JAKARTA – The food and beverage industry is no longer merely about fulfilling primary needs but has evolved into a lifestyle component that reflects one’s quality of life. The influence of globalization has made consumption choices increasingly diverse, influenced by geographical and social factors, social media trends, and health consciousness.

Amid the wave of health beverage trends, kombucha tea has emerged as a popular choice. This fermented drink is claimed to have various health benefits, but for Muslims, a crucial question arises: is kombucha halal for consumption?

Understanding Kombucha and Its Production Process

Kombucha is a fermented beverage made through symbiosis between bacteria and fungi with beneficial functional properties. Its fermentation process involves a tea and sugar solution using a starter culture called SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). SCOBY is formed from a symbiosis of acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and osmophilic yeast incorporated into cellulose tissue.

Unlike regular tea, kombucha has a distinctive taste and aroma—a blend of sour, sweet, and slightly carbonated, similar to apple cider. This beverage contains various minerals, vitamins, and organic acids. Kombucha culture involves Acetobacter xylinum and several types of yeast such as Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces, and Zygosaccharomyces.

Superior Nutritional Value of Kombucha

Kombucha’s nutritional value is far higher compared to regular tea. The activity of microorganisms during the fermentation process produces various compounds beneficial to health, including organic acids (glucuronic acid, acetic acid), essential amino acids, folic acid, enzymes, antibiotics, and phenolic compounds. The higher the phenolic compounds produced, the higher the antioxidant activity. Kombucha also contains more organic vitamins and amino acids than regular tea.

Promising Health Benefits

With its rich composition, kombucha offers various remarkable health benefits including antibacterial, antidiabetic, and antioxidant functions, serving as a probiotic for intestinal health and smooth digestion, improving intestinal microflora, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, boosting immunity, preventing cardiovascular disease, stimulating the body’s immune system, reducing inflammation, helping overcome constipation and headaches, and potentially preventing cancer.

The Fermentation Process: The Critical Point of Halal Status

Kombucha can be made from various types of tea, such as green tea, black tea, white tea, and oolong tea. After fermentation, kombucha generally undergoes a lighter color change. The degree of color change increases with the length of fermentation, and the final color depends on the type of tea used. During the fermentation process, SCOBY will appear darker if the tea used is darker in color.

The kombucha fermentation process involves three main stages that require special attention: alcoholic fermentation, lactic acid fermentation, and acetic acid fermentation.

Fermentation Stages That Produce Alcohol

In the initial stage, yeast breaks down sucrose into glucose, which is then used as a substrate for both alcoholic and lactic fermentation. Lactic acid bacteria convert glucose into lactic acid. Meanwhile, acetic acid bacteria in the tea culture contribute to the formation of acetic acid, which influences the chemical composition and sensory characteristics of the final beverage.

During the alcoholic fermentation phase, glucose is converted into ethanol while releasing carbon dioxide. Acetic acid bacteria then oxidize the ethanol produced from glucose breakdown, resulting in acetic acid and acetaldehyde. This process gives kombucha its characteristic sour taste.

This is what makes Muslim consumers question the permissibility of this beverage—because of the fermentation process that produces alcohol, albeit in very low amounts.

Scholarly Perspectives: Between Halal and Syubhat

Opinions That Declare It Halal

Some scholars argue that kombucha falls into the category of naturally fermented foods that are halal. Their argument is based on the fact that the alcohol content in kombucha is very low, similar to non-alcoholic beer, making it nearly impossible to cause intoxicating effects. The average alcohol content produced by kombucha is less than 0.5%.

The Fatwa of the Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI) Number 10 of 2018 concerning Food and Beverage Products Containing Alcohol/Ethanol states that fermented beverage products containing less than 0.5% alcohol/ethanol are legally halal, provided that the process does not use haram ingredients and is medically harmless.

Remaining Doubts

However, the debate regarding kombucha does not stop there. Some scholars and researchers still question its halal status with deeper considerations.

The main doubt arises because of SCOBY’s nature to continuously reproduce and actively produce alcohol during storage. Unlike fermented products whose processes have completely stopped, the live culture in kombucha continues to work even after the product is packaged. This potentially increases the alcohol content over time, especially if storage is not done properly.

Additionally, variations in the kombucha-making process—such as fermentation duration, type of tea used, storage temperature, and SCOBY composition—can produce different alcohol levels. This uncertainty leads some scholars to categorize kombucha as something requiring extra caution.

Understanding the Concept of Syubhat in Islam

In Islam, there is a concept of syubhat, which refers to matters with unclear status—whether halal or haram. This is a gray area that lies between what is clearly halal and what is clearly haram.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in an authentic hadith: “What is halal is clear, and what is haram is clear. Between the two are doubtful matters (syubhat) that most people do not know about. Whoever avoids doubtful matters has protected his religion and his honor. And whoever falls into doubtful matters is like a shepherd grazing his flock near restricted land, almost causing his flock to enter it.”

The concept of syubhat teaches Muslims to be careful and guard themselves by avoiding questionable matters, even though they may not necessarily be haram. This is a form of caution in maintaining the purity of worship and piety toward Allah.

Conclusion: A Wise Approach to Kombucha

The issue of kombucha’s halal status is essentially still unresolved. Although there is an MUI fatwa permitting fermented beverages with alcohol content below 0.5%, concerns about SCOBY’s nature of continuously producing alcohol remain a valid consideration.

For Muslims who wish to maintain caution in their religious practice, it is advisable to avoid doubtful matters such as kombucha. This principle of caution does not mean accusing kombucha of being haram, but rather as an effort to protect oneself from doubts that may disturb peace of mind in worship.

However, for those who feel confident about its halal status based on existing fatwas and ensure that the products they consume meet halal standards with alcohol content maintained below 0.5%, that choice can also be made.

What is most important is that every Muslim makes decisions based on sufficient knowledge, consultation with trusted scholars, and with the intention of maintaining piety toward Allah. In dealing with this still-debated matter, an attitude of mutual respect for each other’s choices and refraining from judging one another is a reflection of the noble character taught by Islam.

REFERENCES:

Fermentaholics. (2026, January 15). Is Kombucha Halal?.  Retrieved from https://fermentaholics.com/is-kombucha-halal/?srsltid=AfmBOor6igeJeU3m18p_FZ5mC7jXNz_xHikyQpTKnrjqRl_2ujcy43jE

LPPOM MUI. (2026, January 15). Is It Halal to Drink Kombucha?.  Retrieved from https://halalmui.org/en/kombucha-halalkah-drink-tea-fermented-mushroom/

Halal Authentication and Metabolite Mapping of Kombucha Products via Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Chemometric Analysis. (2025). Jurnal Kimia Valensi, 11(2), 187-199.

Harunaningtyas, A., & Rohana , N. L. R. T. . (2025). Traditional Biotechnology Approaches in Halal Food Production: A Comprehensive Review. Agroindustrial Technology Journal, 9(2), 42–57. https://doi.org/10.21111/atj.v9i2.15178