Halal label on Swiss chocolate sparks controversy

Some consumers in Switzerland and abroad have been questioning the halal label on Toblerone chocolate bars. Although certified as halal in April, it was only this week that a small storm began brewing on social media – with some people calling for boycotts of the chocolate produced by Mondelez in Bern. In recent years, voter-approved bans on burkas and minarets in Switzerland have reflected fear of Islam among some members of the primarily Christian population. The Toblerone recipe, which has always been halal as well as kosher, has not changed. But the relatively new halal certification makes export easier. On Sunday, Swiss tabloid Blick ran an article, “Toblerone is now halal”. Other media outlets also picked up the story, and comments began appearing on social media. One was from Germany’s federal spokesman for the Alternative for Germany party, who on Facebook wrote, “There is no Islamization – not in Germany nor in Europe. It is therefore certainly pure coincidence that ...