McDonald's fries' halal status varies significantly by country; in the US and UK, they're generally considered not halal due to beef flavoring in the oil, but in some other regions (like parts of the Middle East/Asia), they are certified halal because they use vegetable oil or are prepared separately, so checking local certification or ingredients is crucial.
None of our food is certified as Halal, and McDonald's U.K. has no current plans to introduce Halal food to the menu at any McDonald's restaurant.
“The fries are not coated in any fats or substances from an animal,” reads an FAQ webpage for McDonald's UK. “Once at the restaurant, our fries are simply cooked in dedicated frying vats in a non-hydrogenated blend of sunflower and rapeseed oil which is 100 percent suitable for vegans.”
While many fries are free from animal ingredients, sometimes they contain dairy or may be fried in lard. In most cases, the fries you order from a fast-food restaurant are cooked in the same oil that's used to fry meat and other animal products.
We set ourselves high standards across all our restaurants and with our suppliers. As part of our commitment to maintaining these standards, we work closely with the Halal Food Authority, who accredit and regularly audit our Halal restaurants.
Halal, meaning "lawful" in Islamic teachings, refers to food and drink that Muslims are allowed to have. Anything that doesn't meet these guidelines is considered haram or "not permitted." Halal is about more than avoiding certain foods such as pork and alcohol.
When our suppliers partially fry our cut potatoes, they use an oil blend that contains beef flavoring. This ensures the great-tasting and recognizable flavor we all love from our World Famous Fries®. The Fries are cooked in our kitchens, seasoned with salt, and served hot to you.
Our fan-favorite McRib sandwich is made with 100% pork sourced from farmers and suppliers across the U.S. We've always been transparent about our ingredients so guests can make the right choice for them.”
For example, many French fries would be Halal suitable, as long as they consist of just potatoes, oil, and salt. Most spice blends would also be acceptable. They would not be Halal if they were fried in beef fat that was not certified Halal, nor if they were produced on product lines that also made pork products.
Once at the restaurant our fries are simply cooked in dedicated frying vats in a non-hydrogenated blend of sunflower and rapeseed oil which is 100 percent suitable for vegetarians (McDonald's French Fries are officially accredited by the Vegetarian Society).
Our World Famous Fries® are always made from whole potatoes.
Our suppliers peel, cut, blanch and par fry quality potatoes before freezing them and shipping them to our restaurants, where they're prepared into the hot, crispy fries you know and love.
$2 Hamburger. $2McPops. $2.50Ham & Cheese Pocket. $3.50 Chicken 'n' Cheese.
Is cross-contamination with pork a reason to avoid fast food? Yes. Pork is considered najs (impure) in Islam, and cross-contamination renders other foods haram even if their ingredients are originally halal.
In British Columbia, KFC sources its chicken from Sunrise Poultry, which follows an Automated Halal Process. For clarity, this means that a Muslim recites the Tasmiyyah over each chicken during the machine-slaughter process. Sunrise Poultry is certified by the Canadian Halal Food Certification Agency (CHFCA).
Non-halal meat, meaning meat not slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines (zabiha), is generally considered haram (forbidden). However, certain exceptions may apply in situations of necessity or when meat slaughtered by the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) is involved.
They're not vegan or vegetarian
To ensure the great-tasting and recognizable flavor we all love, McDonald's now uses a canola oil blend that contains beef flavoring.
Who won? McDonald's got into hot water with vegetarians when it advertised that its fries were cooked in vegetable oil, but didn't readily disclose that the fries were flavored with beef tallow. McDonald's was sued by several vegetarians and Hindus who do not eat meat for ethical and/or religious reasons.
Like most fried foods, McDonald's fries are cooked in canola oil. But this didn't used to be the case. Beef tallow was initially used because the supplier for the chain couldn't afford vegetable oil. As health concerns over saturated fat grew in the 1990s, McDonald's finally made the switch to vegetable oil.