Is my fasting invalidated if I taste food due to my job?

The Details of the Question

- I work for a catering company and I control the quality and taste of the food. Does tasting the food invalidate fasting?

The Answer

Dear Brother / Sister,

It is makruh for a fasting person, whether he is performing a fard or nafilah fasting, to taste something that will not dissolve in his mouth and part of which will not go down his throat. However, it is not makruh if there is an obligation.

It is not makruh for a woman whose husband is grumpy to taste food in order to check its taste and saltiness. The same things hold true for cooks; it is not makruh for them to taste the food they cook.

It is not makruh for a person who is going to buy something to eat or drink to taste it if he fears that he will be deceived or that it will not be useful to him.

It is also makruh to chew something without an excuse, but it is not makruh to chew it with an excuse. For example, it is not makruh for a person who cannot find someone who is not fasting to chew the food that she is going to feed to her child to chew it. (see Cezeri, Dört Mezhebe Göre İslam Fıkhı, Oruçluya Mekruh Olan Ve Olmayan Şeyler Bölümü)

Accordingly, if there is no one around who is not fasting and who can taste the food, or if you are responsible for the meal, it is not makruh for you to taste the food you cook as part of your job as long as you do not swallow it.

Questions on Islam

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