Are Smarties Halal? Discover the Real Facts

In the world of sweets, smarties are widely popular. For their irresistible taste, smarties products are liked by children and adults alike. Furthermore, they are more commonly used by kids for decorating their cakes.

One of the most frequently asked questions by the Muslim community is about the halal status of products. They are liking these sweet bites with a question in their minds: Are Smarties Halal?

According to smartie’s official website “all of our products lack Halal certification”. However, this statement does not apply to all countries. Every country has its own accreditation bodies to determine halal status. Some countries sell Smarties products with a halal logo. Let’s delve deeper to determine which Smarties products are halal and in which regions.

Smarties is the name of a brand that specialises  in making chocolates and candies. It originally began in 1937 in the UK by Rowntree, a company also famous for making aero and KitKat. These iconic sweet treats won the hearts of people and gained popularity globally.

In 1949, smarties made their debut in US under smarties candy company which has remained successful in making Flavourful candies. However, the smarties in the US and those outside the U.S. are completely different products, even though they share the same name.

In the U.S., Smarties are owned by Smarties Candy Company and produce tart tablet candies. On the other hand, the Smarties outside the U.S. are owned by Nestlé and consist of chocolate-filled shells.

The Candies by smarties are made with dextrose, citric acid, calcium stearate, colours and flavours. All these ingredients lack animal based components . Candies by US smarties are vegan, with no doubtful item. So, Muslims can eat them.

Chocolate Smarties are made with a blend of ingredients that  are as under:

Sugar, skimmed milk powder, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, glucose syrup, wheat flour, whey powder product (milk), butterfat (milk), vegetable fats (palm, shea), starch, emulsifier (lecithins), colors (beetroot red, carotenes, curcumin), flavorings, spirulina concentrate, glazing agents (carnauba wax, beeswax white), vegetable concentrates (safflower, radish), barley malt extract, and milk chocolate (which contains vegetable fats in addition to cocoa butter) are used to make smarties products by Nestle.

The doubtful ingredients regarding Halal status include whey powder product ,butterfat ,lecithins flavourings, and colours. All of these ingredients require verification to ensure they are halal.

Smarties products are halal in Muslim majority countries like UAE, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and other middle eastern countries. However, in other countries with small Muslims populations, smarties products often lack halal certification.

While the ingredients listed above are plant-based or dairy based there is risk of cross contamination in absence of halal certification. Australia is an exception with nestle confirming that our some products are halal certified by relevant accreditation authorities. So always check for halal logo on packaging.

This article  aimed to explore halal status of smarties products both those produced by Nestlé and the smarties company. While these products are halal in some countries, their status remains uncertain in others.

The Ingredients used are plant based or dairy based. However, Muslims should avoid products lacking a halal logo as there is a risk of cross contamination.