Halal Chocolate Brands in the USA

What can make a chocolate not halal?

For a plain chocolate bar, usually nothing, because the basic ingredients are fine. Three things are worth a quick look on filled, colored or novelty products.

Alcohol in fillings and flavors. Plain bars contain no alcohol. However, liqueur-filled chocolates and some flavored bars use alcohol. This is the main thing to check in premium and filled chocolates, such as some Lindt products and some holiday boxes.

Carmine (E120) in colored candies. Chocolate itself is brown, but coated candies, such as some red M&M's, can use carmine. Carmine is a red dye made from insects, and many Muslims consider it not permissible. The label will name it.

The source of emulsifiers and whey. Emulsifiers, such as E471 and E472, help chocolate stay smooth. Whey is a by-product of cheese making. Both can come from plants or dairy, and in rare cases from animals. In popular US chocolate bars, they almost always come from plants or dairy. However, a label without certification does not say so, which is why "halal by ingredients" is the most we can say without a certificate.

Not a problem: cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar, milk, soy lecithin and vanilla are all halal. A plain milk chocolate bar passes on its ingredients even without a halal symbol.

How can you check any chocolate yourself?

• For a plain bar, confirm that it has no gelatin, carmine or alcohol flavor. Usually, it has none.
• For filled or liqueur chocolates, check the filling for alcohol.
• For colored candies, check for carmine or cochineal.
• A halal symbol, from IFANCA or another certifier, is the strongest confirmation. Most US bars are not certified, but their ingredients are halal.

Why are some chocolates certified abroad but not in the US?

Many global chocolate companies are certified in Muslim-majority countries, such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Gulf countries. However, they sell chocolate without certification in North America. So a brand being "halal in Malaysia" does not mean the US bar has a certificate, even though the recipe is often the same.

Frequently asked questions

Is most chocolate halal?

Plain chocolate is generally halal by its ingredients. Cocoa, sugar, milk, lecithin and vanilla raise no questions about slaughter or alcohol. The exceptions are chocolates filled with alcohol, some candies colored with carmine, and cases where an emulsifier or whey comes from an unconfirmed animal source.

Are Mars chocolates (Snickers, Twix, M&M's) halal?

Snickers and Twix are halal by their ingredients in the United States, with no gelatin and no carmine, although they are not certified. M&M's are the ones to watch, because some colored varieties can contain carmine. Check the specific product.

Is there alcohol in chocolate?

Plain bars contain no alcohol. Liqueur-filled chocolates and some flavored or premium bars do, so that is the main thing to check on filled and holiday products.

Why isn't US chocolate halal-certified if it's "halal"?

Most US chocolate companies have simply not applied for certification for the US market, even when the same brand is certified abroad. "Halal by ingredients" means the recipe contains nothing haram. A certificate goes further and confirms the sources of the ingredients and the factory.