Chocolate manufacturer Alenka received the first halal certificate in Russia

The Red October factory, which produces Alenka chocolate, received a halal certificate from the accredited certification body Roskachestvo – Halal. RIA Novosti reports this with reference to a message from Roskachestvo.

“The corresponding certificate was the first in our country to be included in the federal state information system of Rosakcreditation,” the statement says.

It is clarified that the certificate was issued for the production of candies and chocolate “Alenka”, candies “Grilyazhnye”, “Bird’s milk”, etc. Roskachestvo noted that the production was inspected by specialists from the subordinate certification body Roskachestvo and experts in the field of Sharia.

Roskachestvo explained that confectionery products recognized as halal should not contain gelatin, carmine and a number of other food additives that are prohibited by Islamic norms.

As noted on the certification body’s page on the Roskachestvo website, more than 20 million Muslims live in Russia. In March 2019, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov, following a visit to Grozny, said that in Russia and in the world there is a growing demand for products and services that meet halal requirements. Then, with reference to experts, he notedthat by 2030 the share of halal products in the world could reach up to 20%.