Is Oreo Halal Certified? Exploring the Controversy

Muslims around the world are facing problems regarding the halal certification of Oreo biscuits. They are advised to check the ingredients of food items before eating. And different rumors are circulating on social media that Oreo biscuits are not halal for Muslims.

Oreo company has confirmed in its tweet that our cookies made for Islamic countries are halal certified. Muslims can eat these biscuits. Oreo’s status of halal or haram is different in different countries. So let’s unravel this topic “is oreo halal” in depth.

Halal means allowed or permissible. Halal certification is a process in which a product is checked that it does not contain any haram ingredients and meets the laws of Islamic sharia. Every Muslim country has its own  Halal Accreditation body. Following are some such accreditation bodies and their viewpoints.

1. Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC)

This accreditation body works under the Ministry of Science and Technology. It issues halal certification after checking the ingredients of specific products.  Oreo in Pakistan is made by Continental Biscuits (a leading biscuit company in Pakistan) which is halal-certified. A halal label is written on these biscuits.

2. Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA):

It is the most recognized accreditation body. It stated that Oreo biscuits are halal-friendly. However, buyers should check the halal label on its packaging before purchasing.

3. Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC UK) 

It is a UK-based nonprofit halal certification organization. It said that Mondelez International has not strived for halal certification. But the ingredients used in making these biscuits are not haram.

Some products of Oreo are halal in Australia but most of the products are haram and are not halal-certified. The products that are halal-certified in Australia are given below.

• Oreo Cookies Choc Split 133g
• Oreo Cookies Red Velvet 133g 
• Oreo Cookies Salted Caramel 133g
• Oreo Golden 133g
• Oreo Cookies Mini Original 230g
• Oreo Cookies Mini Chocolate 230g
• Oreo Cookies Mini Variety 230g
• Oreo Cookies Original Grab and Go 264.6g
• Oreo Wafer Sticks Milk Chocolate 128g
• Oreo Wafer Sticks Milk Chocolate 345g

 The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA)  is the regulatory body of Saudia. It checks and regulates food products and permits distribution only, if they comply with Islamic halal standards. The news was circulating on social media that Oreo biscuits in this country contain pork fat. In response, SFDA guaranteed that all products sold in our country are Halal.

 Later on, a tweet from Mondelez International company also confirmed that Oreo biscuits for this region meet all necessary  Halal standards.

SANHA ( South African National Halal Authority) stated that Oreo biscuits are not made in our own country. These are imported from Muslim countries like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Indonesia. This authority also provided a halal Oreo products list. Oreo Original,  Chocolate, Golden, Peanut Butter, and Oreo dipped in chocolate.

Mondelez International has no branch in Bangladesh. This country imports Oreo biscuits from India. India uses all vegetarian raw materials in making Oreo biscuits. However, vegetarian sources are mostly halal but not always. So, it is not sure whether Oreo biscuits are halal or haram in Bangladesh.

       Bangalees ( people of Bangladesh) should check ingredients before purchasing any Oreo product. As there is no clarification from the company specifically about Bangladesh.

Mondelez Egypt Foods guarantees that biscuits made in Egypt are halal without any doubt. buying biscuits in this country.

Oreo products sold in the United Arab Emirates are Halal. Dubai authorities tested the raw materials used in the manufacturing of biscuits and they are certified halal.

Yes, oreo biscuits are halal in Pakistan. Oreo biscuits are approved from PNAC.

Although Oreo biscuits are not Halal certified in Kashmir. But the company makes biscuits without using any haram ingredient. 

Morocco is a Muslim country. Mondelez Maroc has two production sites that make biscuits only. The most famous product Oreo is liked by people very much. After Oreo’s controversy about being halal or haram,

Moroccans express their concern about the religious permissibility of this product. The company guarantees that we do care for our customers and follow  Moroccan laws. Products made by Mondelez Maroc are halal.

 Mondelez India Foods Pvt Ltd holds the Oreo brand in India. And this production site makes biscuits using vegetarian sources.  These sources are considered to be Halal. So, oreo products are halal in India.

According to the company, oreo products are not halal-certified in the United Kingdom. There are some products in which traces of ethanol are used as a flavoring agent. Muslims should avoid these products:

• OREO Chocolate Brownie
• OREO Enrobed Milk & White
• OREO Cadbury Coated 
• OREO Crunchy Bites Dipped 

Oreo products comply with Turkish Food Legislation in Turkey. People of Turkey can consume Oreo products.

According to the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia  (JAKIM), oreo has halal certification for Malaysia. This ensures that there is no haram ingredient. so, Muslims can consume it undoubtedly.

The Netherlands is one of the most famous countries in Europe. Oreo products in Europe are not halal certified.

Singapore is a mixture of different religions and only 15.6 % are Muslim. So, there is no information specifically about Oreo’s status of being halal or haram in Singapore. Muslims living in this country are advised to check ingredients before purchasing.

Oreo cookies in the US are not Halal certified. 

Mondelez International is one of the largest snacking companies in Canada. They make Oreo cookies using coconut oil which makes them quite different as compared to cookies sold in other parts of the world.

        However, there is a problem for Muslims that Oreo in Canada is not Halal certified. The company claimed that they use a small amount of alcohol in minute amounts, but it gets evaporated during baking. That’s why alcohol is not mentioned on the packaging. Muslims should avoid buying biscuits in this country.

In this article, we have learned whether Oreo is halal or haram in different countries. It is halal in most Muslim countries like Pakistan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia UAE, Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa. In Canada and the US, oreo products are not certified halal.  Usually manufacturing companies get their halal certification according to country.