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Which sweets are halal? A clear explanation

As a Muslim in Germany, you are often faced with the challenge of determining whether sweets are halal —i.e., permitted under Islamic law—or not. This article explains in an easy-to-understand way which food additives in sweets are forbidden (haram) for Muslims. This allows parents to find out which sweets Muslim children are allowed to eat, for example, when organizing a birthday party. 

Basically, it can be said that in Islam, everything that is not explicitly forbidden (haram) is permitted (halal). What ingredients in sweets are explicitly forbidden and therefore not allowed to be consumed by Muslims? Here is a list:

  • pork gelatin
  • Carmine (E120)
  • Shellac (E904)
  • Cysteine (E920/921)
  • Ethanol alcohol
  • cross-contamination

Pork gelatin – the binding agent for sweets

Gelatin is used in the production of sweets to gel and achieve a certain texture, as well as a binding agent. Gelatin is produced by boiling animal bones, skins, tendons, cartilage, and ligaments. In Europe, 80% of edible gelatin comes from pigs and thus finds its way into sweets. This is problematic for Muslims, as the Koran expressly forbids the consumption of pork. Sura 5, verse states:

"Forbidden to you are (the consumption of) carrion, blood, pork, and that over which any name other than Allah's has been invoked, and (the consumption of) animals that have been strangled, killed, fallen to their deaths, or gored, and that which has been torn by wild beasts..."

Alternatively, beef gelatin can be used in sweets. However, beef gelatin is only suitable for Muslims if it comes from cattle that have been slaughtered in accordance with Islamic guidelines.

Another alternative is candy that contains no gelatin whatsoever. However, in this article we explain why vegan candy does not necessarily have to be halal .

 

Carmine (E120) – the dye from lice  

Carmine is a food additive obtained by drying and boiling lice. The female lice used for this purpose come from Central America and are called cochineal scale insects. Carmine is used as a red dye in sweets. It should be noted that carmine is the only dye of animal origin. Carmine is also known as "real carmine," carminic acid, or cochineal. There is controversy among scholars as to whether carmine is halal or haram. Due to the unresolved question and the associated uncertainty, we reject the consumption of carmine.

 

Shellac (E904) – the excrement of the lac bug

Shellac is an excrement of the lac bug, which is found in Central America. The consistency of shellac is similar to resin. The female lac bug feeds on and fills itself with the sap of trees and plants. This sap turns into lacquer inside the bug's body. The bug uses this lacquer to form a protective shell for its eggs until the young hatch and burrow out of the lacquer layer. The excretion of the insect, called shellac, is scraped from the trees, boiled, and processed into the food additive E904 shellac. Shellac (E904) is used in sweets as a coating agent to enable glazing and binding.

The classification of shellac as haram or halal is controversial among scholars. Scholars who classify shellac as haram justify this with the prohibition of consuming excrement.

Other scholars classify shellac as halal. Scholars at Al-Azhar University in Cairo say that the production of shellac is similar to the production of honey, where the juice of the bee is converted into honey.

 

Cysteine (E920/E921) – sometimes contains pig bristles

Cysteine is a food additive and is often referred to as cystine, L-cysteine, or L-cystine. Cysteine can be produced synthetically or extracted from keratin. The keratin required for cysteine can be obtained from horns, feathers, hair, or pig bristles. The EU banned the use of human hair for the extraction of keratin or cysteine in 2011. 

Cysteine is used to break down the gluten contained in flour. This makes the dough easier to knead. It also prevents the dough from sticking to the machines and speeds up production. Cysteine can therefore be found in bread, rolls, and various types of pasta. Since cysteine does not necessarily always contain pig bristles, you should ask the manufacturer for more detailed information about the production process if cysteine (E920/E921) is listed in the ingredients.

 

Ethanol – alcohol in aroma

Flavorings are used in the food industry to give foods such as sweets a specific aroma or taste. These flavorings often contain ethanol or alcohol as a carrier substance.

 

Cross-contamination – contamination caused by mixing traces

Even if sweets do not contain any of the above ingredients, there is a risk that they will not be considered halal if cross-contamination has occurred. Cross-contamination can occur when candy is manufactured in industrial facilities that also produce non-halal products (e.g., those containing pork). This results in the transfer of "non-halal" traces to the candy, meaning that the candy cannot be classified as "halal."

     You can buy halal sweets here .