens. Surely you can do better!!

Rohit, Welwyn, Herts

I used to work for a company that made syrup for soft drinks and was surprised to find out they added a small amount of alcohol to the syrup.

Jim, Pueblo, CO

This is utter, utter nonsense. There should be no such labelling. Do muslims not eat bread? Surely yeast produces alcohol as a consequence of fermentation to make the bread rise?

Nick, Rotherham, UK

In cases like this one could think that the complainant must have been drinking for a long time before getting the idea that a dry packet of crisps is of any problem.

I. Warwick, Oslo, Norway

Yet more Muslim bashing. It's the same as vegans checking the ingredients on labels- spare us the anti- Muslim comments . It's getting tiresome.

Farah, London,

If you have concerns about what is in a food don't trust the label just don't eat it. I don't think manufacturers should
have to list every ingredient on a package because a tiny group may have issues with certain things.. Yes I realize we are all for multiculturalism but there comes a time when you have to draw the line. If it is that important to you either don't eat the stuff, or buy the stuff you know is ok or give live somewhere you are not the minority and you can dictate what
manufacturers put on the packages. If I lived in a Muslim country I would not expect everyone to change their ways and attitudes to suit my religion.

Kate, Victoria BC, canada

OK, for those here who think it's ok to poo-poo Muslims because of their commitment to their faith: Would you have sex with your parent? Or would you find it "very offensive", and against your personal and moral principles?

Islam, just like Christianity and Judaism, and ALL religions, has a strict Code of Practice. Just because Muslims CHOOSE to follow that Code of Practice to the letter doesn't mean they are stupid, arrogant, paranoid, or 'nitpicking'.

"Nope, we're half way to the caliphate thanks to the fifth-columnists."

"Eat them and you will go to hell. This does not affect your statutory rights, infidel".

Comments like this are EXACTLY what causes divisions in this so-called 'multicultural' country.

As for Walkers (and other companies - too many to list here, ironically), OF COURSE they should state that there is alcohol in their crisps if there is alcohol in their crisps! Howcome a packet of peanuts has the words 'Contains nuts' printed on it??

TM, London, UK

Adrian, that "1.6 percent of the population" is worth BILLIONS to the economy of this country. I don't think that informing them, like anyone else, of the facts is appeasing them, do you?

TM, London, UK

I used to work in a restaurant and regularly sold muslims tiramisu. They loved it. Then after about a year I realised it contained marsala wine but was scared to tell the regulars for fear of being lynched by an angry mob after work. I'd like to take this opportunity to apologise to those people. Sorry about that guys.

R Spandit, London,

What has shocked me more than Walkers shirking in their duties to consumers failing to include on packaging that crisps contain alcohol, is the utter ignorance by readers of the Times who I assumed would be intelligent to have written such illiterate comments taking the whole issue of the article out of context!
The fact is a multi-national company such as Walkers, should include exactly what we are eating on the packaging- "This product contains alcohol" - a total of 4 words that would somehow take up all the space-I think not!!
Consumers should be given the choice to eat a particular product based on its ingredients-how would somebody on a strict diet feel if they ate a confectionary product for years that contained fat or salt that they did not even know about as the packaging did not stipulate the exact nutritional ingredients!
The simple solution: let’s play Russian Roulette-and have completely plain packaging! An economical and environmentally friendly option for Walkers!

Miss Farooq, South Wales, UK

Oh, someone please tell them to grow up and get a life! I am fed up to the back teeth of this appeasement to 1.6 percent of the population. Considering that ALL religions are utter unsubstantiated nonsense, it is high time we truly entered the 21st century and ditched this drivel.

Adrian Ryan, Donegal, Ireland

Muslim run and owned shops and cash and carry businesses sell alcohol. So, yet more hypocrisy. Have they noticed that England has PIGS? But probably not for much longer.

Terry Fryer, Kent,

This is what happens when you enter the land of the infidels and eat their products...lesson learnt

Carl, Baltimore, MD

Does the tail wag the dog?

Its crazy the way religious people deliberately ignore the basis of a religious rule (which, in this case was presumably to stop people using the mind-altering nature of alcohol) in favour of an obsession with nitpicking over the fine details of these rules.

Logic & rationality seem to be fanciful indulgences these days.

VB, London, UK

I think people need to learn to respect those of other religions and their beliefs, regardless of whether they understand or follow them. This is the lacking element of todays soceity and what causes problems, when people do not understand, they simple make fun, is this really a solution? This country is full of people with all sorts of backgrounds and people should take this in to account.

Miss Hussain, Manchester,

We certainly do not require more text on packaging. Already, due to legal requirements, the volume of text is so large that to squeeze everything on to one packet it has to be printed in a very small font. As hardly anyone is able to read this small font, what purpose are these instructions serving?

Vinay Mehra, Purley, Surrey

I propose the following warning on such packets of crisps:
"These crisps may contain traces of alcohol. Eat them and you will go to hell. This does not affect your statutory rights, infidel."

jay, reading, berks

2 things...stop eating crisps then. And...., you'd better stop eating bread as that produces alcohol as part of the proving process which includes fermentation. Oh dear, what will you eat now?

Kevin Burrows, Uxbridge, UK

Alcohol is also in kefir and sweet fruit like apple, banana, grapes – about 1 %. So put a label with this information on every fruit and everything with fruit in it to be safe and prevent people get drunk or offended...

Petra, Gera, Germany

>This IS still the UK isn't it?<

Nope, we're half way to the caliphate thanks to the fifth-columnists.

Colin Soames, London,

I hope the BMA or Tesco don't get wind of this. I quite enjoy a packet of crisps and would hate the price to increase, forcing Tesco to take more profit, just because of the alcohol content.

Tony Woods, London, UK

Even slightly over-ripe fruit contains traces of alcohol. So if you are making a career out of being a religious offendee, you had better avoid fruit juices too.

Brian Eave, Cardiff,

This IS still the UK isn't it?

Jerry Scroggin, Phoenix, Arizona/USA

How can it be "very offensive" to have eaten a crisp? Surprised, deceived or let down, but very offended? What is the next level of offense: shocked beyond belief? And to what is that response appropriate: cheesy wotsits?

David Masu, Zürich,

Alcohol is prohibited because of its mind-warping effects, presumably. It's not the alcohol itself that is demonised. Are they suggesting people are going to get pissed on a bag of crisps? How ridiculous.

Edward , Grenoble, France

This is no different to my vegetarians and vegan friends rejecting food items containing minute traces of animal produce. Everyone has their own food taboos.

Dave Hampson, Milton Keynes,