Mars decides that Muslims, Jews, Hindus and vegetarians are no longer worth keeping as customers

Posted by Hamza Isa | Posted in Politics | Posted on 14-05-2007

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mars Mars decides that Muslims, Jews, Hindus and vegetarians are no longer worth keeping as customers

Well, I like chocolate, I enjoy the odd mars bar or snickers bar on occasions or if I am really hungry and nothing else is available….until now!!

Mars has taken the mind boggling business decision to remove Muslims, Jews, Hindus and vegetarians from their customer base – well they must earn so much money! Read here

Muslims and Jews only eat meat that has been slaughtered according to religious laws and Hindus don’t eat animals at all so these three religious groups always look for the vegetarian sign when purchasing food.

I, myself am forever looking at ingredients and trying to work out E-numbers, fumbling around until I see a ‘suitable for vegetarians’ sign and have always marvelled at companies like Rowntrees who ignore such a massive part of society. Rowntrees make sweets like wine gums…hmmm, Wine Gums were one of my favourite sweets (pre Islam) but because they contain haram ingredients I can no longer eat them. Just imagine their increase in sales if they made their sweets without animal ingredients…..!

These food manufacturers have always amazed me but now Mars have just tipped me over the edge because I cannot work out why they don’t want me and millions of other people as customers!

Well, if you follow the Hanafi fiq then you are in luck because Imam Abu Hanifa (ra) says animal rennet is permissable and rennet is what Mars are introducing to their ingredients.

I have found three opinions concerning cheese made with animal rennet.

Q1) One is that since the rennet is haram, the cheese is haram.

Q2) Another is that since the rennet doesn’t remain a part of the cheese- it is only used to separate the curds from the whey, the cheese is halal.

Q3. Another is that the Prophet (saws) ate cheese, therefore it is halal. I am not clear about this particular one and would like to find out in more detail, i.e. was this cheese made using animal rennet?

So, is cheese/whey made using animal rennet halal or haram, according to the Hanafi School?

A1. In the Hanafi School, rennet obtained from an animal slaughtered by a non-Muslim or Muslim in accordance with Islamic law or contrary to it, in all cases is permissible, as long as the animal in question is not a pig.

Most well informed people are adamant that rennet, which is used to make cheese, is not derived from pigs.

A2. Rennet, Rennin as an enzyme is used in the food industry for the preparation of cheese by curdling milk. The only way to know whether the source of rennet is animal, plant or microbe is to ask the food industry about it or have it written on the label.

The lawfulness of rennet does not depend on the slaughterer being a Muslim or non-Muslim, in fact it depends upon whether there is life in it or not. The circulation of blood in an organ is the cause of life. No blood flows through rennet, therefore rennet is not a living thing. Therefore, it cannot ‘die’ and it is thus permissible to consume rennet.
[Muslim Food Guide, pg 25-30, http://www.halaal.co.uk ]

A3. It has been narrated in the major hadith collection s from Abdullah ibn Umar (Allah (SWT) be pleased with him and hi s father) that the Prophet (Allah (SWT) bless him and give him peace) was brought cheese in the Battle of Tabuk. He asked for a knife then recited ‘bismillah’ and cut the cheese.’ (Abu Dawud)

Cheese made with animal rennet other than a pig source is halal. The fuqaha explain, however, that it is better to avoid whenever reasonably possible when its source is unknown because of the difference of opinion between the Sunni schools of fiqh regarding its permissibility and the doubt therein.

And Allah (SWT) alone gives success.

Ilyas Patel,
Abu Zahra Institute
Keighley , UK .

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studentofislam

Masterfoods release a new Statement on Current Vegetarian Status

At Mars UK we recently changed the source of some of the whey which is used in some of our chocolate products. We have received lots of feedback that this decision has made it difficult for some of you, especially those of you who are vegetarians, to continue to enjoy our products.

We made a mistake. We apologise.

The consumer is our boss. Therefore we listen to you and your feedback.

As a company we value openness, honesty and diversity and we believe that anybody should be able to choose freely from our range of chocolate brands.

But being sorry isn’t enough. Therefore we commit to you today, that we at Mars UK will ensure that a selection of your favourite brands – Mars bars, Snickers bars, Galaxy and Maltesers, will be suitable for vegetarians in the near future. To this effect we are starting to change our manufacturing process today.

We will keep you informed of our progress against this commitment through regular updates on this website.

Please accept our apology
Shiona

I read in the paper yesterday (21/05/07) that masterfoods are going back to using vegetarian versions effective immediately but products on the shelves with a best before date of 1st october are not suitable for vegetarians, so eat away people. (just double check i got it right first though)
p.s can anyone makes Bassets change ingredients in 'Refreshers' to make them suitable for vegetarians? They're my faviourite sweets
Safi

Please call up Masterfoods on 0800 952 1234 to complain. There is also a petition to sign at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/MarsWhey/petition.html

Updates available here:
http://masterfoodspetition.blogspot.com/

Thanks.
Seeker of True Knowledge

The basic principle in the Religion concerning food is that it is lawful unless evidence is brought to show that it is unlawful.

Allaah ta'ala said: "He is the One Who created for you everything on the earth..."

With regards to the animal rennet, then as long as it's not from the pig then it may be permissible if those companies are owned and operated by the People of the Book (i.e. The Christians and the Jews).

This is so because it is very clearly stated in the Allaah's Book, that their food is permissible.

Allaah ta'ala said: "The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals, etc.) of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you and yours is lawful to them..."

Now this affair returns to some discussions that took place in the 'Halaal Food' Section concerning the ruling on imported meats. The 'Ulamaa have mentioned that it is not from righteousness to ask about the food, once it is established that is it from the People of the Book. This is due to several ahaadeeth in which the Prophet salallahu 'alaihi wa sallam ate from the meat of the People of the Book, and he didn't ask 'How did you slaughter it' or questions like this. Another time he instructed the Companions to say bismillah and eat from it, without ordering them to investigate its origin and its manner of slaughter. And these ahadeeth are authentic.

An example of this is what has been narrated by Imaamul Bukhaaree in his Saheeh, there occurs: "...Our people come to us with meat and we do not know whether the Name of Allaah was mentioned over it or not. He (salallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: 'Pronounce His Name over it yourselves and eat it.'"

And also the narration is which a Jewish woman offered the Prophet salallahu 'alaihi wa sallam some meat and he ate from it without asking any of these things.

But as Shaykh Al Faqeeh Muhammad ibn Saalih Al 'Uthaymeen rahimahullah stated, that if one prefers not to eat from the People of the Book due to wara'a (i.e. due to leaving off some halaal things due to the fear of Allaah) then it is acceptable from him/her. But it is not permissible to declare the food of the People of the Book unlawful, and it is a dangerous thing indeed. The individuals who do this make something haraam that Allaah has made halaal. This could amount to shirk.

So knowing and considering these issues that we mentioned, the topic is not one of worry inshaAllaah except for the ones who speak in the issue from desires and not based upon the clear evidences and Allaah ta'ala knows best.

===========================
With regards to Calf rennet, we said before that as long as the food is free from the Pig or parts of the Pig (pig fat etc), then it is permissible with the condition that the people in charge of these companies are from the People of the Book, because Allaah made their food permissible.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

THE ABOVE WAS POSTED ON A WEBSITE.

CAN YOU TELL ME:

1). In our modern times - don't we have a choice as to consume foods that we are extreemly sure off. I mean. There are lots of different types of cheeses out there, some we are sure of and some we are not sure of, this means that we as Muslims have a choice to choose the ones we are definitely certain off, right?

2). If we have choices, why do some (those who claim to be sholars or have so much proof), fight to say that the undoubtful foods are permissible, it is undoubtful which I think means that we should stay away from it. Some claim that we should partake of it until proof comes it is strictly doubtful. I claim we should not parttake unitl it is proven Halal.

3). Which countries are "countries of the people of the book". Any given country in the world, contains Muslims, Jews and Christians. SO exactly which country can we eat from, or which business place can we eat from. Is that statement above saying, that we can go into any christian/jew extablishment or restaurant and eat to our fill, because they are people of the book?
Abdullaah

Assalaamualaikum

The habit of loving chocolates can be replaced by having dry fruits or dates (the most nourishing and nutrituous food, even a single date is enough for 24 hrs in extreme conditions)in their place. Dates shall be taken with the intention of practising sunnah.

Assalaamualaikum
Mars Campaign

We've set up a website to campaign against the move:

Please visit: www.marscampaign.org

Thanks.

Rowntrees is part of the Nestlé group of companies, if I'm not mistaken. The make fruit pastelles, and fruit gums.

Wine Gums etc & Refreshers are made by bassets, part of Cadbury Schwepps Basetts.

The two types of products both contain Gelatin, derived from bones of more or less any animal they can find.

The Rennet used in Mars/Masterfoods chocolate is derived from Veal, young calves, and not from pigs - however there are many muslims who feel very strongly against the use of any animal ingredients and processing agents in their chocolate.
muhammad

salams bro

it's no loss, chocolate is pretty unpleasant stuff. if you're feeling peckish, why not grab a bag of nuts or some other snack?