Snack foods are one of the trickiest categories for halal-conscious consumers. Crisps, sweets, chocolate bars, biscuits, and energy bars often contain unexpected non-halal ingredients including porcine gelatin in gummy sweets and animal-derived flavour enhancers in savoury crisps.
Why Snack Foods Require Extra Care
The snack food industry relies heavily on emulsifiers, stabilisers, flavourings, and colourings that can be derived from animal sources:
- Gelatin — used in marshmallows, gummy sweets, and yoghurt-coated snacks. Often porcine (pig-derived) unless stated otherwise
- Carmine / Cochineal (E120) — a red dye from crushed insects, used in some fruit-flavoured sweets
- L-Cysteine (E920) — an amino acid used in baked goods, historically sourced from pig bristles though now also produced synthetically
- Natural flavours — can include pork-derived flavour carriers or alcohol-based flavour extracts
- Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471) — can be animal-derived; look for plant-based or halal-certified versions
Reading Snack Food Labels
- Check for a halal logo first from an accredited certification body
- Scan for gelatin — if listed, the source must be halal (bovine or fish)
- Look up E numbers using our Halal Ingredient Checker
- Check the origin of natural flavours — contact the manufacturer if no certification is present
- Assess manufacturing site risk — shared lines with pork products carry cross-contamination risk
Common Snack Categories and Halal Status
Crisps and Savoury Snacks
Plain crisps (potato or corn with only salt) are generally halal. Flavoured varieties including barbecue, cheese and onion, and prawn cocktail frequently contain animal-derived flavour enhancers. Look for vegetarian-certified or halal-certified flavoured crisps.
Gummy Sweets and Jelly Candies
Most mainstream gummy bears and jelly sweets contain porcine gelatin. Halal-certified alternatives use bovine or fish gelatin. Some vegetarian pectin-based versions are also halal-safe.
Chocolate and Confectionery
Plain chocolate is generally halal. Risks arise with alcohol-based flavourings (rum and raisin, brandy cream), E471 from animal fat, porcine gelatin in soft centres, and E120 red colouring. Browse certified confectionery suppliers in our Halal Business Directory.
Biscuits and Cookies
Most commercial biscuits use vegetable oils rather than lard. Check for E920 (L-cysteine) in the raising agents section.
Protein Bars and Energy Snacks
Protein bars often contain gelatin as a binder or collagen from animal sources. See our guide to Halal Supplements for more on this category.
Practical Shopping Tips
- Buy from halal specialist retailers who pre-vet their stock
- Default to vegetarian-certified snacks as a useful proxy when halal certification is absent
- Contact manufacturers — most major brands can confirm ingredient sourcing
- Check imported products carefully as certification standards vary by country
For businesses looking to certify snack products, explore our Certifier Directory or list your halal-certified products in our Business Directory. See also our guide on Halal Certification Renewal.