Is Doritos Halal or Haram?

Doritos are flavored tortilla chips made by Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo.  Established in 1964, the brand has since expanded to almost every country and region globally. Though an American chips brand, these tortilla chips are also popular in the UK. They offer a range of chips and dips. In the UK, individuals of most ethnic and religious communities, including the UK Muslims, like these varied Doritos chips and dips. But the question is whether the favorite chips and dips are halal to eat? In this blog, we will look up the ingredients of the popular Doritos chips and dips to ascertain whether it is halal or haram.

Ingredients of Doritos

As Doritos products come in a great variety, we will look at the ingredients present in almost every chips and dip product. Some products may or may not include all of the following ingredients. Therefore, it is advisable always to look up the ingredients mix of your product and then seek guidance from your local Islamic scholar.

• Corn (Halal)
• Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil) (Halal))
• Maltodextrin (Made from Corn)
• Salt (Halal)
• Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes)
• Whey
• Monosodium Glutamate
• Buttermilk
• Romano Cheese (Part-skim Cow’s Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes)
• Whey Protein Concentrate
• Onion Powder (Halal)
• Corn Flour (Halal)
• Natural and Artificial Flavour
• Dextrose (Halal)
• Tomato Powder (Halal)
• Lactose
• Spices
• Artificial Colour (Yellow 6, Yellow 5, And Red 40)
• Lactic Acid
• Citric Acid (Halal)
• Sugar (Halal)
• Garlic Powder (Halal)
• Skim Milk (Halal)
• Red and Green Bell Pepper Powder
• Disodium Inosinate
• Disodium Guanylate

While looking at the ingredients list, many of them are halal, but the status of some ingredients like coloring and flavoring agents is uncertain. Also, there are some enzymes used in Cheddar and Romano cheese. There is no further information on whether these enzymes are sourced from halal animals or not and whether those halal animals are slaughtered according to shariah rules.

Islamic Principle About Halal and Haram

Muslims worldwide seek guidance from Quran and Sunnah for leading their lives according to Islamic teachings. These two primary guidance sources contain timeless principles that modern Muslims can follow without any hesitation.

Like its clear guiding principles for all aspects of human life, Quran has clear injunctions when it comes to whether a food or a specific act is halal or haram.

Allah (SWT), in Surah Al Baqarah, has clarified the halal and haram food for Muslims.

“He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (Quran 2:173) 

(Source of above-cited Quranic Verse: https://quran.com/2/173?translations=84,17,95,101,22,20)

This Quranic verse is the guiding principle for distinguishing halal food from haram in Islam. According to this verse of the Holy Quran, carrion, i.e. dead meat, the blood, and swine (pig) meat, is haram. And also, if you slaughter any halal animal and dedicate it to others than Allah, it is haram.

Intoxicants like alcohol and certain insects, birds, land animals, and seafood are not permissible to consume in Islam. Therefore, any food consisting of any haram ingredients will render it haram.

Is Doritos Halal or Haram?

As stated above, the nature of the enzymes is unknown. If these enzymes are sourced from halal animals, the resulting product will be halal; otherwise, it will be haram.

Also, most of the time, the carrier of coloring and flavoring agents is alcohol, so snacks with such coloring and flavoring agents are haram.

So, we can say that if all the ingredients of the given Doritos chips or dips are halal, then the product will be halal; otherwise, it will be haram.

How to Recognize Halal Doritos

The best way to tell if a given snack is halal or haram is to contact the manufacturer and inquire about all the ingredients used in the snack. Then seek the guidance of your local Islamic scholar about the halal and haram nature of the snack product.

Similarly, look up the halal certifications from Islamic scholars about specific products. If there is a halal certification from the body, you can enjoy your chips; otherwise better leave them.

According to PepsiCo, all Doritos flavors have animal enzymes except Doritos Bold BBQ and Doritos Sweet Chili Heat. (Source: https://halalguidance.com/are-doritos-halal/)

In Summary

In light of the Quran and Sunnah, any product consisting of haram ingredients is haram, whereas if it consists of halal ingredients, then the product will be halal. However, before taking a final decision, it is of utmost necessity to seek guidance from an established Islamic scholar to guide you to make an informed decision based on the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah.