Are M&Ms Halal in USA, UK, Dubai And Pakistan?

M&M’s are a popular chocolate candy that is enjoyed by people around the world, but, are M&Ms halal? We will look at the Islamic perspective on M&Ms and discuss whether or not it is halal or haram according to Islamic law.

Are M&Ms Halal?

The short answer is no, M&M’s are not halal-friendly. This is because they contain ingredients that are not allowed in a halal diet, such as non-slaughtered animals. In addition to animal products, M&M’s also contain artificial colors that may be derived from non-halal sources such as insects.

In addition, M&M tweeted that their products might not be suitable for a halal diet. According to them, they use some additives that came from animal products and traces of these can found in the sweets.

M&M’s UK said it in a tweet that went viral in 2019 that the animal derived products are not listed in the ingredients because they are only present in small amount.

Ingredients In M&MS 

According to the M&M’s website, the official ingredient list for regular M&M’s are:

• Milk Chocolate (sugar, chocolate, skim milk, cocoa butter, lactose, milk fat, salt, soy lecithin, salt, artificial and natural flavor) 
• Sugar
• Cornstarch
• And less than 1% of the following:
• Corn Syrup
• Dextrin
• Artificial Colors (Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 6, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Yellow 6 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 2 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.

As you can see, “natural flavor” is one of the ingredients listed above.

One little secret that is kept from many is that natural flavor may not be halal. In fact, natural flavor is often an umbrella term describing several ingredients which can either be derived from a plant or animal source, and therefore, may not be halal.

You may also like: Are Jolly Ranchers Halal? EVERYTHING You Need to Know

Is M&M Peanut halal

No, M&M peanut are not halal. Unfortunately, pretty much all kinds of M&Ms currently contain some ingredients, they are not suitable for halal eaters.

Are Crispy M&Ms Halal?

No, crispy M&Ms are not halal. Unfortunately, pretty much all kinds of M&Ms currently contain some ingredients, they are not suitable for halal eaters.

Is M&M halal in USA

No, M&Ms is not halal in US. This is because they contain ingredients that are not allowed in a halal diet, such as non-slaughtered animals.

Are M&Ms Halal in UK

No, M&M’s are not halal in the United kingdom. The M&M’s that are sold in the UK contain a couple of animal-sourced ingredients the US version doesn’t.

In the UK you will find carmine, an animal-based ingredient that is often used to create a red coloring within foods as artificial coloring and beeswax as a coating.

Are M&M’s Halal in Dubai

Yes, M&Ms might be halal in Dubai. If you live in a Muslim country and you know that the authorities there go out of the way to ensure that everything that comes through their borders is halal, you can be confident that you can buy and eat anything including M&Ms.

Are M&M’s Halal in Pakistan

Yes, M&Ms might be halal in Pakistan. If you live in a Muslim country and you know that the authorities there go out of the way to ensure that everything that comes through their borders is halal, you can be confident that you can buy and eat anything including M&Ms.

General Rule

It is a rule of thumb that anything that contains haram ingredients is haram. Nowadays, with modern production of food, canned food, and the likes, we have a vast array of products that are either ambiguous or confusing.

We spend a lot of time reading the ingredients on the shelves in supermarkets and this may cause a lot of hardship. However, it is best to be safe rather than sorry.

If you live in a Muslim country like Saudi Arabia or Kuwait, for example, and you know that the authorities there go out of the way to ensure that everything that comes through their borders is halal, you can be confident that you can buy and eat anything with the grace of Allah.

If you in Europe or the US, then you should be very careful. Some ingredients, such as pork products and haram meat, are clearly haram, while others, such as vegetarian products, sea creatures, and halal meat slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, are clearly halal.

Halal Alternatives To M&Ms

Just because M&M’s are off of the list of approved halal sweet treats doesn’t mean you can’t indulge from time to time!

Luckily there are plenty of other halal candies that can satisfy your sweet tooth. Here are a few vegan options that are sure to cure any sugar cravings:

Unreal Chocolate

Unreal Chocolate are a great halal substitute for peanut M&M’s. They are not artificially colored and they are coated with delicious dark chocolate. They reimagined our favorite foods using only real, basic ingredients and considerably less sugar.

Here’s what they offer:

• Dark Chocolate Crispy Quinoa Gems: a healthier alternative to crispy M&Ms
• Dark Chocolate Peanut Gems: a healthier alternative to peanut M&Ms
• Milk Chocolate Gems: a healthier alternative to traditional M&Ms”

Doisy & Dam

Doisy and Dam’s chocolate is made from ethically sourced cocoa, contains only natural ingredients, and always palm oil and dairy-free. They are very committed to making everything natural and halal-friendly.

Cocomels

Cocomels (the name comes from coconut milk caramels). Sweets are created with premium ingredients that are vegan & halal.

Here’s what they offer:

• Cocomels Sea Salt Chocolate (coconut milk caramel rolled in 60% dark chocolate). Amazing alternative for dark chocolate M&M’s.
• Cocomels Crispy Bites (allulose based dark chocolate covered in crisped quinoa).

Little Secrets

Little secrets bring back the chocolate classics and make them even better with irresistible, high-quality ingredients.

Here’s what they offer:

• Little Secrets Dark Chocolate Pieces – Peanut Butter Flavor Chocolate Piecess. A fair trade chocolate (55% dark chocolate) alternative for peanut butter M&M’s.
• Little Secrets Toasted Coconut Dark Chocolate Pieces. An amazing alternative for coconut M&Ms.

No Whey! Chocolate

These halal chocolate candies have a peppermint flavor with crunchy white and green coatings, without the use of artificial colors.

These candies are natural, vegan, nut-free, gluten-free, soy-free and halal in most cases.

Here’s what they offer:

• Milk like chocolate candies (great substitute for regular M&M’s)
• Peppermint no no’s – which have an amazing milkless chocolate center, a wonderful natural colored candy covering, and a pleasant Peppermint flavor which as you can imagine are a great substitute for mint M&M’s

Final thoughts

Unfortunately for their many fans out there, M&Ms are not a halal product, as they contain multiple ingredients that make them unsuitable for Muslims to eat.

Some colorings that are not halal-friendly are present in these candies. However, there are lots of M&M alternatives to try that offer a great experience without the guilt!