Nestlé ® Canada Halal Products and Ingredient Origin FAQ 

Friday, August 25, 2023

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“In Canada, we currently do not facilitate Halal certification, but some imported products do.”

We’re always striving to meet the needs of our diverse consumer group.

 

For our Nestlé products sold in Canada, we currently don’t facilitate halal certification; instead, we rely on the home market of our imported products for that claim. If the product is already certified, we then decide on whether to use the claim. 

We always recommend that consumers verify product packaging for specific halal symbols.  

Halal certified Nestlé products include:   

  • Good Start ® Alsoy Baby Formula  

  • Nido® 1+ Toddler Nutritional Drink  

  • MAGGI Bouillon Cubes 

Although certain products may not be halal certified, we understand that you may still have questions regarding the origin of specific ingredients. Below are a few of our most frequently asked questions pertaining to animal sources, vegetable sources and the use or potential contamination of alcohol:  

Animal or vegetable sources: Are the mono and diglycerides in your products animal or plant-based? 

Mono and diglycerides used in ice cream products are plant-based. Products include:  

  • Häagen-Dazs ® 

  • Drumstick ® 

  • Parlour ™ 

  • Confectionery frozen desserts  

In addition, the mono and diglycerides in the following products are plant- and vegetable-based: 

  • Quality Street ® 

  • NESCAFÉ Sweet and Creamy 

  • Carnation ® Hot Chocolate 

What is the source of the whey protein in your confectionary products?  

Whey protein concentrate is derived or concentrated from liquid whey from cheese manufacture. Cheese is produced by adding microbial sourced rennet to milk. Once added, it separates into curds and whey liquid. The whey is then separated from the curd and dried.  

Our locally produced confectionary products (manufactured in Canada) do not use any rennet.

Regarding our imported products, many of the ranges are vegetarian, however we ask that you connect with our Consumer Ambassadors with the product UPC Bar code for further investigation.

Where is the polyglycerol polyricinoleate from in your confectionery products?  

The polyglycerol polyricinoleate in our confectionery products is derived from the castor bean plant and is therefore of vegetable origin. It’s common in the chocolate industry and is used as an emulsifier in very small quantities to help make the chocolate smoother and to help chocolate flow better throughout the factory process. 

Do your products contain alcohol? 

We first and foremost, always recommend checking the ingredients on the label for the most accurate information. Alcohol is not something most people associate with chocolate bars or ice cream, but there are times when ethyl alcohol may be part of the flavours used. 

Confectionery: Aero ®, Smarties ® and Turtles ®  products do not contain any ethyl alcohol. The vanilla flavours used in our Coffee Crisp ® and Kit Kat ® products use ethyl alcohol as a carrier, which is removed during the making of the product. There is no alcohol in the finished product. 

Ice Cream: Alcohol is used during the making of some of our ice cream as an ingredient in the finished product or as a carrier in a flavour. Our products with “flavour” listed in the ingredient list, whether it is part of the ice cream base, coating or wafers, may contain alcohol used as a carrier.  

Ice cream products with NO alcohol used in production are:  

  • Häagen-Dazs® Strawberry 

  • Häagen-Dazs® Chocolate 

  • Häagen-Dazs® Matcha 

  • Häagen-Dazs® Coffee 

Perrier ®: All flavoured Perrier waters have ethyl alcohol in the flavour component, which is used as a carrier and is very common in flavour preparations. The original Perrier that consists only of carbonated natural spring water, without flavour, does not contain ethyl alcohol. 

Do your GOOD START products contain animal sources? 

In our GOOD START products, whey protein is sourced from cow's milk, and the enzyme trypsin is derived from an animal source (pork). Trypsin is broken down by heat in the manufacturing process and does not make it into the finished product. Canadian regulations require us to declare processing aids on the ingredient list – you will see the amount of the processing aids found in the finished product.  

Trypsin is a pancreatic enzyme that acts to break down protein, and is also used in Nestlé formulas containing Comfort Proteins (GOOD START PLUS, GOOD START SOOTHE and GOOD START 1 and 2 infant formulas.  

The trypsin is broken down during the manufacturing process and is not present in the final product.   
 
Please note: GOOD START ORGANIC and GOOD START ALSOY are not made with trypsin or other pancreatic enzymes. 

What is the source of the glycerol in QUALITY STREET?  

The glycerol found in our QUALITY STREET products is derived from hydrogenated vegetable oil. 

What is the source of protease and Xylanase used in KIT KAT?  

The protease and Xylanase used in KitKat products is obtained from specific cultures (Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma reesei). This enzyme blend is used for the wafer production, and is widely used in the baking industry to improve dough/batter quality and handling, as it reduces the thickness of wafer batter by minimizing gluten separation. It also improves the flow properties of wafer batter mix.  

Are there other ways to verify if products meet regulatory requirements?  

We follow all labelling regulations required by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). If the product is not halal certified and you have questions regarding the source or origin of a specific ingredient not mentioned above, we encourage you to consult the label first for the most up-to-date information.   

Should you have questions regarding a specific product, or a product not mentioned above, please connect with our Consumer Engagement Ambassador team.