Fatwa #468636 January 2021United Kingdom
Is Nutritional Yeast Halal?
Question
Assalaamu alaikum, I suffer from high blood pressure and have been looking for ways cut down on salt by looking for alternatives and have come across a product called nutritional yeast ( not exactly the same as normal yeast) and wanted to know if this halal. Jazzakallahu khair Shah
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu 'alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast in the form of flakes or yellow powder and has a cheesy or nutty flavor to it. It is very popular among vegans and vegetarians as a cheese substitute. Nutritional yeast is produced by culturing yeast in a nutrient medium, primarily glucose, for several days. Then, the yeast is deactivated with heat, washed, dried and packaged. [1]
Accordingly, nutritional yeast is Halal to consume.[2]
And Allah Ta'āla Knows Best
Shakib Alam
Student - Darul Iftaa
Pennsylvania, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutritional_yeast
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/nutritional-yeast#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2
[2] (سورة البقرة 172,173)
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِلَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ (172) إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةَ وَالدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ الْخِنْزِيرِ
(سورة البقرة 61)
{وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَامُوسَى لَنْ نَصْبِرَ عَلَى طَعَامٍ وَاحِدٍ فَادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنْبِتُ الْأَرْضُ مِنْ بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّائِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ الَّذِي هُوَ أَدْنَى بِالَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ