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Is Starburst halal?

Starburst Halal
Wrigley’s Starburst is a well-known candy and it can be found in almost every convenience or grocery store. This square-shaped, fruit-flavoured sweet is adored by many but those who wonder “is Starburst halal” might be confused about its ingredients. 
Today we are solving the dilemma of whether Starburst is halal or haram.

Halal certification

Wrigley has stated that they use vegetarian-friendly ingredients in their US-made Starburst, and they will keep it that way indefinitely, but that doesn’t mean they do not contain alcohol or any meat derivatives.

That being said, Starburst is not halal-certified for the time being. When you buy candy like Chewwies, you can be 100% sure it’s halal. But, with companies like Wrigley’s that might be tricky, especially if they don’t have certification. So, let’s take a closer look at what Starburst truly is made of.

Halal certification Starburst

Ingredient list

The ingredient list of Starburst products is different based on the location (as you will see in the next paragraph about gelatin). The ones being sold in the United States have a bit different ingredients than those in the United Kingdom. So, let’s check them both out.

Starburst in the United States Ingredients:

  • Corn Syrup
  • Sugar
  • Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
  • Citric Acid
  • Icing Sugar
  • Tapioca Dextrin
  • Natural And Artificial Flavours
  • Gelatin
  • Apple Juice From Concentrate
  • Modified Corn Starch
  • Colours (With Tartrazine)

Starburst in the United Kingdom Ingredients:

  • Glucose Syrup
  • Sugar
  • Palm Fat
  • Concentrated Fruit Juices 1.4%* (Apple, Orange, Blackcurrant, Strawberry, Lime, Lemon)
  • Acid Citric Acid
  • Modified Starch
  • Acid Malic Acid
  • Dextrin, Flavourings
  • Maltodextrin
  • Antioxidant Ascorbic Acid
  • Emulsifier Lecithin
  • Colours Anthocyanins
  • Beta-Carotene
  • Spirulina Extract

At first glance, it seems that there is no alcohol in the Starburst candy, but what caught our attention is the presence of Gelatin in the US variant.

Gelatin in Starburst

The ingredients of Starburst candy differ around the world. Starburst in the United States contains either Gelatin or Confectioner’s Glaze.

As any Muslim knows, pork products are haram so we took a closer look at whether the Gelatin used in Starburst that is being sold in the United States is halal or haram.

After some digging, we found from two sources that the Gelatin used in US’s Starburst is made from beef. That is good news to the halal community, but there might be something else that is considered haram.

Before we continue, we’d like to mention that Starburst made in the United Kingdom contains no gelatin and they stated they are halal-friendly.

Gelatin in Starburst

Alcohol in Starburst

Even though there is no alcohol listed in the ingredient list, what worries us is the fruition of the alcohol in the flavouring during the production of candy. No information was found whether there is alcohol or at what percentage it might be present.

It is known that some brands that contain vanilla extract include a small percentage of alcohol during the processing stage of the candy.

When looking at some Islamic scholars, they draw the line at intoxication. If you eat something and it intoxicates you, it is not permitted therefore it’s not halal.

As we found no evidence that Starburst contains alcohol at all, it is up to you to decide whether it’s halal or not, but make sure to read the label before consuming it because they might change the ingredients at some point. If you want to be on the safe side, you can enjoy 100% halal gummies and give your body an energy boost because they are loaded with vitamins and made from natural ingredients only.