“This is not about the canons of Islam.” Let's figure out what it means to recognize Alenka chocolate as halal
We explain how halal products differ from regular ones
The large Red October factory, producer of the legendary Alenka chocolate bar, received a certificate confirming that its products comply with halal requirements. And this is the first time in our country when a document was included in the federal system of Rosakcreditation.
— The largest confectionery holding in Russia, United Confectioners, received a Halal certificate from the certification body Roskachestvo - Halal for part of the products of the Red October factory. The corresponding certificate became the first in our country to be included in the federal state information system of Rosakcreditation, says Roskachestvo.
correspondent figured out how halal chocolate differs from regular chocolate, how the religious community reacted to such news, and why some Muslims do not trust the issued certificate and doubt the future halal nature of Alenka.
Halal is now not only “Alenka”
Despite the fact that news only about a chocolate bar with a picture of a cute girl on the packaging went viral on the Internet, in fact, Red October was issued a certificate for mass production of other products. For example, candies “Alenka”, “Grilyazhnye”, “Kozinachki with salt”, “Bird's milk”, as well as dark chocolate “Babaevsky” and “Elite”. There are 11 different titles in total.
The check for compliance with halal requirements and standards was carried out by Roskachestvo employees and leading experts in the field of Sharia. A certificate of compliance in Russia is issued for a period of one to three years. We also note that it can easily be recalled if the manufacturer makes changes to the composition of the product.
What is halal chocolate?
What is halal for most Russians? Usually, halal refers to food that is permitted for Muslims, and most often we are talking about meat. In fact, products permitted by Sharia law should not only contain pork, but also animal fats, additives and dyes, which are classified as “haram”.
For example, confectionery products cannot contain alcoholic beverages, whey and protein, gelatin, carmine, glycerin and emulsifiers of the E471 - E478 series, which include mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, esters and glycerides of acids, esters of sucrose, polyglycerol and propylene glycol.
— For Muslims, halal is truly a kind of food permitted by the Almighty. In addition to meat, we use other products in our diet, and, unfortunately, dairy products and chocolate may contain questionable additives. Therefore, it is not surprising that chocolates are also made halal. This is great news and we fully approve. Halal is not only about religion, it is about food safety. This is an additional quality of product that people can trust,” Abbyas-hazrat Shlyaposhnikov, chairman of the Halal standard committee of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Tatarstan, explained to a 116.RU correspondent.
According to representatives of the committee, Alenka is actually not the first chocolate bar in Russia to become officially halal. There are several certification bodies in our country that issue the official Halal mark. In particular, the Halal Standard Committee in Tatarstan has issued several such certificates to sweet manufacturers over the past decade.
— In the republic, for example, we have three factories that produce halal chocolate. They are just not as well-known and promoted as the Red October factory, which has been operating since Soviet times. Roskachestvo not long ago began to work on the Halal system, but we have been issuing such certificates to manufacturers for a long time,” the committee noted
“It’s all about improving quality”
State Duma deputy Sultan Khamzaev, in a conversation with a 116.RU correspondent, noted that he considers the discussion around Alenka pointless, since in any case, buyers are guided by the Halal sign, understanding that it is equal to the concept of “high quality.”
— Everything related to the halal industry is all about improving quality. By all standards, halal means “everything that is not dangerous to another.” In terms of food, this means the absence of antibiotics, palm oil, and so on. Many of my friends in Moscow, including Orthodox Christians, for example, when choosing chicken, other meat, sausage or sausages, are guided by the “Halal” sign. And this is not because they do not respect their faith, but because they want to feed their family with quality products. Without preservatives, without all kinds of GMOs and other things,” the deputy explained his position.
“The Halal sign gives an advantage, just like the eco sign”
The co-founder of one of the first Tatar halal fast food chains, Tyubetey, Ainur Kamaliev noted that the popularization of halal through such well-known products as Alenka chocolates is no coincidence. First of all, because halal is not only about faith, but also about the quality of products.
— In our network, for example, we check all products for compliance with Halal, we work closely with the Halal Certification Committee. It is very nice that many companies are switching to this internal system. Why? Yes, because it is purity and a certain trust of the consumer in the manufacturer. The composition will definitely not harm the body. Here we are not talking about the canons of Islam, but about cleanliness and safety.
According to the founder of the halal network, not all people who choose halal products are Muslims. Consumers choose Halal-labeled products because they meet a high level of quality.
“Even after trying halal food, you immediately understand how different it is from regular food. All ingredients meet quality standards. It is clear that everyone’s taste preferences are different, but in the case of halal products we are talking about taking care of our health. The Halal sign gives an advantage, just like the Eco sign.
However, as our interlocutor noted, halal products also have a downside - a possible increase in cost. And some manufacturers go too far with this.
— I agree that the ingredients may be more expensive, there are additional expenses and the price may change upward. But it is important not to go too far and not make goods inaccessible to the average consumer; sometimes in stores you see with regret that prices for halal in any category turn out to be unreasonably high simply because of a specific mark,” says Ainur Kamaliev.
"Alenka" has always been halal
The press service of the confectionery holding United Confectioners explained to a 116.RU correspondent that the Red October factory already has international Halal certificates and the production and quality of products already meets all the necessary requirements. Products are actively supplied to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Jordan and Iraq.
— Obtaining a Roskachestvo certificate for the Russian market did not take much time. The certificate makes it possible to apply the appropriate markings to the product label; this is planned, the press service said.
It also turned out that there is no need to wait for halal Alenka to appear on store shelves - all the factory’s products have long ceased to contain ingredients prohibited by Sharia law. Moreover, you don’t need to worry about the price tag on your favorite chocolates going up.
“The recipe does not change after receiving a Russian certificate, just as receiving a certificate does not affect the price of the product in any way,” the 116.RU correspondent was assured.
