A 2015 study published in the journal Toxicology Reports identified the presence of not only toxic heavy metals but a host of other contaminants in soft drinks. One of these contaminants was alcohol, which is known to damage vital organs and cause impairment — a major no-no for young children. This study concluded that soft drinks constitute “a major public health problem.”

This study evaluated some constituents of twenty-six soft drinks and investigated the presence of some toxic heavy metal contaminants. The soft drinks were screened for the presence of sugar, carbon dioxide, phosphate and alcohol as well as the pH and acidity determined.

How they tested for Alcohol:

3 ml of sample for each brand of soft drink was transferred into a separate test tube. 1 ml of iodine was added, followed by 1 ml of potassium iodide and 1 ml of sodium hydroxide (NAOH) solution. The test tubes were boiled at 100 °C in a water bath for 30 min. Appearance of yellow coloured precipitate confirmed the presence of alcohol in soft drinks.

Due to the high level of consumption and demand of soft drinks, quality control within the process of production especially during sterilization and purification may be compromised and the quality of soft drinks may be challenging. As such, soft drinks have been shown to contain traces of alcohols as a result of microbial contamination.

Al-Nu’man ibn Bashir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear, and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which many people do not know. Thus, he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honor, and he who falls into doubtful matters will fall into the unlawful as the shepherd who pastures near a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Verily, every king has a sanctum and the sanctum of Allah is His prohibitions. Verily, in the body is a piece of flesh which, if sound, the entire body is sound, and if corrupt, the entire body is corrupt. Truly, it is the heart.”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 52, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1599