Doubtful Foods & Drinks

Q:

1. Is it true that all food is halaal until it can be proven haraam?

2. There were a few suspicious ingredients in something my mom bought that could've been haraam if processed through animals instead of plants. I chose to eat it since I didn't want to waste food or disrespect my mom by rejecting the food. Was it sinful for me to consume the doubtful food?

3. Does the hadith of not having my dua accepted for 40 days for consuming haraam food also apply here even if my dua is of repentance?

Q: Can we eat biscuits and ice cream in which all the ingredients are halal but as a artificial flavouring- vanilla is used? I'm in a confusion because some scholars say vanilla is Haram due to presence of 37% of alcohol in it....and some says that we can't feel the presence of alcohol & in which we does not feel the alcoholic thing we can eat it...what should I do?

Q: I would like to enquire whether we can trust MJC and NIHT. Reason being there seems to be a lot of doubt with these as compared to SANHA. It makes me wonder how all the meat supplied to Mc Donalds and KFC can be halaal as there is a lot of animals that would be slaughtered and to slaughter an animal in compliance with shariah takes more time and care so how do we know that these animals are being slaughtered accordingly?

Q: I just found out that most sodas contain some alcohol. The company for Canada Dry said "the amounts are very slight, but still present." Now these sodas with the same brand are being sold in Muslim countries so I'm assuming 0.0071% alcohol (the amount in a Fanta orange soda) in a drink is permissible. But just to be sure, is it really halal or is that a matter of debate?

Q: Some one sends through WhatsApp messages saying chicken (in a Muslim country ) is not halal by forwarding some videos where we can actually see chicken getting processed by a machine. The authorities in the Muslim country are acknowledging that they are seeing it to that the things for the public are halal and not importing the haram chikcen and meat etc. One of my friends stopped eating chicken after seeing the WhatsApp.

My question is whom to believe? Do we have to believe the WhatsApp video or the authorities who are taking responsibility of halal produsts. If we believe WhatsApp then tomorrow other videos will declare meat as haram, please advise.

Q: Can we consume rainbow products? Especially their chicken. Mageu is halaal (its in a carton similar to the one of inkomazi)?

Q: Please confirm that it is impermissible to eat the cake that is provided at work when it is a fellow worker's birthday.

Q: I had bought strawberry milk carton on which carmine (red colour extract from an insect) a food ingredient is mentioned. i want to know.

1- Is it confirmed carmine is obtained from an insect?

2- If any ingredient mix with the food which has no impact of taste and it just mix in a small ratio for colouring can make the food haram or not suitable for cosuming?

3- I have heared that carmine is only haram in hanafi madhab, is it true?

4- If above question is right, what should I do with the milk? Shall I through it away.

Q: To take food, drink, make wudu and offer prayers at the house of Ahle Toshee (shia) is jaiz or najaiz?

Q: What is the ruling on eating Christmas food? If its haraam to take, then when we have been given, can I dispose of it or will Allah punnish me for been Al-mubazzir?