Is Marshmallows Halal?

Gelatin is not an additive here, it is the product

In most sweets gelatin is one ingredient among many. In a marshmallow it is structural. The confection is essentially sugar syrup whipped with gelatin to trap air, and the gelatin is what stops it collapsing. There is no way to make a conventional marshmallow without a gelling agent, which is why this is one of the few products where the halal question is almost always live.

The gelatin used in mainstream European and American marshmallow production is predominantly porcine, because pigskin gelatin has the bloom strength and cost profile the confectionery industry wants.

What is in a standard marshmallow

Glucose syrup, sugar, dextrose, water, gelatin, and flavouring and colour. Some include cornflour or a dusting starch. The pink ones may be coloured with carmine, though synthetic reds are more common now.

The versions that are halal

Halal marshmallows are now widely available. Several brands manufacture specifically for halal and kosher markets using bovine gelatin from certified slaughter, and the vegan category has grown quickly using aquafaba — the liquid from cooked chickpeas — which whips remarkably like egg white. Both are stocked by mainstream supermarkets in the UK and increasingly elsewhere.

Where marshmallows hide

The bag in the sweets aisle is obvious. These are less so:

• Breakfast cereals with marshmallow pieces
• Hot chocolate sachets with mini marshmallows included
• Rocky road, s'mores and marshmallow-topped desserts
• Ice cream with marshmallow swirl or pieces
• Marshmallow fluff and creme spreads, which use egg white in some recipes and gelatin in others
• Cereal bars and snack bars with a nougat or marshmallow layer

Anywhere a recipe needs a light, chewy white filling, gelatin is the likely mechanism.

How to check in the shop

The fastest signal is a vegetarian or vegan claim on the front of the pack. Gelatin is never vegetarian, so the claim and the ingredient are mutually exclusive. Failing that, a halal certification mark confirms the gelatin source. If neither is present and the ingredient list says only "gelatine", assume pork on a European or American product.

Making them yourself

Marshmallows are one of the easier confections to make at home, and substituting halal bovine gelatin, fish gelatin or agar for the standard product works well. Agar sets firmer and needs a slightly different technique; aquafaba produces a softer, more meringue-like result.