Pray for the Cadbury social media manager who's frantically fending off trolls

Jerico Mandybur
Updated

Because a hippy dude named Jesus died about 2,000 years ago, everybody gets chocolate in April. Yay!

But it's not fun times for all. While we're salivating over delicious creme eggs, the social media manager of a major chocolate company has to deal with a barrage of nonsensical Twitter notifications thanks to fake news. 

SEE ALSO: Using data to prove that Chinese food on Christmas is the perfect combination

Cadbury has been busy fending off Twitter trolls who can't deal with the fact that their yum yums are halal. Whoever the social media manager behind @CadburyUK is, they're doing their damn best to explain that just because a product is permissible to eat under the religious teachings of Islam, it doesn't mean that:

a) they've done anything to make it so (they haven't)
b) that it's officially halal-certified (it isn't)
c) that even if it was, that would be somehow weird (it wouldn't be)

The whole shitstorm kicked off, as most do, with a viral image not at all based in reality. 

As an "unnamed Cadbury's insider" told Huffington Post, the image is from 2014 and features a Cadbury Malaysia employee. Given the region, the source said "there probably is a call for halal certification" in Malaysia, adding "People don’t understand the difference between [our UK and Asian markets]." 

Like Malaysia, Cadbury products in Australia are also proudly halal certified, indicating that the gelatine they use in their ingredients is ripe for the eating.

But with that image, all hell broke loose. "None of our UK products are Halal Certified and we have never made any changes to our chocolate to specifically make them halal," Cadbury UK wrote on social media after the initial backlash. "They are just suitable for those following a halal diet in the same way that standard foods such as bread or water [are]." Seriously. Can these commenters not use Google? 

Just look at this little sampler of the torrent of complaints their Twitter account moderator has been fielding. This employee deserves a pay rise. Or at least, more delicious, halal chocolate. #PrayForCadbury indeed. 

Also, props to this guy who knows first hand the struggle of being a chocolate spokesperson on social media. What a time to be alive.

WATCH: Indulge your fear of heights with China's latest glass bridge