Sun Chips are one of the most popular chips on the market. However, as with any brand of chips, it is unclear whether all Sun Chips flavors are in fact halal or not.
Given their popularity, I was addiment to find out which Sun Chips flavors are halal and why they are permissible for Muslims to eat. I also wanted to know which flavors are not halal and why that is. In summary, here’s what I concluded after going through all the ingredients and doing my own research.
Sun Chips Original & Sun Chips Chili Lime are the only halal flavors. The remaining Sun Chips flavors contain animal products (that are not from pork) but their source is unknown.
List of Halal & Non-Halal Sun Chips
Which Sun chips flavors are halal? are all sun chips halal? Find out by checking out the list below of Sun Chips flavors that are widely available across the US & Canada.
One thing to keep in mind is that some Muslims living abroad do not eat Halal foods, such as halal chicken, due to limited availability, pricing, or simply because it is not a priority to them. If you find yourself in that camp, most of the below flavors of Sun Chips could fit in to your diet.
If you’re the type of Muslim who strictly follows a Halal diet and makes sure all their food included halal ingredients, then follow the list below carefully. We still urge you to read the ingredients behind every Sun Chips packet to make sure you’re comfortable eating every ingredient.
| Sun Chips Flavor | Halal Status | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Chips Original | Halal | Does not contain any animal products. It mainly contains wheat and a few other ingredients. |
| Sun Chips Chili Lime | Halal | The only animal related product used is buttermilk, but since they do no use pork products in their ingredients, Sun Chips Chili Lime is halal. |
| Sun Chips French Onion | No Pork but Not Halal | While Sun Chips French Onion does contain cheese & animal rennet, it is not derived from pork. However, the source of the enzymes used in the cheese & milk ingredients are questionable. |
| Sun Chips Black Beans Southwestern Queso | No Pork but Not Halal | Sun Chips Southwestern Queso contain cheese & animal rennet, may not be derived from pork. However, the source of the enzymes used in the cheese & milk ingredients are questionable. |
| Sun Chips Black Beans Spicy Jalapeño | No Pork but Not Halal | Sun Chips Black Beans Spicy Jalapeño contain cheese & animal rennet that is not derived from pork. However, the source of the enzymes used in the cheese cheese is questionable |
| Sun Chips Harvest Cheddar | No Pork but Not Halal | While Sun Chips Harvest Cheddar does contain cheese & animal rennet, it is not derived from pork. However, the source of the enzymes used in the cheese is questionable. |
| Sun Chips Garden Salsa | No Pork but Not Halal | While Sun Chips Garden Salsa does contain cheese & animal rennet, it is not derived from pork. However, the source of the enzymes used in the cheese cheese is questionable |
Why Do Muslims Differ on Whether Sun Chips Is Halal or Not
Whether chips are halal or not really depends on your interpretation after reading the facts and the ingredients list.
Why Muslims Believe it is Not Halal
Some Muslims believe that Sun Chips ae not Halal because they are not produced in a Muslim country and do not have a Halal certification on the labelling. While this valid, there are tons of other products that are not Halal certified that Muslims consume like milk or eggs.
Why Muslims Believe it is Halal
Always do your research and if you’re ever in doubt, it’s always best to stay away from it. However, the argument made here is that if the ingredients used to make the products are halal in nature, then the assembly of the ingredients should not change the status of a food from halal to non-halal.
My Personal View on Whether Sun Chips Are Halal Or Not
Personally, I would watch out for the flavors when choosing which Sun Chips I would eat. If all the ingredients are naturally halal, then I am not too concerned with social constructs such as a Halal Certification. This is my opinion after having done the research myself, I strongly urge that you do the same.
Does Sun chips have pork?
No, Sun Chips sold in the US and Canada do not have Pork Enzymes (Porcine).
Frito-Lays, the owner or the Sun Chips brand, has confirmed on their site that they do use animal products such as milk and cheese. However, their products are not Halal certified. Meaning that it has not been confirmed by a third party islamic organization that all their ingredients are in fact Halal.
While I was digging through hundreds of lists of ingredients while writing this post, the only animal products used in all of Sun Chips are:
- Cow’s Milk
- Whey (Not from pork)
- Cheese (Not from pork)
- Enzymes (Not from pork)
If you’re the type of Muslim who does not find the ingredients above to be concerning, then most Sun Chips are ok for you to eat. If you’re still unsure, it’s best to stick with the Sun Chips Original flavor or Sweet Chili Lime.
Is Sun Chips Cheddar Halal
Sun Chips Cheddar sold in the US & Canada is not Halal Certified, however they do not contain any pork products. The milk and enzymes (derived from animals) used to make Sun Chips Halal are NOT derived from Pork, they are derived from vegetable, microbial and/or animal sources.
Some Muslims living in North America just want to make sure that the food they’re eating simply does not contain pork or alcohol. So simply put, Sun Chips Cheddar do not contain any haram ingredients (since it does not contain pork) however they are just not Halal certified.
Is Sun Chips Chili Lime Halal?
Sun Chips Chili Lime does not contain any non-halal ingredients but are not Halal certified (which does not technically make it haram to eat). The only animal related ingredient used to make them is buttermilk. However, as previously mentioned, non of their animal products contain pork or pork enzymes.
Sun chips Halal Alternatives
If you’re simply not comfortable having Sun Chips just yet, or are still on the fence, Check out our list of halal chips or the list we have below of Sun Chips alternatives:
1- Doritos Sweet Chilli Heat
As per the email we received from PepsiCo’s Consumer Relations Representative, Doritos Spicy Sweet Chilli flavor contains no animal rennet or any other animal-based ingredients and therefore is permissible for Muslims to eat.
Check out Doritos Spicy Sweet Chilli on Amazon (link to Amazon) to have it delivered to your home.
2- Lay’s Classic
Check out Lay’s Classic on Amazon (link to Amazon)
3- Ruffles Original
Check out Ruffles Original On Amazon (link to Amazon)
4- Fritos
Check out Fritos Original on Amazon (link to Amazon)
5- Rold Gold Pretzels
Check out Fritos Original on Amazon (link to Amazon)
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