Is Haribo halal? The label almost never tells you

147

of 197 Haribo labels in our database list gelatin

5

of those 147 say which animal the gelatin came from

84%

of supermarket own-label products with gelatin name the animal (38 of 45)

Every Haribo label we hold

Haribo's best known sweets are gummies, and gummies get their chew from gelatin. Of the 147 Haribo labels that list it, one says pork, 4 say beef, and 3 of those beef labels also print the word halal. The other 142 say "gelatin" or "gelatine" and stop there.

• Goldbears 300g: pork gelatin
• Chamallows Pink White Marshmallows Bag: beef gelatine, marked halal
• Happy Cola: beef gelatine, marked halal
• haribo cup 150gm: beef gelatine
• Haribo Happy Cola Gummy Bears Jelly: beef gelatine, marked halal

Why one word decides the answer

Gelatin is made from the skin and bones of animals, most often pigs and cattle. Pork gelatin is not halal. Beef gelatin is accepted when the animal was slaughtered according to Islamic rules, which is what a halal certificate vouches for. A label that only says "gelatin" leaves both questions open, so a checker that reads labels, ours included, cannot give a yes or a no. That is why 173 of the 197 Haribo product pages on EatCheck say "check the label" for halal instead of guessing. Our guide to doubtful (mushbooh) ingredients covers gelatin and the other ingredients in the same position.

It is also why the same sweet can get different answers in different places. The beef gelatine packs in our records include one with its full ingredient list repeated in Arabic, which suggests it was printed for a market where halal sweets are the norm. A bag of the same gummies bought somewhere else may be made differently.

Supermarket own brands do it differently

Haribo is not unusual among big sweet brands. What stands out is the contrast with supermarket own labels. In our records, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and Co-op name the animal on 38 of their 45 gelatin labels.

Gelatin is not only a sweet aisle question either. Breakfast cereals with marshmallow pieces list it too: Lucky Charms, Rice Krispies Treats and Froot Loops with marshmallows are all in our records with gelatin on the label. Kellogg's names the animal on 8 of its 43.

What to do in the shop

If the label names beef or fish and carries a halal mark, the packet has answered for you. Our certifier guide explains what the common marks cover. If it only says "gelatin", the packet cannot settle it, and the manufacturer's customer line is the place to ask, for that product in that country.

If you would rather skip the question, look for sweets set with pectin or starch instead. Vegan sweets contain no gelatin at all, and you can browse them in the vegan sweets list. Skittles are a common example: 8 of the 87 Skittles labels we hold list gelatin, and the standard pack passes our halal check.