Wanting sweets is something that is very common to all of us; the majority of the world enjoys it, and everyone has their favorite sweets -a long time ago there were some other sweets, and nowadays people crave something else.
There are on a daily basis new fascinations and the new best things, that people not only buy but people are recreating at home, and preparing new recipes from the cookie, chocolate, etc.
Nowadays, in modern times, not that sweets no longer have quality, but we can say that marketing and online frenzy can do a lot regarding the promotion of a certain sweet.
It is enough for kids to see it, and their parents are going to buy it, and then the world we go crazy for it.
The cookie we will speak about here is not new, on the contrary, it has been on the market for some time, since the begin gin of the 20th century, but with the appearance of social networks, it has gained even bigger popularity, more than ever, and the company has, it is safe to say, have used it, and it is always making something new.
Here we are speaking of Oreo cookies, one of the most popular cookies in the world, that has enormous popularity, especially holiday and limited editions.
The creativity and new flavors are stunning.
People love these cookies so much, that the manufacturer has released grounded or powered Oreos for the creation of cakes, and other sweets and many celebrities are made a collaboration with the company and they commercialize them.
And for example, we get to see Oreo cookies, one of the favorites in recent years, all around the world.
Not too sweet, it has chocolate and vanilla alike, and, there are many things that could be made out of it; and the question here is what is it that this cookie is made of, and could everyone eat it?
Is it vegan, cosher, and halal?
When we say anyone, we think of for example believers of the Islamic religion, who have very strict rules regarding what they can or cannot eat.
This is the matter of whether is something haram or forbidden or is something halal or allowed, based on these strict rules.
So, the question we would like to answer now – is whether the Oreo cookie is halal or haram.
For food to be Halal; it can never include pork or pork by-products (and this also contains products like shortenings and gelatin) or alcohol.
In many cases, it does matter the way that something is produced is.
What is Oreo?
Oreo is a brand of biscuit that usually consists of two chocolate biscuits with a sweet cream white filling.
Two biscuits that create this cookie are either opaque brown or is it completely black, relying on who says it, and this is also one of the debates that are burning, but we can say that this is marketing for sure.
When you look at the Oreo questions and answers page, the factory replies that there is no “official” cookie shade, and they leave it to people to make a decision about what kind of cookies this is.
They leave it to the people to think and debate whether Oreo biscuit has a tint of brown or its color is maybe a bit nearer to black.”
It is marketed as a “Chocolate Sandwich Biscuit”.
It is not new as it was introduced a century ago, and even nowadays it is the best-selling cookie in the United States.
Oreo is available in over a hundred different countries, and in almost all of them, it has remarkable popularity.
Of course, nowadays there are numerous different variants of Oreo cookies are made, and the most popular are always the ones that belong to the limited editions.
And online you can find so many recipes that create so many wonderful things from an Oreo cookie, like ice-creams, cakes, shakes, etc.
It is believed that the name Oreo has a Greek root and that it means something that is very delicious.
Others say that the root of that name comes from the Latin language.
Some believe that the word Oreo is in fact a simple word that is memorable and hence the name.
Others say that it comes from a French word… and maybe all this is a marketing trick that is truly working well for the sale of these cookies.
Now, let us get back to the point of this piece, are Oreos Halal?
Are Oreos Halal or Haram In Islam?
The fact that the Oreo cookie is popular and beloved is not a surprise, but at a certain point, there was a strong debate was this cookie allowed by Islamic fate.
Just like in everything, there are many confronted opinions.
Can those who belong to this religion eat it; at one point, the company that produced them stated that they are not, in fact, Halal certified.
This report flowed more sparks to the blaze as individuals in Muslim society were sad that their beloved cookies is not allowed.
Nevertheless, a bunch of people forgot to glance at the components checklist that is open for anyone who wants to see it.
This is what many failed to realize.
When looking at the complete list of ingredients of Oreo cookies, there’s nothing suspicious.
It proves that Oreo cookies are vegetarian and halal by nature.
So, if we just take a look at the list of ingredients we can see that Oreo is made out of cocoa, sugar, salt, corn syrup, corn starch, chocolate, canola oil(in some cases palm oil, baking soda, soy lecithin, flour that was enriched with vitamins and iron niacin, etc, and vanilla flavor.
So, why the big mess, when all of these ingredients look clean and halal? Now, the sources say that this includes markets in North America, that Oreos sold in Middle Eastern countries are completely halal, and that it says on the box.
They are Halal certified and there cannot be any doubt about it.
This is the case since the original kind of Oreo and all of their variation do not have any ingredient that has an animal source.
But, if a certain flavor has pork derivatives, then it is haram and prohibited to be eaten.
Now, what can they be that are not safe to consume?
First of all, have in mind that these are the ones that are made in Europe, even if it does not say anywhere that they have Halal certification.
But what do not fall under this category are for example Oreo Choco Brownie, Oreo Cadbury Coated, Oreo Strawberry Cheesecake, and Oreo Strawberry Cheesecake.
These are the ones that you should avoid.
Now we have to mention one more thing that is relevant to this matter – on Oreo’s official Twitter page, it was stated that these cookies do not have a Halal certificate.
But this means one thing there cannot be found any stamp of approval, but this does not mean that when you look at the ingredients you do not see that they are halal.
In any case, it is necessary to always take a look at the list of ingredients and to educate yourself regarding what you put in your body, not just because of religious reasons, but also regarding health.
And we will add one more thing, that is so important for Islamic believers, and this includes also the matter of the importance of looking list of ingredients and knowing what you put into your body.
There is one misconception about halal and haram, and that is that people will be asked about haram.
Allah will not ask anyone about haram unless someone lives near us, and we did not make an effort to explain halal and haram to him.
The Almighty Allah will punish those who committed haram, and the man who stole will be punished, but Allah may ask us if he stole because he was in need and why we did not take care of him.
So always be conscious of what you put into your body, and always read and educate yourself.
Conclusion
Oreo cookies are one of those extremely popular, even viral cookies that the majority of us love, not only children but adults, who love to eat this dark and white cookie.
But, besides the original kind, there are Oreos that are different, and the producer has made a variety of tastes and stuffing.
It might amaze you to know that there was a time when you couldn’t taste the Oreo you eat today.
The primary taste that Oreo counted on the label was lemon, but it was soon removed from the market, have in mind that you have then there were no tools of marketing that are used today.
It was only in 2000 that the firm started emitting numerous limited and holiday tastes; and this is what made them so popular, all over the world.
And this has made people crazy in a search for these interesting holiday editions of their favorite cookies.
And now you are wondering that is all so exciting but are they Halal?
Of course, there are those who are never 100 percent sure that they believe in everything that is written on the box, and that they are not assured that Oreos are Halal, but you can always do your own investigation and make your conclusion founded on the data you’ve found and create your own conclusion.
Founded on the data known about Oreo cookies all around the globe, we can say that Oreos are safe and that they are Halal so the Islamic fate allows its followers to eat them.
Also have in mind, if you find yourself in the United Arab Emirates or in Egypt, where the Oreo company explicitly states that these cookies are Halal since they obtain the Halal certificate that is provided by strict Halal certification management in that country.
Always have in mind that producers of this and any other food product in the world can change the recipe for their product, and the same goes for Oreos, so be careful and read the label always.
Now, additionally, and this is important to mention, as some are interested in this – it is said that these cookies are practically vegan.
We mention this because of the ingredients that we spoke of that need to be looked at whenever you buy something, not only if your look is halal, or kosher.
The ingredients in an Oreo cookie are quite straightforward and include sugar, flour, oil, cocoa, high fructose corn syrup, yeast, corn starch, salt, soy lecithin, vanillin, and chocolate.
And even if you think that this is not the case, because Oreo classic has a distinctive milky flavor, it does not include any components of animal sources on the list, the company that makes the cookie carefully cautions that contact with dairy products is feasible.
In the same way, people of Islamic fate must always observe, especially if they are buying a new kind of Oreo cookie.
Note this also – since 1997, Oreo has also been kosher when lard (pork fat) was removed from the list of ingredients.
And this is also important for the halal status of these cookies, as they also should not contain any product from pork, not even in the trace, like pork fat.
But, in the majority of cases, you can be safe, as they are Halal, and it may be surprising based on their milky filling, they do not contain any milk.
In Canada and the US, there may be a bit of concern, but the fact is that if you buy Golden Oreos or Double Stuff; or Classic Oreos there is no need to be concerned, they are not only vegan but halal-friendly.
May all this be as it is, it is important that you enjoy life, and never forget to educate yourself on these matters.
Read also: Is Caviar Halal? / Is Salmon Halal?
