Is sparkling lemonade lime + mint Halal?

The Ingredient Breakdown

When determining if a beverage is Halal, we look for the 'Big Three' prohibitions: alcohol, pork derivatives, and non-Halal slaughtered meats. Fortunately, the ingredient list for sparkling lemonade lime + mint is plant-based and free from these red flags. Let's look at the specifics.

The base of the drink is filtered carbonated water, which is perfectly Halal. The flavor comes from lemon juice, lime juice, and mint. These are whole plant ingredients and pose no religious dietary concerns. The sweetness is derived from cane sugar, which is acceptable (note: some vegans avoid bone-char filtered white sugar, but it is universally Halal).

For color, the drink uses a concentrate of [carrot]. This is a natural vegetable dye and is completely permissible. The preservative sodium benzoate is a synthetic salt, widely used in the food industry and considered Halal. Finally, natural flavours is a broad term, but in a fruit-based drink like this, it almost exclusively refers to plant-derived essences. There are no flags here.

Nutritional Value

While this drink passes the Halal test with flying colors, it is worth looking at its nutritional profile. The primary sweetener is cane sugar, meaning this is a sugar-sweetened beverage. A standard serving likely contains a significant amount of added sugar, which contributes to the calorie count.

From a health perspective, this drink is a source of empty calories—energy without significant vitamins or minerals (aside from a small amount of Vitamin C from the citrus juices). It fits into a Halal diet easily, but if you are monitoring your sugar intake for weight management or diabetic reasons, you should consume it in moderation. It is a better alternative to diet sodas containing artificial sweeteners like aspartame, but it is not a 'health drink'.