Are M&Ms Halal or Haram?
You must be a fan of M&M no matter where you live on the planet. Muslims may wonder whether M&Ms are halal or haram because some of the candies contain animal-derived gelatin, which is prohibited.
M&M tweeted that their products might not be suitable for a halal diet. They use some additives derived from non-slaughtered animals, which is prohibited. If you live in a Muslim country, M&M’s are halal for you because the manufacturing process uses halal slaughtered animals.
M&M’s UK answered a customer who asked about them being halal:
Sometimes when the manufacturing company says that their product is not halal it means that it is not halal certified. A food product or candy can be halal even if it’s not halal certified. We need to figure out the ingredients used to manufacture the M&M’s to figure out if they are halal or haram.
Ingredients Of M&M’s
The main ingredients include [source]:
- MILK CHOCOLATE (SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, SKIM MILK, COCOA BUTTER, LACTOSE, MILKFAT, SOY LECITHIN, SALT, NATURAL FLAVOR)
- SUGAR,
- CORNSTARCH
- LESS THAN 2% OF: CORN SYRUP, DEXTRIN, COLORS (INCLUDES BLUE 2 LAKE, BLUE 1 LAKE, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, YELLOW 6 LAKE, RED 40, RED 40 LAKE, BLUE 1, YELLOW 5 LAKE, BLUE 2), CARNAUBA WAX, GUM ACACIA.
Except for one, none of the ingredients on their website raise any red flags. Dextrin is an animal-derived ingredient, and some other food colorings may also be haram as they are derived from animals that are not slaughtered.
Although if you are living in a Muslim country where the animals are always slaughtered as per Islamic law then your M&M’s are halal. M&M’s also includes a halal label on the packaging as well.
When in doubt, always check the ingredients list to ensure that a portion of food is halal.
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Are M&M’s Haram?
If Muslims are unsure about a particular food or drink, they should look at the ingredients. If any haram substance is present in the ingredients, the product is also haram or prohibited.
In the case of M&M’s, they use haram coloring derived from non-slaughtered animals. M&M’s are haram if you live in a non-Muslim country.
Fortunately, M&M’s has halal-certified products in Muslim countries such as the UAE. The halal label can also be found on M&M’s packaging.
FAQs
Are M&M’s halal in the US?
No, unfortunately, the M&M’s are not halal in the US as the ingredients used to manufacture them include non-halal animals.
Are M&M’s halal in Australia?
You can find halal M&M’s in Australia. Just make sure to read the ingredients and the halal label on the packaging.
Are M&M’s Haram in the UK?
No, M&M’s are not halal in the UK. M&Ms themselves tweeted and said that their product is not suitable for a halal diet.
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Final Thoughts
M&M’s contain several food colors which come from animals. All the animals killed in the non-Muslim states are not slaughtered and are haram for Muslims to consume. If you live in a non-Muslim country M&M’s are haram for you. Some Muslim countries like UAE have halal M&M’s. Halal is mentioned on the packaging.
A Muslim should always read the ingredients and follow the halal guidelines of Islam. In doubt, Islam tells Muslims to avoid such products. If you don’t have clear signs that the M&M’s you are buying are halal then it’s better to leave it.
And Allah Knows Best.
