Pecan Deluxe Candy, the European inclusions specialist, has been given halal certification for its Yorkshire production site.

After several of its confectionery inclusions passed the strict Halal Food Authority (HFA) audit at its factory, Pecan Deluxe said its planned to take advantage of the new opportunities presented by this accreditation.

Matthew Dobson, Pecan Deluxe technical manager, said: “There is a growing trend for quick-service restaurants and food manufacturers to cater for halal customers and we are responding to that trend by ensuring the availability of certified inclusions. The HFA audit was technically challenging as each product had to be individually ratified by the authority as fit for consumption by Muslims.

“Pecan Deluxe is committed to offering better choice and more novel ingredients to meet demand from across the world for our 250-plus inclusions. Now, halal food providers can tap into our expertise in getting new concepts to market quickly. We’re confident that being able to offer halal products will broaden our customer base and, ultimately, our market share across all sectors of the food industry.”

The company recently invested over £200,000 in its manufacturing facility in Sherburn-In-Elmet in direct response to increasing demand for its products.

The halal accreditation is a further endorsement of Pecan Deluxe’s manufacturing processes, which are also ratified by the highest level of BRC’s Global Standard for food safety.