Everyone loves Hershey's chocolate! With their smooth texture and lovely brown colour, these little bars of goodness taste great and make you feel blessed, happy, and relieved.
Get a free sample pack!
It’s no argument that a bar or two of this lovely treat, would brighten anyone's day. But as devout Muslims, before we nibble on this soft creamy chocolate bar, we have to unravel the halal status of these chocolates.
In this article, we would discuss the ingredients used in the production of these lovely treats and the reasons why they may be considered haram or halal.
Let’s answer the big question; Is Hershey Halal?
Most people adore Hershey's chocolate, but faithful Muslims would always need more than that. All the delightful taste won't mean much if it breaches the halal rule.
Hershey's Bar Servings
There's a smile in every Hershey Bar! If you’re familiar with this slogan, then you would be familiar with one or more of these different flavours of Hershey's Chocolate Bars;
- Milk Chocolate Bar
- Special Dark Bar with Almonds
- Cookies & Creme Bar
- Gold Bar
- Air Delight Bar
- White Creme
- Hershey's Kisses
- Hershey's Extras
- Hershey's Milk Chocolate n Reese's Bar
All of these different varieties of Hershey's bars can only be said to be halal if halal ingredients are used in their production.
Hershey's Ingredients
Some of the ingredients used in making these brown bars of goodness are;
Milk Chocolate
This is one of the most common ingredients in sweets, candies, and pastries. Milk chocolates can stay for more than ten months if stored properly. They can even be consumed alone and are considered halal unless soiled.
Cane sugar
We have other types of sugar, but this is the preferred choice in chocolate making because it does not change colour or ruin the flavour of the cacao. Cane sugar is produced mainly in Central and South America, from the sugar cane plant.
While this sugar is of plant source its refinement process might involve the use of animal pigment or plant source. If a halal purification method is used the chocolate bar is considered halal.
Lecithin
We have various sources of lecithin, when gotten from halal sources it becomes halal. Most times it's gotten from soy which is of plant origin and halal.
Lecithin aids the smooth binding of the milk, sugar, and cocoa solids to the cocoa butter. It is an emulsifier, that is added to chocolate to increase its thickness when it melts.
Milk
Milk is added to chocolates to give that rich sweet and creamy taste they have. Condensed or liquid milk is preferred. Regardless of the type of milk used, most of the commercially available milk is halal.
However, some milk contains some additives from pig origins and is hence prohibited.
Cocoa butter
Butter is known for one specific purpose, to lubricate and suspend sugar particles. Cocoa butter has a weak flavour, hence it does not add much to the flavour of the chocolate.
It is mostly gotten from cacao beans by the process of fermentation, a process with debatable halal status but often considered halal.
Milk fat
Milk chocolate is produced using milk fat, it plays an important role in its flavour and texture. It is preferably used in dark chocolate to control texture and other physical qualities.
These fats are gotten from buffalos or cows and are not halal, you may want to avoid any Hershey bar with this.
Vegetable oil
Hershey's chocolate bars replaced cocoa beans with vegetable oil, giving their Hershey's bars its creamy flavour while making them crumble easily in your mouth.
Various vegetable oils can be used but two of the most popular ones are sunflower oil and palm oil, both are considered halal.
Almonds
Almonds are used in some Hershey specials. They make a delectable combination with the Hersheys bar. In addition to having a universally appealing flavour, almonds offer countless nutritional advantages.
Almonds are grown in western Asia and are completely halal.
Baking soda
Baking soda acts as a leavening agent in the production of chocolates, It gives the chocolates a porous nature thereby causing them to expand. Baking Sodas are halal!
Natural and Artificial flavours
Initially vanillin, a plant-based artificial flavour was used to give Hershey’s bars its unique taste. Over time they replaced it with natural flavours which are not just halal but healthier.
Most of the products used in the production of Hersey bars are halal, hence if not soiled in the process it's safe to say some Hersey bars are halal.
Let's see what we can find out about the production process.
Hersey production process
Most of us love these bite-sized bars but few of us bother about how they are produced. Hershey's bar milk chocolate is made with fresh milk from nearby farmers.
The method used in the production was unique and new, as it was created by Milton Hershey himself who is the country's first man to mass-produce chocolate.
Not much is known about the method, as it remains an industry secret. Experts believe that milk is broken down leading to the production of butyric acid, which stabilises the milk and prevents excess fermentation giving the bar a tangy flavour.
There have been many changes in processes and ingredients it's quite difficult to keep up, but according to the company they are halal and have the necessary certification. They claimed to eliminate all forms of contamination and work towards meeting the halal standard.
So finally, you've got another item to your list of sugary halal treats. But for healthier options, Chewwies always top the chart.