Food for Muslims etc?

[QuackQuackBoing]

Hi, I'm having a 5 year olds party next week and am about the buy the food. I think there will be a few children there who are muslim and I am aware (I think) that they don't eat pork so I am going to make it vegetarian to keep it simple.

But, what about sweets and chocolate? I have noticed that some kids don't seem to be allowed sweets because of gluten is it? Does anyone know about this and what things are ok or not. Also cakes?!

Sorry to be so ignorant but want to make sure they are all catered for.

Yes, you're right that Muslims don't eat pork. And, as regards other meat, most will also only eat it if it's halal. However, that won't be a problem if your party is veggie.

I think what you mean by the sweet/chocolate problem is gelatine, which is often meat-derived. If you look at the ingredients list it should say pork gelatine or beef gelatine. I think gelatine is commonly found in sweets like jelly tots, jelly babies and haribo. I'd be very surprised to find it in chocolate or most cakes but I was surprised to see it in a gooseberry fool yoghurt so never say never and always check the ingredients!

Good luck with the party.

Oh gelatine! Not gluten. Feel a bit stupid now.

So chocolate should mostly be ok but jelly sweets are the things to check?

Agree with Sariska, it is easier to prepare as if they were vegetarian, if you are aware of all the ins and outs of halal and dont know how strict parents are.
For sweets/cakes it is prob to get some that are labelled as vegetarian rather than just not seeing 'meat' products in ingrediants list, as some E numbers arent vegetarian, also Cochineal (red/pink food colourant) is made from beetles so not halal/vegetarian.

Some cheese is made with rennet and so not vegetarian.

So if the sweets say they are vegetarian then they will have no gelatine in? Can you get jelly sweets that are veggie?

Haribo do make a vegetarian range, if you want traditional style jelly sweets, they are often in the 'ethnic foods' aisle rather than the confectionary aisle in big supermarkets (this might be dependant on the area you live in so)

picture here if it helps

Thanks very much to both of you!