No, not all candies use pork gelatin. Today, many brands use vegetable gelatins. There are even halal candies, made in Turkey with beef gelatin. You can find them everywhere in supermarkets, including Carrefour and Auchan, in the halal section. The point.
Haribo extends its range of candies without gelatin of animal origin
Did you know that Tagada strawberries were the most consumed candy in France? It is, and in 2012, the brand specified on its website that the gelatin used in it was of porcine origin. But in 2013, Haribo began to expand its range of candies without gelatin of animal origin, which now includes 18 products. This range will expand further in 2018, incorporating 34 products belonging to several of the brand’s confectionery families:
- Acid candy family: Acidofilo, Mistral cola bottles, Brazil Pik, Color Smurf Pik, Acid Languages, London Pik, Miami Pik, Miami Pik Goal, Pasta basta, Pasta frutta, Sour snup ;
- Family of sugar confectionery: Dragibus, Dragibus Bi-Cool, Dragibus Color Mood, Gragibus Color Pop, Dragibus Experience, Dragibus Family, Dragibus taste Tagada, Dragibus mix, Dragibus soft, I love Dragibus, Dragibus pik, Dragiween, Carensac, Fraizibus, Grain de millet, Mega F1ete Dragibus, Starmint, Starmint Licorice;
- Licorice confectionery family: Florent violette, Grains of Millet, Kimono, Pain Zan, Rotella, Zanoïd.
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Why is porcine gelatin used?
It can be found everywhere: food, candy, vaccines, medicines, light products, cosmetics… and even in photo films. It is gelatin of animal origin, mainly pork. Generally used as an additive (E428 or E441), the gelatin of animal origin used by manufacturers is, in 95% of cases, porcine. Although it has not been proven to be harmful to health, pork gelatin is neither halal nor kosher, and is not suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.
In the case of sweets, the addition of porcine gelatine gives the jelly confectionery consistency. It is also found in ice cream, spreads, cream cakes, sauces, pizzas … In addition, traces have been detected in fruit juices, manufacturers use it to clarify their products.
Halal candy: the alternative to pig gelatin
To adapt to market demand, manufacturers now offer alternatives to traditional confectionery, most of which contain porcine gelatin. At this point, you know that most of the sweet treats that children and adults love are made of gelatin of animal origin, which gives them their consistency. That said, to meet the needs of a market estimated at 2 million consumers in France, manufacturers are vying for ingenuity to offer halal variants.
Thus, Haribo has been marketing for several years already a variation of several of its star candies with starch, agar-agar, or gellan gum, instead of animal gelatin. You can therefore consume the famous Dragibus without contravening the precepts of Islam. Other brands choose beef gelatin, certified halal. Finally, it should be remembered that Turkish manufacturers, pioneers in this field, have been offering halal candies based on beef gelatin or vegetable gelatin for several years.
