Is Bassett's Halal?

Is Bassett’s Halal?

Bassett’s is one of Britain’s oldest confectionery brands, founded in Sheffield in 1842. It is now owned by Mondelez International — the global food giant also responsible for Cadbury, Toblerone, and Oreo — which acquired the brand through its 2012 purchase of Cadbury.

The brand’s four flagship products — Jelly Babies, Liquorice Allsorts, Wine Gums, and Sherbet Fountain — each have a different halal profile. For most of the range, the verdict is Haraam, driven by two well-documented concerns: pork-derived gelatine and E120 (cochineal). Bassett’s holds no halal certification in the UK or any other market.

Jelly Babies — Pork Gelatine

Jelly Babies are arguably Bassett’s most iconic product, sold across the UK and in many Commonwealth markets. They are a firm gummy sweet, and that firmness comes directly from gelatine.

In the UK formulation, Bassett’s Jelly Babies list “gelatine” on the ingredients panel. The industry standard in European confectionery is that unlabelled gelatine defaults to pork-derived gelatine — this has been confirmed by consumer enquiries to Mondelez. Pork gelatine is Haraam without any ambiguity.

Ingredient concern	Status
Gelatine (pork-derived)	Haraam
E120 (not present in Jelly Babies)	—
Halal certification	None

There is no halal-certified version of Bassett’s Jelly Babies available in the UK market.

Liquorice Allsorts — E120 (Cochineal)

Liquorice Allsorts do not contain gelatine — the texture in the liquorice layers comes from wheat flour and sugar, and the layered sweets use a combination of sugar paste and liquorice. This might appear to make them safer, but Allsorts carry a different concern: E120 (cochineal / carmine).

E120 is a red colouring derived from the dried and crushed bodies of the female cochineal insect (Dactylopius coccus). It produces the pink and red colours in the coated sugar-paste layers of Liquorice Allsorts. The majority of Islamic scholars — including HMC, HFA, and most mainstream fatwa bodies — rule E120 as Haraam because it is derived from an insect that is not permissible to consume.

Ingredient concern	Status
Gelatine	Not present
E120 (cochineal — pink/red layers)	Haraam
Halal certification	None

If you are buying a product specifically because it avoids gelatine, Liquorice Allsorts are not a safe alternative — the E120 issue applies to the coloured sugar-paste sections throughout the pack.

Wine Gums — Pork Gelatine

Wine Gums are Bassett’s chewy, firm-set confectionery shaped as circles, diamonds, and other geometric forms. Like Jelly Babies, their characteristic texture is achieved through gelatine, and the UK formulation uses pork-derived gelatine.

The name “Wine Gums” sometimes prompts a question about alcohol — but there is no wine or alcohol in the product. The name is historical, dating to the product’s 1909 launch. The gelatine concern, however, is current and confirmed.

Ingredient concern	Status
Gelatine (pork-derived)	Haraam
Alcohol	Not present
Halal certification	None

Wine Gums are Haraam due to pork gelatine.

Sherbet Fountain & Sherbet Lemons — A Safer Option

Not all Bassett’s products are Haraam. The Sherbet Fountain — the classic paper tube of fizzy sherbet powder with a liquorice stick — contains neither gelatine nor E120 in its standard UK formulation. The sherbet powder is a blend of sugar, citric acid, and sodium bicarbonate. The liquorice stick is made from liquorice extract, sugar, wheat flour, and treacle.

Sherbet Lemons — the hard-boiled lemon sweets with a sherbet centre — are similarly free from gelatine and E120 in the standard UK recipe.

Neither of these products carries halal certification, but they do not contain the definitive Haraam ingredients found in the rest of the range. Muslims who follow ingredient-based assessment (as opposed to certification-only) generally consider these two products acceptable.

Product	Gelatine	E120	Verdict
Sherbet Fountain	Not present	Not present	Generally acceptable
Sherbet Lemons	Not present	Not present	Generally acceptable

Always check the current label, as recipes can change. Look for “gelatine,” “E120,” or “cochineal” before purchasing.

Full Product Verdict Table

Product	Key concern	Verdict
Jelly Babies	Pork gelatine	Haraam
Liquorice Allsorts	E120 (cochineal)	Haraam
Wine Gums	Pork gelatine	Haraam
Sherbet Fountain	None identified	Generally acceptable
Sherbet Lemons	None identified	Generally acceptable
UK halal certification	None	—

What to Check on the Label

When buying any Bassett’s product:

1. Look for “gelatine” in the ingredients — without a specified halal-certified source, treat it as pork-derived
2. Look for E120, “cochineal”, or “carmine” — these are insect-derived colourings and are Haraam
3. Look for a recognised halal certification logo — HMC, HFA, MCB, or equivalent — none currently appears on any standard Bassett’s product

Halal-Certified Alternatives

If you are looking for halal-certified alternatives to the Bassett’s range:

Product	Type	Why it works
Bebeto Jelly Babies	Halal-certified jelly sweets	Beef or fish gelatine, halal-certified
Candy Kittens	Vegan gummy sweets	No gelatine, plant-based colourings
Rowntree’s Jelly Tots	Halal-certified (HFA logo)	Gelatine-free, no E120
Vidal Sweets	Halal-certified range	Widely available in UK halal retailers

Rowntree’s Jelly Tots in particular are often recommended as a direct substitute for Bassett’s Jelly Babies — they are gelatine-free and carry HFA halal certification on the UK pack. See our Rowntree’s brand page for the full breakdown.

Summary

Bassett’s is a Haraam brand for most of its product range. Jelly Babies and Wine Gums contain pork gelatine; Liquorice Allsorts contain E120 (cochineal). Sherbet Fountain and Sherbet Lemons avoid both of these ingredients and are generally considered acceptable by Muslims following an ingredient-based approach, though neither carries halal certification.

Mondelez International, which owns Bassett’s, has not pursued halal certification for any UK Bassett’s product. Until that changes, the majority of the Bassett’s range should be avoided by Muslims following halal dietary guidelines.