Nutella 'not halal' tweet leaves Muslims with a bitter taste

A tweet by hazelnut chocolate spread brand Nutella has sent Muslims fans into a frenzy after the company declared on Saturday that its product was "not halal", forcing the maker to walk-back its earlier comment days later. 

Responding to a question on Twitter on whether Nutella was "halal", the Arabic word for permissible or lawful usually associated with dietary laws in Islam, Nutella USA responded saying: "No, they are not halal", leaving many Muslim chocoholics heartbroken.

Some fans proceeded to defend the brand, explaining to others that while Nutella is not halal certified, it is permissible to enjoy as long as it does not contain any haram - the Arabic word for "forbidden" - ingredients. 

"It's just not certified halal but it is halal by definition as long as there are no animal by products (aside from dairy) or any alcohol in it," one Twitter user said.

Others were left heartbroken, assuming the company does not want any Muslim consumers. 

"So u hate Muslims is what ur saying?" someone asked, replying to Nutella's tweet. 

Some responded angrily, slamming the brand for playing the role of a "Muslim scholar council of chocolate".

"@NutellaUSA are you the new Muslim scholar council of chocolate? Why are you telling people what's halal or not?" said a Twitter user.

"This is a typical example of a company's social media account answering a question they don't have proper knowledge about," another user said.

Some users admitted that they would continue to consume the chocolate spread, regardless of what is used in its making.

"I will eat nutella even if it had orphan tears as an ingredient," said one Twitter user.

The backlash prompted the company to issue a statement explaining its position.

"All Nutella sold worldwide is suitable for Halal consumption," the brand clarified in a tweet.

"Over 90% of the industrial plants producing Nutella are already Halal certified by a third party and we are in the process of certifying the remaining plants. We apologize for the mistake made in our earlier tweet." 

As per US and Canadian laws, a halal label which certifies that the features and quality of the products abide by Islamic law rules, is not required on products that do not include meat or additives.

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