Are Sour Patch Kids Halal?

Sour Patch Kids are a popular soft and chewy candy manufactured by Mondelēz International. With their sour then sweet taste and fun advertising, Sour Patch Kids have become a favorite candy for both kids and adults alike. But for those who follow a halal diet or are concerned if various candies are halal, an important question arises – are Sour Patch Kids halal?

A Background on Halal Foods

Halal refers to foods and products that adhere to Islamic dietary laws. For a food to be considered halal, it must meet certain requirements:

• The food does not contain any pork or pork by-products. Pork consumption is expressly prohibited in Islam.
• The food does not contain blood or blood by-products.
• The food does not contain alcohol or intoxicants. Even small amounts of alcohol used during processing or manufacturing would make the final product haram or forbidden.
• The animals from which any meat or meat by-products are obtained must be slaughtered according to zabiha, Islamic ritual slaughter. This involves making a fatal incision with a sharp knife while invoking Allah’s name.
• Any animal fat used must also come from a halal slaughtered animal.
• The food must be free from cross-contamination with haram or non-halal items during processing.

So do Sour Patch Kids measure up when looked at through the lens of these Islamic dietary laws? Let’s take a closer look at their ingredients and manufacturing process.

Ingredients in Sour Patch Kids

Here are the typical ingredients found in Sour Patch Kids candies:

• Sugar
• Corn syrup
• Modified corn starch
• Citric acid
• Gelatin
• Lactic acid
• Titanium dioxide color
• Artificial flavors
• Carnauba wax

Now let’s analyze each one to determine if any raise halal concerns.

Sugar

Refined white sugar is generally considered halal, even though some strict Muslims only consume pure cane sugar to avoid the use of bone char filtration used in the standard refining process. Even then,major Islamic bodies like the Fiqh Council of North America have stated that the tiny amount of bone char residue is considered pure enough not to affect halal status.

As such, the sugar in Sour Patch Kids would be considered halal.

Corn Syrup and Modified Corn Starch

Corn based ingredients like corn syrup and modified corn starch do not pose any problems for halal status unless contaminated with alcohol during processing. There is no evidence to suggest Mondelēz uses alcohol in making these ingredients. As vegetarian products, they align with Islamic dietary laws.

Citric Acid

Citric acid is used to provide Sour Patch Kids with their signature sour taste. Most citric acid today is fermented from GMO corn or molasses, not derived from non-halal animal sources. So citric acid is generally regarded as halal.

Gelatin

Here’s where things get interesting. Gelatin is widely used in confectioneries and candies to provide chewiness and that soft, gummy texture. And gelatin can come from both halal beef sources or non-halal pork sources.

Unless a product is certified halal, there’s no way to conclusively tell where exactly the gelatin is coming from. To play it safe, many Muslims consider gelatin to be mushbooh or questionable due to this uncertainty regarding its origin. They tend to avoid products like marshmallows, gummy bears, Jell-O, and gummy candy due to the gelatin content.

So the gelatin is the one ingredient that casts doubt on whether Sour Patch Kids would be conclusively halal.

Lactic Acid

Lactic acid is most often made from the fermentation of carbohydrates like corn, beets or molasses. It can also at times come from dairy sources, but lactose intolerant individuals have noted eating Sour Patch Kids without issues. So the lactic acid seems to come from the halal corn fermentation process.

Titanium Dioxide Color

Titanium dioxide is a commonly used food coloring agent made from processing minerals. It does not contain any animal products or alcohol. So it does not impact the halal status of Sour Patch Kids.

Artificial Flavors

As is the case with gelatin, the source of any artificial flavors is hard to conclusively determine. They could potentially contain alcohol or non-halal animal byproducts.

So artificial flavors introduce another questionable element regarding Sour Patch Kids and halal compliance.

Carnauba Wax

Carnauba wax is derived from the leaves of a Brazilian palm tree. It does not contain any animal products or alcohol. So it’s halal.

Manufacturing Process

Mondelēz International uses shared facilities and equipment to manufacture a variety of candies including Sour Patch Kids.

So even if all the ingredients checked out as halal, there’s still a risk of cross-contamination with residue from non-halal products during manufacturing. Strict Muslims avoiding gelatin and other doubtful ingredients would want assurances that facilities are thoroughly cleaned between production runs.

The Verdict: Questionably Halal

Given the uncertainty around the gelatin and artificial flavor sources along with shared equipment concerns, mainstream Islamic organizations would likely categorize Sour Patch Kids as Mashbooh or questionable regarding halal status.

While not conclusively haram/non-halal, the doubtful ingredients and manufacturing aspects mean devout Muslims would still avoid them or speak to their religious leaders before consuming.

Halal Certified Alternatives

Luckily for candy lovers, there are some halal certified alternatives:

Sour Patch Kids Halal Candy

 

Candy Company	Halal Certifying Body
Tamimi Markets Sour Power Candy	Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA)

These sour candies made by Tamimi Markets have received halal certification from IFANCA. They would make a good substitute for those wanting extreme sour and sweet flavors along with peace of mind that they meet halal standards under strict Islamic guidelines.

Factors that Impact Halal Status Certification

Several key factors determine whether candies and confectionaries receive official halal certification:

• Ingredient sourcing – All ingredients and raw materials must come from halal slaughtered animals or vegetarian/synthetic sources. Suppliers must provide certification or audit results.
• Production – Manufacturing facilities need to prevent cross-contamination between halal and non-halal ingredients through cleaning protocols, separation of ingredients, etc. Many facilities simply find it easier to use all halal ingredients.
• Testing – Final products are randomly tested to detect traces of pork, alcohol or other contaminants that would render it haram.
• Audits – Food technologists and religious authorities conduct regular site audits of facilities and processes to ensure ongoing halal compliance. Contractors must agree to surprise inspections.

Because it takes considerable effort for brands like Sour Patch Kids to meet these stringent requirements, they often do not seek halal certification. It ultimately comes down to economics and determining if the extra production costs and paperwork make business sense to tap the halal market.

That said, with the rising Muslim population and awareness around halal foods, many experts predict that even candy brands will start looking closer at halal certification in coming years.

Homemade Halal Sour Candy Recipe

Muslims looking to satisfy sweet and sour cravings can try making homemade halal sour gummy candies. It substitutes beef gelatin to keep it halal.

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup cold water
• 1 (3 oz) package halal beef gelatin powder
• 3⁄4 cup white sugar
• 1⁄4 cup light corn syrup
• 1⁄4 teaspoon citric acid
• Carnauba wax
• Halal food coloring (optional)
• Halal sour powder

Instructions

1. Combine water and gelatin in a bowl and let stand for 5 minutes
2. Heat sugar and corn syrup in a pan until sugar dissolves, about 3-5 minutes
3. Remove sugar mixture from heat and stir in gelatin until fully dissolved, about 2 minutes
4. Mix in citric acid and food coloring as desired
5. Pour into a wax paper lined pan coated with carnauba wax
6. Let candy fully set in refrigerator, about 1 hour
7. Cut into small pieces and roll in halal sour powder
8. Store covered at room temperature

This easy gummy candy recipe puts the power back in your hands to create delicious sour patch kids that align with your halal diet.  The whole family can get in the kitchen to mix up a bursting with flavor Islamic-friendly treat.

The Bottom Line

So are Sour Patch Kids halal? The answer is: it’s questionable at best.

While nothing definitively renders them haram, the doubtful gelatin and artificial flavor sources mean traditional Sour Patch Kids don’t meet stricter halal standards. devoted Muslims would still avoid them or select a halal certified version instead.

Luckily, making substitutes at home or opting for Muslim owned candy brands allows kids and adults alike to enjoy these tasty sweet-then-sour treats while adhering to their halal lifestyles.