Recently Masterfoods decided to start using non-vegetarian whey in its chocolate products, including Mars, Twix, Maltesers and Snickers.

They were forced by consumer pressure to confirm that their products contain traces of animal rennet (the lining of calves stomachs) and therefore making their products Haraam and not permissible for the Muslim community to eat.

The uproar about Mars products no longer being suitable for vegetarians, forced them to revert to their original ingredients which will again be Halaal for the Muslim and vegetarian communities.

Imam Asjad of the Abu Bakr Mosque (Southall) was informed that “in the future most of their products will again be suitable for vegetarians”. However, they also pointed out that many products that were made from animal rennet are already in the shops and on the shelves. The simplest and most sensible option is to avoid eating their products for the time being.

It should be remembered that if a chocolate is halaal, for example Mars, then it does not necessarily mean that the drink s Halaal and vice versa.

Just because a snickers or mars standard bar maybe halaal, it does not necessarily mean that the celebration version of it is halaal, this is because the celebrations are made of slightly different ingredients.