Are Skittles Halal [2023 Update]?


We couldn’t find any ingredients in Skittles (that are sold in the US) that make it non-halal. However, Mars Wrigley (Skittles’ owners) informed us that skittles may “not fit with a halal diet”.

Skittles is a fruity candy that we never questioned whether it was halal or not. They’ve always been popular. Which peaked our interest and was another food we added to our list to find out whether it was halal or not.

If you’ve read some of our articles on Halal Guidance, you’d know by now that we immediately reach out to companies to find out their official response when asked whether their food is halal or not.

Mars Wrigley’s (Skittles’ Owner) Official Response

To get the answer on whether Skittles are halal or not, we reached out Mars Wrigley (the brand that owns Skittles). Here’s what we asked them:

Hello,

Hope Your day is going well.

I wanted to know if Skittles is halal? if not, what is the ingredient used that does not qualify it to be halal?

P.S i appreciate your promptly response regarding my previous inquiry about Starburst. Really appreciate your help!

Thank you, much appreciated!!

Halal Guidance Team

They responded by saying:

Hi, 

Thank you for contacting Mars Wrigley. We appreciate your inquiry about our SKITTLESĀ®.

Unfortunately, we do not have a list of products suitable for a halal diet. However, we do have many products within our range that are suitable for a vegetarian diet.

To ensure that our consumers are able to make an educated decision if our products are suitable for their dietary needs, all of our products will state if they are suitable for vegetarians as well as an ingredient list.  

Please note that we do not add alcohol to our current range of products, but we would always recommend checking the ingredients before.

I hope this information helps. Have a great day and be safe!

Mars Wrigley Representative

They were quick to respond which was nice, however their response was rather vague. We were more looking for a binary response. Suitability of a halal diet still does not negate it from being permissible to eat.

We understand that they styled it that way to protect themselves legally, but we still wanted an answer.

Do Skittles Have Gelatin?

The ingredients list in Skittles shows that it does not contain Gelatin. Many of their products are actually vegetarian. We still encourage you to do your own research and read the ingredients list!

If you’re looking for other halal candy, then check out our compiled list of halal gummies for more sweet options to add to your grocery list!

Ingredients in Skittles – Are They Halal?

To get a concrete answer on whether it is permissible to consume, we wanted to look at the ingredients list to see if it contains Gelatin or any skeptical ingredient. Here’s what we found (source):

  • Sugar
  • Corn Syrup
  • Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
  • Citric Acid
  • Tapioca Dextrin
  • Modified Corn Starch
  • Natural and Artificial Flavours
  • Colors (with Tartrazine)
  • Sodium Citrate
  • Carnauba Wax

We were definitely surprised to not see Gelatin on the list as that is the main concern when covering many products. A quick glace from the list above did not raise any eye brows and we were unable to identify any ingredients that is haram.

Who Claims Skittles are Halal or Haram and Why?

The following sources claim that Skittles are halal because they claim that all ingredients are vegetrian friendly, as they no longer contain Cochineal.

  1. Vegknowledge
  2. Metro
  3. MuftiSays
  4. HalalLife

The Following sources found Skittles not halal:

  1. VeganFirst

They claim that it is not vegan because it contains E120. E 120 is used for the red colouring, it’s sourced from crushed carcasses of the female Dactylopius coccus, a cactus-feeding scale insect, and are killed by being boiled in hot water, or left out in the sunlight, or by heat in the oven.

We reached out to Skittles again to ask them about whether E120 is present in Skittles.

Here’s what we asked them:

Hey, 

Thank you for your response. I had one follow up question. 
Do Skittles contain E120? I read online that Skittles contain E120 which gives the skittles the red dye colour. 

Thanks

Halal Guidance Team

They responded back by saying

Hi, 

Thank you for contacting Mars Wrigley. We appreciate your inquiry about our SKITTLESĀ®.

Unfortunately, we do not have a list of products suitable for a halal diet. However, we do have many products within our range that are suitable for a vegetarian diet.

To ensure that our consumers are able to make an educated decision if our products are suitable for their dietary needs, all of our products will state if they are suitable for vegetarians as well as an ingredient list.  

Please note that we do not add alcohol to our current range of products, but we would always recommend checking the ingredients before.

I hope this information helps. Have a great day and be safe!

Mars Wrigley Representative

Given their response, the presence of E120 is skittles is unknown at this time.

Halal Candy Alternatives to Skittles If You Still Find Skittles Not Halal Enough

Let’s face it, everyone has a different threshold as to what is halal or not. Some people living in North America ONLY eat halal chicken for example, while others don’t mind eating regular chicken.

Therefore, we’ve included a list below of other candies you may want to consider if you’re not comfortable eating skittles:

Amr

I am a Muslim that has been living in North America for more than a decade. I am keen on knowing which foods, lifestyle choices, and financial decisions that are halal or not. I enjoy sharing this information with my readers and do the research myself so that readers don't have to.

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