Is McDonald’s Halal In 2024? | Myth Or Fact

McDonald’s is the largest chain of fast-food restaurants worldwide. Many of McDonald’s customers are also Muslim, and one recurring question that has been going about is if McDonald’s will be Halal in 2023. Let’s find that out and a lot more in this article. 

McDonald’s food is not entirely Halal, but partially so. There are various countries in the world where McDonald’s food is halal. However, in the United States, meat-based products are not halal-certified. 

Although eating Halal meat is a common practice among Muslims. Lately, a lot of people have preferred halal food. An estimate by Islamic Services of America in 2022 suggested that over 8 million people in the United States only consume halal meat. 

So, as you can already see, that is a massive chunk of people. McDonald’s is a place that most people prefer to eat at because of their reasonably priced menu, fast service, and good food. 

But, before dining at such restaurants, knowing about dietary restrictions is also very important. So, let us look at all Halal at McDonald’s, along with a lot more information about the same. 

Is McDonald’s Food Halal? 

McDonald’s food is partially halal, as mentioned above. In the United States, meat-based sandwiches and burgers are not halal-certified. However, other options on the McDonald’s menu, like beverages, desserts, and apple slices have no contact with animal products and are fit for people who want to eat halal food. 

McDonald’s is a trendy restaurant chain across the world. When it comes to fast-food restaurant chains, one place that everyone can easily associate with is indeed McDonald’s. So, McDonald’s outlets can easily be found in most countries worldwide. 

It includes Muslim-majority countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. In these countries, the meat used by McDonald’s is officially certified as Halal and comes with a certification. 

Moreover, in countries like India and Germany, there are a lot of McDonald’s outlets that have halal meat. In the United States, McDonald’s served Halal food for quite some time until 2013.

However, they don’t offer it anymore, and even the fries at McDonald’s are not halal in the United States. Over the years, McDonald’s has been very considerate of dietary and religious restrictions.

So, although you may have yet to come across halal meat at McDonald’s outlets in the United States, there are a few other halal options on the menu. They are all food items that are not animal-based, like apple slices, desserts, beverages, and McCafe bakery items as well. 

Why Did McDonald’s Stop Selling Halal Food In 2013? 

Most people believed that halal food was not halal at all and was just marketed as halal. Due to this constant trouble, the chain had to go through. They decided to scrape off the halal chicken versions from their menu at the locations where they were introduced. 

McDonald’s first started selling Halal food in the United States in 2000. This time, McDonald’s began with halal products at their outlet on Michigan Avenue near Greenfield. 

Following that, they also started offering halal options on their menu at the location on Ford Road, east of Schaefer. McDonald’s chose these locations to serve halal food because they had a massive population of Arab-American Muslims in the area. 

McDonald’s began offering Halal chicken sandwiches and also Halal chicken McNuggets. These became so popular that in 2000, 65% of the sales of chicken McNuggets at these locations were the halal version of them. 

However, McDonald’s faced many problems over the 12-year stint when they offered Halal food. McDonald’s had to face a lawsuit as many people did not believe that the halal food they were selling was 100%. 

When these menu options were first discontinued, a spokesperson from McDonald’s said those items had been suspended from the menu due to their efforts to concentrate on the menu at a national level. 

It disappointed many people, especially those who believed that the chicken served at these two locations was halal. However, many people were also pleased with this decision taken by McDonald’s. 

Most people had to say that if McDonald’s cannot guarantee that the chicken is 100% halal, they should discontinue it from the menu. 

Countries Where They Offer Halal Food At McDonald’s

Sadly, most major countries, like the United States, Canada, China, Russia, and the United Kingdom, do not offer halal food at McDonald’s outlets. But McDonald’s has outlets in quite a lot of countries across the world, which also includes countries with a majority Muslim population. 

Moreover, not just that, but even in some countries where the population is not Muslim majority, you may find a few outlets that do serve halal meat. So, in this section, you will find a complete list of all the countries that have McDonald’s and offer halal meat. 

Countries Where All McDonald’s Outlets Serve Halal Food: 

1. Turkey

McDonald’s in Turkey is Halal certified. They use halal meat to prepare their food, regardless of whether it is beef or chicken. Moreover, they also don’t use animal products while making their fries or other vegetarian options. 

2. Morocco

Morocco serves completely halal-certified meat, which includes both beef and chicken. 

3. Saudi-Arabia

McDonald’s in Saudi Arabia offers customers various options, all of which are halal-certified. 

4. United Arab Emirates

In the UAE, they serve beef and chicken that are both halal and even have certification for the same on their official website. 

5. Pakistan

Pakistan is another Muslim-majority country where you can easily find all sorts of halal products at McDonald’s. Even the cheese that they serve at McDonald’s Pakistan is Halal! 

Besides the countries mentioned above, you can also find McDonald’s halal in Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, and Bahrain. 

Countries Where Some McDonald’s Outlets Serve Halal Food: 

1. India

In 2019, McDonald’s announced that all their outlets serve halal food in India. However, there were a lot of backlashes that followed this statement.

This was mainly because the majority of the population in India is Hindu, and they would not prefer the same. So now, McDonald’s has some outlets in India certified as Halal. 

2. Germany

Just like India, Germany has quite a few McDonald’s locations that serve completely Halal food. There had been a few allegations against this where people did not believe the same. However, these allegations were debunked, and you can find Halal food at some of their restaurants across the country. 

3. Australia

In Australia, some McDonald’s locations have a halal certification. However, they also serve chicken and cheese, which are both halal, at most of their outlets across the country. It is always better to ask the server about the meat’s status before ordering. 

Popular Halal Food Options At McDonald’s

Although the meat is not halal-certified in the United States and other countries, it is okay. A few alternatives can be enjoyed at McDonald’s, as they are entirely vegetarian and have no contact with animal products.

Although the french fries from McDonald’s don’t qualify as vegetarian, many other options on the menu allow as entirely vegan. McDonald’s has been catering to every dietary need lately. Hence, they came up with a vegan and gluten-free menu.

Here are some of the options that you can enjoy at McDonald’s, which are halal and not contaminated with any animal products. 

1. Fruit & Maple Oatmeal

The fruit & maple oatmeal is one of their breakfast classics. This oatmeal has no contamination with animal products and is entirely halal and vegan. 

2. Apple Slices

Apple slices are one of the sides available on the McDonald’s menu. Although not very exciting, the apple slices are utterly halal since they do not contaminate animal products. Moreover, you can pair the apple slices with caramel sauce to make them more flavorful! 

3. McCafe Desserts

McCafe desserts feature baked options like muffins, cinnamon rolls, and apple fritters. These desserts are halal as they have no cross-contamination with animal-based products. 

4. McCafe Beverages

McCafe has a variety of beverages, both hot and iced. The beverages are all halal, including the drinks from the regular menu. This includes the milkshakes as well. 

5. Baked Apple Pie

The baked apple pie from McDonald’s is vegan and halal. The baked apple pie has no chance of cross-contamination since they ensure it stays vegan. 

Conclusion

As we have gone through this article, we can conclude that McDonald’s is partly vegan. There are many McDonald’s outlets worldwide, mostly in counties with a majority of Muslims, where the meal is halal-certified. 

Moreover, in countries like India, Germany, and Australia, a few McDonald’s outlets are certified as halal. However, in the United States, McDonald’s dropped its halal status completely and serves no halal-certified meat. 

McDonald’s served Halal food in the United States at two outlets from 2000 to 2013. After 12 years, they decided to drop the halal products altogether from their menu.

Now, you can find quite a few options on the McDonald’s menu that do not have contamination with meat products and can be enjoyed by anyone who prefers halal meat. 

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