Snacks - Halal Guidance

Ingredients used to make Oreo cookies are halal in nature. However, OREO cookies sold in the North America (US & Canada) are just not Halal Certified. Not too long ago, there was a rage online with people speculating whether everyones beloved OREO cookies were halal or not. The conversation got so heated that OREO publicly announced that their cookies are not halal certified. OREO's official twitter account claiming that OREO cookies are not halal certified This statement poured more fuel to the fire as people in the muslim community were heart broken thinking that their favorite cookie was no longer fine to eat. However, a lot of people failed to look at the ingredients list that is publicly available. OREO Ingredients are Halal by Nature This is what many failed to realize. When looking at the complete list of ingredients of OREO cookies, there's nothing that is questionable. In fact, it proves that OREOs are vegetarian and halal by nature. Here's a list of ingredients that go into making an OREO cookie (source): Sugar Unbleached enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mono-nitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), folic acid) High oleic canola oil or palm oil Cocoa (treated with alkali) High-fructose corn syrup Leavening agent (baking soda or monocalcium phosphate) Corn starch Salt Soy lecithin Vanillin Chocolate Looking at this list of ingredients, nothing stood out to us to make us think that OREO cookies are not halal. Here's a great video by That Muslim Guy on YouTube, where he breaks down this topic in a humorous way. Definitely worth subscribing to his channel! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs3ojy7JTAM OREOs In The Middle East Are Halal We wanted to make sure that our audience understood that this conversation mainly pertains to OREOs sold in North America (Canada and the US). OREOs sold in the Middle East and other muslim countries are 100% halal. They also include a halal certification on the box. Source: ProPakistani Frequently Asked Questions Is Strawberry Oreo Halal? Strawberry Oreo cookies are halal in Muslim majority countries. However, it is questionable whether it is Halal in North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico) because they contain "Color 120". This is a bright red color extracted from Cochineal insect (also known as E120 Carmine). This is used to give the cream in the middle of the cookie its red color. Why is Color 120, E120 Carmine, considered non-halal? This is because of the way it is extracted. To extract the red coloring, it involves killing the female Dactylopius coccus insect by either crushing, boiling, or steaming it (source). Does Oreo Contain Alcohol ? Oreo does not contain intoxicating alcohol. Depending on the country it is made in, they may use ethanol which contains a small amount of alcohol that is naturally produced from fermentation, but it can not intoxicate you which deems it halal. Is Oreo Halal in the Middle East Oreo sold in Middle Eastern countries are halal and must be for them to be produced in locally by-law. In January 2023, The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (Adafsa) issued an official statement stating that Oreos sold in UAE are halal certified, in order to denounce and address the rumors started on social media indicating that Oreos sold in UAE contained alcohol and lard (pig fat) (source). https://twitter.com/MoCCaEUAE/status/1610970034683383808 Is Oreo halal in Europe? Oreo is Halal in Europe, but it is not Halal-certified. We know this because Oreo UK themselves have mentioned that the ingredients they use naturally are halal. They just do not have the halal logo on it. This is probably because it is an added cost to the company that they're not willing to incur. This is why it is always best to check the ingredients of any food that is not halal certified to make an informed decision. Is Chocolate Oreo Halal? Chocolate Oreo is Halal due to the ingredient list, but it is not Halal certified in North America. To come to this conclusion, we looked at the ingredient list of Chocolate Oreos and here's what we found: Sugar Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron) Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1) Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid) Palm and/or Canola Oil Cocoa (Processed with Alkali) High Fructose Corn Syrup Leavening (Baking Soda and/or Calcium Phosphate) Salt Soy Lecithin Chocolate, Artificia Based on the ingredient list above, we could not identify a single ingredient that makes Chocolate Oreos non-halal. Final Thoughts Some people are content enough with the research above to continue eating OREOs. While others believe that if any food does not have that green halal sticker, then it is not halal to consume. As we always say here on HalalGuidance, do your own research and make your decision based off the information you've read and make your own judgement. Curious about other snacks? Check out some recently reviewed snacks: Are Reese’s Pieces Chocolate Halal? Is Nutella Chocolate Spread Halal? Is TWIX Chocolate Halal or Haram? Are Hershey Kisses Halal? Are Skittles Halal?