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Halal chocolate arrives at Tesco


Tesco is to distribute halal chocolate bars in six of its stores in time for the Muslim festival of Ramadan.
The supermarket chain has joined forces with Ummah Foods, an East London company that manufactures food compatible with the tenets of Islam.

Tesco already sells a growing range of halal food in its stores.

Khalid Sharif, managing director of Ummah, told BBC News that the halal bars taste "as good as existing brands of chocolate".

Meticulous process

Younger Muslims, according to Mr Sharif, are becoming more concerned with making sure their food is halal, or permissible to Muslims under Islamic law.

To that end, he said, the company ensures the bars do not contain animal fats, and that no alcohol is used to clean machinery in the production plant.

Ummah ensures that even the glue used in the bars' wrappers is free of animal fats.

Till now, Ummah's chocolate bars have only been sold through smaller stores, as well as in hospitals, universities and mosques.

Two varieties of milk chocolate bar - one with a caramel filling, and one with orange creme - will go on sale at Tesco stores in Bradford, Batley, Slough, Watford and Brent Park.

A halal mint chocolate bar is waiting in the wings and will hit the supermarket shelves next year.