What is halal sweets?
Halal sweets are sweets that comply with Islamic laws. Halal stands for everything that is considered good and clean according to the Koran. This means that there are also a number of restrictions with regard to sweets. For example, sweets may be eaten and may even contain animal ingredients, provided that the meat used is halal. This means that it must be bled meat that has been slaughtered in accordance with Islamic laws. A number of animals are prohibited in any case, such as pigs, predators, rats and frogs. According to the Quran, vegetables, fruit, food from the sea and drinks are also halal. However, alcohol is prohibited. Candy with gelatin is often made from the skins and bones of pigs and cattle and is not halal.
Instinkers in the search for halal sweets
In other words, anyone who wants to eat halal sweets would do well to opt for gelatin-free sweets. Care must also be taken with certain dyes, although there is sometimes some debate as to whether or not this is halal. Carmine (E120), from an aphid, is an example of this. According to some schools it is allowed, because the Koran does not prohibit eating insects (actually locusts) in principle. However, other schools call it haram, because the insects must basically be killed to make it suitable for human consumption. However, in the case of carmine, the insect has been killed to make a dye that can be used in various products, not to make it suitable for human consumption. Nowadays it is increasingly believed that carmine is haram. If you want to play it safe, it is better to avoid candy with E120. A similar ingredient is shellac (E904). In principle, it is a product that comes from lice excretion, but sometimes there are (parts of) lice in the paint. This is also increasingly believed to be haram.
Why halal sweets?
Gelatin is a binding agent that comes from meat, often from pigs or cattle. Because pork is not eaten by Muslims, this means that many sweets are 'haram' and therefore not allowed to be eaten. Bovine gelatin is also not necessarily halal. In this case, the animal must also be slaughtered halal. E numbers are EU-approved additives for foodstuffs. Often these ingredients are not properly explained on the labels of candies and other treats.