What does pure and wholesome food mean in Islam?

Everything the Holy Qur’an does not forbid is permitted. Which of these foods are good and wholesome is for each person and each people to judge by their own taste, as long as the food is fresh and does not harm one’s health.

The verses above distinguish between two things. One is whether a food is lawful. The other is whether it is good and wholesome. These are two different ideas, and they should not be confused.

What is lawful is laid down by the Holy Qur’an. It expressly forbids only a few things, and everything else is permitted. What is good and wholesome, on the other hand, is something people decide for themselves according to their customs and their taste. A child who does not like a certain dish should not be forced to eat it just because we think it is good.

The same applies to entire peoples. Every cuisine in the world has its own dishes. If a dish is not forbidden, the people who eat it may decide for themselves whether it is good for them. No one should impose their own idea of good food on others.

A second consideration is health. Good food must be fresh. If food has gone bad, is contaminated and could harm one’s health, it is no longer wholesome, even if it is not forbidden in itself. Then it should not be eaten. In this way Islam combines clear limits with great freedom and common sense.