What Makes Sweets Halal?
Halal is the name given to food or drink that prepared in a special way only using ingredients which have been approved for Muslims to consume. Because of these dietary laws, many food choices are prohibited. OneHowTo is here to explain more about Halal and how to identify which sweets or candies are Halal.
The Dietary Restrictions of Halal
Muslims have many dietary restrictions because of the Halal laws on how food is prepared and how animals are killed. They are never allowed to eat pork or anything which comes from a pig, and other meats must come from only certain animals killed in a special way. Consuming meat which contains blood is also forbidden, so it must be drained as part of the Halal slaughter process. In addition, anything which contains alcohol is forbidden.
There are quite a few candies and sweets that contain animal products such as gelatin. These sweets are not considered Halal unless the gelatin is Halal. It can be difficult to find Halal candy as many sweets are made with gelatin and gelatin has traditionally been made with pork and pork by-products. Some products like cosmetics and pharmaceuticals also contain gelatin so it is very important that Muslims check on all of the ingredients in everything that they wish to consume.
Halal Sweets and Candies
Today, candy makers have started to make more and more sweets that are Halal due to the increasing demand for such products from Muslims around the world. However there are quite a few sweets that still include gelatin in their ingredients or other animal products, sometimes only identified as an "E-number". E-120 for example, a common red food coloring used in many sweets, yoghurts and drinks, is not considered Halal.
Many Muslim children have never been able to taste candies like gummy bears or gummy worms. Their dietary needs have come into the thoughts of candy makers and many have started to change the recipes of their popular brands.
How to Find out if a Product is Halal or Not
If you are unsure about whether a certain type of candy or sweet is Halal or not because of the , the best thing to do is contact the manufacturer and ask them - Who knows, they may even decide to start making Halal sweets because of your call.
One of the most popular brands of gummy candies is Haribo. This is a candy company that is based out of the United Kingdom. One of the heads of the company is an Orthodox Jew so he is aware of how dietary restrictions can change your eating habits. He has always been concerned with making the sweets Kosher and now he must take on the task of making them Halal as well.
Now Haribo's new recipe does not contain any gelatin. Instead these gummy candies are being made with fruit juices. The colorings and flavors that are alcohol based have been taken out too since Muslims are not allowed to consume alcohol either. The candy company says that the sales for there Halal sweets are doing very well and they are happy that they have chosen to make Halal sweets.
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